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Am I missing something? Because I don't understand why this isn't making headlines in the boxing world.
The Guardian came into possession of a contract that many of the fighters being recruited by Zuffa are being asked to sign.
It is so incredibly terrible and dirty, you would only sign it at gunpoint or just didn't read it and signed it.
If the article is too long to read, in the contract there are 31 pages of “Standard Terms and Conditions”:
- Zuffa decides who you fight.
- If a fighter has an undercard bout and the main event is postponed or cancelled, Zuffa can pull the fighter’s fight down without any payment obligation to the undercard fighter.
- Marketing rights. Zuffa owns and can merchandise EVERYTHING of a fighter without any or little compensation.
Banners, buttons, posters, ***ellery, photographs, souvenirs, toys, collectibles, casino games, trading cards and memorabilia items.
"exclusive worldwide right to use the fighter’s identity in connection with the creation, development, manufacture, distribution, marketing and sale of video games" The fighter’s identity includes, among other things, the fighter’s “moves, acts, gestures, vocalizations or physical performance during a bout or when otherwise captured at Zuffa Boxing’s reasonable request”.
-The contract requires that fighters wear only equipment and the uniform approved by Zuffa during fights as well as at pre-bout and post-bout events
-The fighter must make promotional appearances to help market the Zuffa brand, Zuffa events, and Zuffa merchandise including appearances at press conferences, interviews and other sponsorship and promotional activities.
Zuffa will arrange and pay for round-trip air fare and hotel accommodations for the fighter and a per diem for meals in conjunction with these appearances. But it will not be required to pay the fighter for the appearance itself.
- Zuffa even gets a range of rights relating to any tattoos that the fighter may have on his body.
- Long list of expensive medical tests that the fighter must undergo. In capital letters in the contract: “ALL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MEDICAL EXAMINATION AND TESTS SHALL BE PAID BY FIGHTER.”
- Mechanisms in the contract by which Zuffa can extend the contract well past its original term. For instance if the fighter refuses a fight offered by Zuffa or unable to compete (i.e. sick/injured)
- If the fighter becomes Zuffa 'champion' the contract is automatically extended for one year
- Zuffa can terminate the contract if the fighter is “not declared the winner of any boxing bout by the athletic commission.”
(So lose or draw and you can be cut. So if Zuffa wants to get rid of you they just match you with a better opponent)
- Zuffa can cut a fighter if he's injured
- There is also section in the contract that precludes a fighter from taking legal action against Zuffa
- If you want to look at the books to see if they are robbing you, you have to use an accounting firm approved Zuffa
- Fighters can't train in California. The law there protects fighters too much to Zuffa's liking
The Guardian came into possession of a contract that many of the fighters being recruited by Zuffa are being asked to sign.
It is so incredibly terrible and dirty, you would only sign it at gunpoint or just didn't read it and signed it.
If the article is too long to read, in the contract there are 31 pages of “Standard Terms and Conditions”:
- Zuffa decides who you fight.
- If a fighter has an undercard bout and the main event is postponed or cancelled, Zuffa can pull the fighter’s fight down without any payment obligation to the undercard fighter.
- Marketing rights. Zuffa owns and can merchandise EVERYTHING of a fighter without any or little compensation.
Banners, buttons, posters, ***ellery, photographs, souvenirs, toys, collectibles, casino games, trading cards and memorabilia items.
"exclusive worldwide right to use the fighter’s identity in connection with the creation, development, manufacture, distribution, marketing and sale of video games" The fighter’s identity includes, among other things, the fighter’s “moves, acts, gestures, vocalizations or physical performance during a bout or when otherwise captured at Zuffa Boxing’s reasonable request”.
-The contract requires that fighters wear only equipment and the uniform approved by Zuffa during fights as well as at pre-bout and post-bout events
-The fighter must make promotional appearances to help market the Zuffa brand, Zuffa events, and Zuffa merchandise including appearances at press conferences, interviews and other sponsorship and promotional activities.
Zuffa will arrange and pay for round-trip air fare and hotel accommodations for the fighter and a per diem for meals in conjunction with these appearances. But it will not be required to pay the fighter for the appearance itself.
- Zuffa even gets a range of rights relating to any tattoos that the fighter may have on his body.
- Long list of expensive medical tests that the fighter must undergo. In capital letters in the contract: “ALL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MEDICAL EXAMINATION AND TESTS SHALL BE PAID BY FIGHTER.”
- Mechanisms in the contract by which Zuffa can extend the contract well past its original term. For instance if the fighter refuses a fight offered by Zuffa or unable to compete (i.e. sick/injured)
- If the fighter becomes Zuffa 'champion' the contract is automatically extended for one year
- Zuffa can terminate the contract if the fighter is “not declared the winner of any boxing bout by the athletic commission.”
(So lose or draw and you can be cut. So if Zuffa wants to get rid of you they just match you with a better opponent)
- Zuffa can cut a fighter if he's injured
- There is also section in the contract that precludes a fighter from taking legal action against Zuffa
- If you want to look at the books to see if they are robbing you, you have to use an accounting firm approved Zuffa
- Fighters can't train in California. The law there protects fighters too much to Zuffa's liking
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