Roger Huerta: 'I don't care if I fight in the UFC or somewhere else'
by Jesse Holland on Jul 31, 2008 11:45 AM EDT
208 comments
Maybe Randy's not so crazy after all.
UFC lightweight contender, Roger Huerta, who is set to battle Kenny Florian at UFC 87: "Seek and Destroy," appears to be joining the steadily growing ranks of disgruntled fighters who feel the UFC has evolved in every aspect except fighter compensation.
Often perceived as the UFC's "Golden Boy," Huerta explains there's no gold for him or many of the other fighters in a new interview with Fight! magazine.
Here's an excerpt:
Huerta is one of a growing number of Zuffa-contracted fighter who feel that there is a disconnection between the company’s success and the way fighters are compensated. Huerta’s disillusionment with the UFC began when he did press tours for his employer in Miami, Houston, Los Angeles, and London and received a $50 per diem for his troubles. It sounds like a a good deal until you factor in time away from training, friends, and family, days often stretch twelve hours or more, and an exchange rate of one UK pound for two American dollars. "Why do you think I don’t do PR for the UFC any more?" he asks.
He’s also unhappy with the terms of his current contract, but to Huerta, the press tours underscore a larger point: by and the large, Zuffa does not treat its contracted fighters with sufficient loyalty or respect. He argues that many UFC fighters barely make enough to cover their training expenses. He brings up teammate Keith Jardine repeatedly, incensed that a main event fighter is working for ten and ten- $10k to show and 10k to win - while his opponent regularly makes ten times as much.
Huerta’s expression hardens and becomes more animated as talk turns to endorsements. The common counter-argument for complaints about fighter pay is that fighters often make more from endorsements and sponsorships than they do for competing. But Huerta has soured on the system after receiving lowball offers from companies who expect fighters to jump at the chance to endorse products. He rails against a Fortune 500 company for offering a deal to build him as a spokesman that included unpaid work. "Are you serious?" Huerta ask. "I know Dale Earnhardt Jr isn’t doing appearances for free."
"The truth is, I don’t really care if I fight in the UFC or somewhere else," Huerta says. The fighter says he understands that Zuffa has to keep an eye on the bottom line, but he wants to work, "For a company that is as loyal to me as I am to them."
Most fans and fighters agree there needs to be a more level playing field when it comes to fighter salaries, but as the UFC has shown in the past, it doesn't like to air its laundry in public.
That could mean a bumpy road for Huerta, who has one fight remaining on his contract after UFC 87. Should Huerta defeat Florian, I can certainly imagine a scenario where the UFC asks BJ Penn to put his plans for vacating the lightweight title on hold in order to "take care of" Huerta.
See Lyoto Machida vs. Tito Ortiz.
That's assuming, of course, that the UFC lets him fight at all. I seem to remember another high profile fighter, Andrei Arlovski, with one fight left on his contract who ended up being buried on the undercard against Jake O'Brien at UFC 82 after nearly a year of inactivity.
Time off doesn't appear to bother Huerta, however, who has stated on several occasions his goals and interests outside of mixed martial arts. If one of those interests involves traveling, I know of a place overseas that's gearing up for it's second lightweight grand prix.
But like they say, the bento box is always greener on the other side.
Thanks to 'Five Ounces of Pain' for the assist.
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WHAAAAAAAAAA,
Jardine signed the contract as did every other guy in the UFC. I’ll Bet a years salary that Jardine got a huge bonus when he beat Chuck. Dana already proved it to me when Randy was complaining…all those cashed checks seemed to have added up to more than Randy was letting on. Hey as far as Huerta, at least he’d have a chance to be champ in elite!
by kevin doesn't know shit on Jul 31, 2008 11:48 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
anyone know how many more fights he owes the UFC before he starts looking for greener pastures?
by john on Jul 31, 2008 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
thanks.
I am getting real impatient not knowing what the match ups for the semi finals of the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix on September 23!
I wish they would announce the match ups already, cause its killing me to not know!
by john on Jul 31, 2008 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Off topic: It would be really cool if starting with UFC 100, they start awarding their champions with new belts (different style). The current UFC belt is nice, but the style has been around for a long time. Every 100 UFC events they should switch belts!
by john on Jul 31, 2008 2:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
TERRIBLE TERRIBLE MMA NEWS: DREAM might be in trouble
Taniagwa Sadaharu FEG producer has hinted some major troubles over at DREAM. Taniagwa was quoted talking about the ratings for DREAM.5, and what needs to be done to make DREAm survive.
After getting dropped from prime time earlier this year, they got another chance with the last Dream show – DREAM.5 could only manage to get around 10% ratings and the TV executives are losing their patience.
Quote from Taniagwa Sadaharu:
“DREAM.5’s TV rating is only 10%.We can not said it is success.If We can not grow up,DREAM TV show is finish in September…..”
by john on Jul 31, 2008 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Check out pictures that were taken of Rampage yesterday. He seems to be doing better:
http://dreamfighters.com/site/?action=detail&id=1217521088
Also, I hear that he is really looking forward to fighting
wanderlei in November
by john on Jul 31, 2008 2:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
i wonder why DREAM is not a big hit in japan like PRIDE was. they have better fighters than WVR.
by kama kaze on Jul 31, 2008 3:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
So what will happen to those fighters? Will they flock to the US?
by OJR on Jul 31, 2008 3:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
KAMA. its because they dont have any freak-show godzilla type fights, only some of the best, most sick-a$$ lw and mw gpx fights in a long time. the japanese fans are given alot of credit for not booing fighters, but it seems like they dont appreiciate real fights or real fighters.
by b.w. on Jul 31, 2008 3:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
godzillaaaaaaa!! hiyaku! hiyaku! lol. Agree. I like DREAM. Hope they get it fixed.
by kama kaze on Jul 31, 2008 4:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
me too! and JOHN i think it sucks as well that dream might be folding. maybee the ufc can pick up alot of them, like aoki,hellboy and jz just to name a few. to bad your boy alvarez is contracted to elite i belive, i would love to see these guys go up against some of the ufc,s top lws. and for sure they have to get jacare! i would like to see him go at it with hendo right off the bat. he beat mayhem, so its not out of the question. or maybee ricardo almedia (a bjj dream,no pun intended).im getting to caried away right now, this is just all fantasy stuff, but who knows, someday it might happen.
by b.w. on Jul 31, 2008 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I like DReam, and my best case scenario is that they get their Sh*tt together. They should really borrow the Giant tim Sylvia(1 fight) and have him fight Cro Cop. Cro Cop is a GOD over there and since Tim is a walking Freakshow, the Japanese people will eat that fight up. I guarantee that fight would give the ratings a Huge boost!
Another possibility is that all the fighters jump ship to the other Japanese organization World Victory Road, which would really help turn that Organization around.
If that were to happen, we would probably some fighters test they American Free Agent Market, but dont get too excited because the UFC already negotiated with most of these fighters and Grossly Low-balled them, like Hellboy , Kang and others. I would think that more former DReam fighters would sign with Affliction or EliteXC, than the UFC. So it would still increase American mma, but probably not much in the UFC. It would really help EliteXC and Affliction get better creating some headaches down the road for Dana.
Just my thoughts
by john on Jul 31, 2008 5:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
thats pretty genius: CroCop vs. Tim… God vs. Freak. lol. If talent is not the problem, because LW & MW talent is stacked, maybe its marketing to the key demographic. Or maybe japanese people are more interested in HW foreigners. PRIDE had a diverse range of skilled LHW & HW stars if you think about it, yes some freaks. Now, DREAM has majority Japanese fighters and no LHW or HW division whatsoever. Its hard to believe that the mma market over there just disappeared. But they definitely took a big hit losing guys like Crocop, Wand, Shogun, Fedor. UFC wouldn’t be the same without Chuck, Spider, GSP, BJ. Hopefully DREAM can make the japanese fans realize the stars that they have now, bring in some new ones (Kimbo maybe?lol) and start selling ppvs again.
by kama kaze on Jul 31, 2008 6:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
How much did huerta make in the year that he fought five times?
by Ro-J on Jul 31, 2008 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Probably so little, i wanna cry a river for him… NOT
by O damn he got caught on Jul 31, 2008 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
before he starts complaining he should maybee talk to his agent, who probably got him the shit fighting deal at the UFC. (sarcasm)
by Ro-J on Jul 31, 2008 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
His manager is Monte Cox and he’s definately making a killing. He may wanna be pissed at him too
by DSmith on Jul 31, 2008 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Monty is sofaking Lying to his fighters, every time I see him, I wish I could see him fight Wandy in pride rules. Yes I really dislike that weasel.
by Ro-J on Aug 4, 2008 10:33 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
what a fighter makes in endorsements is irrelevant! those deals have nothing to do with the ufc contracts that fighters have and they should not even be mentioned when it comes to discussing fighter salary. if that were the case then why on earth would the cleveland cavaliers pay lebron james much money when he’s making 90 million dollars from a nike endorsement? or why should tiger woods get any purse money from tournaments he wins because he gets millions for gatorade and nike? endorsement deals are personal deals between athlete and said product. dana white’s argument of bringing up the amount of money fighters get from endorsements as a reason for low salaries doesn’t hold water
by deuce 4 on Jul 31, 2008 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
deuce 4, would those fighters make the same money in endorsments if they were at any other Org? I dont think they would. So it is irrelevant, if the fighter uses the UFC’s brand to make money outside the cage.
by JV on Jul 31, 2008 2:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
A fighter should be more or less popular[endorsementwise]to make some big bucks in the business. W/o endorsements and royalties, I just don’t know if the UFC’s salary is enough to keep the fighters in the mix…
by TheNegation on Aug 1, 2008 5:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
UFC made Roger what he is today!!!! I guess the Affliction salaries are getting to alot of fighters. Too bad they will not last that long…. Roger would still be homeless if it wasn’t for the UFC…Wandy is known through out the world Jardine isn’t plain and simply!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by Robert on Jul 31, 2008 5:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
true that, maybe if Jardine could put together a decent streak without getting KTFO he would have a little bargaining power
by The_Cannibal on Aug 1, 2008 7:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yea, Hueta hasnt done enough in his career to be crying like this.
Hey Kevin, have you read about the rumors on the actual #‘s of affliction ppv’s? And what their saying about the way tickets are sold?
by JV on Jul 31, 2008 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
no what did I miss?
you mean that they bought 25% of their own tickets?
by kevin doesn't know shit on Jul 31, 2008 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Cut & Paste
-————-
“Based on independent estimates we’ve heard, the number has been estimated at between 50,000 and 85,000 buys,” said Meltzer. “Atencio claimed the number as being higher, saying it topped 100,000, although at press time, any numbers could only be considered rough estimates. Atencio told us that since UFC doesn’t release numbers, he’s not going to either.”
Meltzer went on to point out that PRIDE once claimed they did 150,000 buys for their US debut back in 2006 when the number was actually 40,000; so there could be a lot of posturing going on from Affliction.
by JV on Jul 31, 2008 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
lol!!! That douche bag was all bragging about doing over 100,000, and that he’d release the #‘s. Now that he sees the truth he says "the UFC doesn’t do it so I won’t either" How’s this Atencio, UFC doesn’t pay 3x what it makes out in salaries…bad business model to make 2 million and pay out 6. that means you lose money and go out of business!!!
by kevin doesn't know shit on Jul 31, 2008 12:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Kevin, and they say somting about the way the tickets were sold. Ofcourse they bought 500,000 worth, and they sold tickets at the arena for $39.95 no matter where they were seated. But because the promoter pays the taxes, he can say that the $39.95 dollar ticket was $500 to $1000 dollars. Its all a way to make the event look like a success, supposedly it happens in boxing all the time. So 2.1mil supposedly made at the gate. -500,000 – how ever many tickets actually sold for $39.95 that they claim sold for more = millions in loses!
by JV on Jul 31, 2008 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
they recently said that they really did over 100,000 ppv buys. I hope its true, because the better they do, the better it will be for us fans!
by john on Jul 31, 2008 12:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I know of those buy’s came from my cable box.
by PhilQNY on Jul 31, 2008 12:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Everyone keeps saying that competition is better for the fans…explain to me how that is.
From my perspective, more promotions means that I have to buy more PPVs. It also means that there is going to be a lot more red tape in cross promotional fights. I would be content if all the worlds best fighters fought under the same promotion.
by RealDrew on Jul 31, 2008 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
no, it would hopefully mean more tv deals and less ppv’s!
by kevin doesn't know shit on Jul 31, 2008 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
RealDrew: In a perfect world.. if it was so.. One MMA umbrella would be great.. but the problem here is
#1. The sport of MMA is not like baseball, basketball, Football, it’s becoming more and more like the sport of boxing. We shouldn’t compare the UFC to MLB, NBA, NFL, cuz that like thats like apples to oranges. Even in boxing.. there is no organization like the UFC.
#2. The growth of MMA from the underground to pop mainstream.. THe UFC..and this can not be stated enough has done more for the sport of MMA in America then anybody else ( Thx Dana ).. but the buck doesn’t stop here.. MMA is alive and now growing and expanding on it’s own.. The way the UFC conduct business today may hurt them down the line.
#3. best fighter’s fighting the best fighter’s regardless of promotion..will the way it looks now.. never happen. ex: Chuck vs Wandy.. dream match up.. only happend cuz Zuffa bought pride.. and it should of happend like that.. this is where these start up/ smaller promotions are losing the fight in the MMA worsl.. The UFC holds with lock and key the best fighter’s of the world collectively. We can not have an independant MMA champ if the UFC is not sitting at the Round table. This is where my crystal ball is fuzzy.. cuz I don’t know how it will look like a few years ffrom now.
#4. More PPV’s More MMA!! More counter cock bloking by Dana. More MMA!! that is great!! for us fans.. do we recall when it was at least 6months in between UFC/MMA events..my mouth was completly dry.
It sucked for us fans..We ran otu of things to talk about. Who can afford to purchase the PPV’s go ahead..show support. Who can’t …it’s cool ..stilll show yor luv..by dropping a comment here on mania. and if we all know Dana..everytime a rival company has a show..he’ll pull a UFN out his culo.. or rebroadcast a old UFC PPV. So that is a win win..IMO
#5. The greatest HW Card to date would of never happened. Affliction is the best thing to happen to MMA since Zuffa tricked and bought the UFC from SeG for 2milllion$.
Competition is great for fans.. it will guide the sport in the right direction.. more MMA our way.. but I wouldn’t of minded if all the premier fighter’s fought under one roof.. but I also would mind..offical 3 day weekends forever. =P
by PhilQNY on Jul 31, 2008 12:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
please dont let mma become like boxing. too many alphabet titles (like wamma in mma). if it does, it wont be because of the ufc. i dont mind seeing competition either, as long as it’s for the right reasons. i think that affliction is trying to do the right thing, but they are way overpaying their fighters (800k for tim, 300k for linland) and if they keep this up they will be out of business quick. i know the ufc aint perfect, but what org is. so far they have shown what it takes to be the best and no one else has come close.
by b.w. on Jul 31, 2008 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m starting to see a pattern here. Just a thought, but lately when a particular fighter is approaching a major carrer, crosroads fight, he starts whining a bit. I’m sensing Huerta may feel a loss means he would have to move on. Not that I agree but he may see it that way. Either way, Until Affliction can pay ALL their fighters loads of cash on a consistent basis, you might just want to keep grazing on this side of the fence.
by Jrandolph on Jul 31, 2008 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
KEVIN. i totally agree. i wish someone would ask him how much money he’s made so far in sponserhip money. alot im sure, and why? because he fights for the ufc, thats why. and why does every disgruntled fighter always bring up kieth jardine. every interview i see with jardine, he always says that the ufc takes care of him. chael sonnnen has a good video interview going around where he talks about how alot of fighters are spoiled and dont realize how good they actually have it. huerta career has been made by the ufc, so he had better be careful. if he lose to florian, he might just be fighting for another org. if they dont fold 1rst.
by b.w. on Jul 31, 2008 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I hope Huerta enjoy’s fighting for Matt Lindland in Portland.
by DonnyG on Jul 31, 2008 1:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
i’ll bet anything that huerta comes back with a retraction. he hasnt accomplished enough to be saying the things that he’s saying.
by b.w. on Jul 31, 2008 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Either way, It’s bad form to go that route while still under contract. Unless you have no plans of workng for them in the future
by Jrandolph on Jul 31, 2008 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, but that’s not what it’s about. I’m sorry, but if you have one guy making 10k and another making 100k, it’s either unfair or you have 2 fighters on different levels who shouldn’t be fighting each other.
I know everyone has their own opinion, but I think the fighters need to unionize. They will never be able to negotiate with the UFC otherwise….with the only exceptions being the top 1-5%.
by TonyDrip on Jul 31, 2008 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Tony: for their to be a MMA union.. fighter’s like Forrest, Liddell, Silva, Nog, BJ, GSP..would haveto lead the way.. and these fighter’s are the “5%”..they are happy.. and not hungry..
" Condo paid for.. no car payments "
That is why I don’t see a union forming anytime soon.. or anytime at all in the UFC.
by PhilQNY on Jul 31, 2008 1:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
PhilQNY – I agree with you completely! I’m not saying it’s going to happen, I’m saying it needs to happen if these guys want any negotiating power.
That said, it’s only a matter of time. I know the UFC helped put these guys on the map, but at the same time, they helped put the UFC on the map. Bottom line is you can have one without the other, so the fighters need the UFC as much as the UFC needs the fighters.
There’s plenty of $$ going around. Come up with some kind of pay scale that makes sense or eventually, the fighters will band together.
The UFC would have to do something if a bunch of the fighters unionized and acted as fighter reps….even if it wasn’t the top 5%. They need quality guys to fill cards….especially as many as they’re doing these days.
by TonyDrip on Jul 31, 2008 5:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Great, socialism, meet MMA. Fantastic. Why dont we just give every body a belt while were at it? That way fighters won’t feel so bad after a loss. You know just to be “fair” and all.
MEMO: LIFE IS’NT FAIR!
by Jrandolph on Jul 31, 2008 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It has nothing to do with belts or winning & losing. It’s about compensating the guys who put asses in the seats…The athletes – the guys who give up everything to train 6-8 hours a day to get in a cage an pummel each other.
By the way…Socialism…Huh? This is America where unions are everywhere….including almost every major sporting organization!
Stop swingin’ from Dana’s sack…lol
by TonyDrip on Jul 31, 2008 5:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks for the Disney speech coach
. OK, please bring us the “fairness” that any one of the well oiled boxing unions have brought to the sport of boxing. If it’s an “unfair” purse then don’t sign a contract. Instead, hire a new manager, move to another org, or don’t fight. Then, you won’t fill the seats with people that want to watch guys who give up everything to train 6-8 hours a day, to get in a cage and pummel each other. Which will eventualy result in higher payots. Once again, the free market will work, but if guys like Huerta continue to sign contracts they can’t complain. When they’re up to renew, they can choose one of the many options previously listed.
by Jrandolph on Jul 31, 2008 8:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
yea, huerta is a douche…. look at the elite paydays, not much different than UFC’s, can’t wait for Killflo to knock this dude out
by crowls on Jul 31, 2008 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Huerta is 25 yrs old and by the end of his contract will have 8 fights with the UFC. I imagine if he does well in his next 2 fights he will see a nice contract offer for his next 4 fights. Yeah, the per diem for the press tours is cheap, but he has to understand it keeps “him” in the limelight and will get him a bigger contract with the UFC or when/if he goes somewhere else. So gut it out and figure it out after the contract ends! He’s only 25 yrs old, to young to be disgruntled with the UFC, wait until the next offer is in.
by THORAZINE on Jul 31, 2008 4:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Very sound reasoning. I’m baffled that Huerta (who seems to be a thoughtful and intelligent person) would make such a strategic error.
by Muscle Dolphin on Jul 31, 2008 4:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He was getting owned by Guida, he WILL lose to Florian, he wont be champ, so who cares If he leaves ?
by Liddell-Marquardt-GSP-Sherk on Jul 31, 2008 6:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
So much for him being the “Mexican” face of the UFC
by Curtis on Jul 31, 2008 11:48 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I guess that is who Cain Velazquez will turn out to be…
by ARodOfIron on Jul 31, 2008 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Cain Velasquez will be the new Mexican face and future HW champ! Oh, and for lancelegWEAK: BROWN PRIDE!!! the last four letters in your name decribe you best.
by JV on Jul 31, 2008 12:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hahahaha!!!
A premptive strike from JV.
Que cabron eres ! ;)
by OJR on Jul 31, 2008 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ah dinnae ken wit you just said the noo
by Automation on Jul 31, 2008 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
why the hate??? killing whitey?
by kevin doesn't know shit on Jul 31, 2008 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Donde esta guapa chicas?
Only phrase i know!! All you need to ask when you go to spain.
(PS I’m sorry if i’m being really thick and your not typing spanish, me = mucho dum)
by Nick J on Jul 31, 2008 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
was that some scottish there auto… haha. reminds me of trainspotting.
by eightyproof on Jul 31, 2008 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Auto-
I did not …
My UK slang translator is bollicks, mate.
by OJR on Jul 31, 2008 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
LMAO, my native tongue.
Eighty, well spotted lol, where are you from?
JV & OJR:
Ah dinnae ken wit you just said the noo
Translated to
I don’t know what you just said just now :)
by Automation on Jul 31, 2008 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Auto-
Hahaha!
I said that JV was a MoFo.
JV said he was a bad mofo, bro.
Mex said he was the baddest mofo.
Oiboy said we were “killing white boys”- Not true.
Nick J asked where the cute girls were at.
;)
by OJR on Jul 31, 2008 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
OJR:
Our language is english like everyone elses. What I did was just slang.
You guys just sounded impressive, even though I never had a clue what you were saying, so thought I’d throw my bit in too lol
I’ll never get foreign languages. You say that you, JV and Mex mentioned Mofo, I assumed that ‘Cabron’ was mofo as it was mentioned in both posts. But no ‘Cabron’ in Mex’s. I just don’t get it lol
Oiboys says killing white boys. Does that mean you are latin americans or something along those lines?
Trust Nick J with his comment LMAO
by Automation on Jul 31, 2008 2:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I can’t speak for the other posters here but the Spanish spectrum has alot of countries, i.e.-Cuba, Mexico, Chile, Honduras, etc.
Each country has their slang or words they prefer to use that might not be recognized in another region.
Guero is primarily used by Mexicans or Americans w/Mexican heritage. I don’t use it but I know what it is because I have many Mexican friends.
I was born in the US but my parents are from Puerto Rico (Caribbean, spanish speaking island that is US territory).
What a coincidence that I am hijacking the Huerta thread for Spanish diversity 101. Ha!
by OJR on Jul 31, 2008 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Its not you hijacking OJR, its me lol.
As I said on a previous thread, by the time I get on here, there is 5 new threads which have already been exhausted. So there is nothing else to add.
So you can trust me to start talking about something that is not even close to be related to mma lol
by Automation on Jul 31, 2008 2:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Smae here Auto, I get to work at 8am and loads of new articles on here but mot of what I want to say has been said, kicks off around 2pm UK time.
by UKmmaBOY on Jul 31, 2008 3:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Matando Gueros. Great Brujeria Album
by RiverHorror on Jul 31, 2008 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I heard Affliction is paying their guys nicely!!!$$$
I was saying this when people brought up the “outrageous” paydays over at Affliction, with many UFC guys and others coming to ends of contracts and or having open ones, the reported paydays must have a lot of people knocking on Mr. Atencio’s door…
If it works out Affliction can build it’s roster up with disgruntled workers from other orgs and before you know it…
by CageFightingKip on Jul 31, 2008 11:50 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
yep before you know it, they are out of business because their ticket sales and ppv sales don’t even come close to equaling the total fighter pay. sure they can go work for affliction, burn their bridges with the UFC and if in the future Affliction goes under they have shot themselves in the foot.
by KitsuneX on Jul 31, 2008 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yep also agree. Dana is a petty man and if i were a fighter i would not want to get on the wrong side of him.
Rogers treading on thin ice. UFC is the big dog of mma… don’t pull its tail.
by Nick J on Jul 31, 2008 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
At first I thought you said Dana is a pretty man. lol
by RiverHorror on Jul 31, 2008 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
At first I thought you said Dana is a pretty man. lol
by RiverHorror on Jul 31, 2008 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I can’t imagine that Affliction’s business goals are to remain in the red. I won’t predict their success but if they are well capitalized they can afford to lose money temporarily while trying to attract top talent and promote their organization. Having Fedor, Arlovski, and Tim Sylvia is a nice start, but won’t be enough. Other fighters, like Huerta for example, will need to be signed away from the UFC. As of now though, with fighters like Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre, BJ Penn, Dan Henderson, The Iceman, Wanderlai Silva, Rampage, Forrest Griffin, etc, the UFC is by far the king of the mountain.
At least now these fighters might actually have a choice as to who, and for how much, they fight for.
by greggo on Jul 31, 2008 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
affliction will ruin their carreer and credibility, sounds like a great carrer choice to me.
by Ro-J on Jul 31, 2008 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Good Job Zuffa! U are now about to loose your Mexican GoldenBoy! Dana always says that he cant keep all his fighters happy, well these days it seems that only about 10% of its fighters are happy!
If they loose a young stud like GUerta, it will really be bad for the future of the company because he isnttheonly disgruntled fighter, thats for sure!
THey pay a lot of great fighters peanuts, butthen theygo and give good money to guys like Koschek?
$50 for public appearences out of a billion dollar company like the UFC is just inexcusable!
by john on Jul 31, 2008 11:50 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
50 was for meals, per diem. go somewhere else, I don’t hear too many guys complaining. tito (millionaire), Randy (millionaire) who else?
Hughes, silva, BJ? No.
by kevin doesn't know shit on Jul 31, 2008 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
They are too scared to complain.
You don’t hear too many guys complaining? Tim Sylvia & AA obviously thought they were better off w/out the UFC. GSP recently spoke out a bit before retracting.
by Shoulders by PETE on Jul 31, 2008 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hughes, Franklin, Chuck, Randy… all of these guys are prime examples of how the UFC works. All of these guys were cool with Dana, put on great fights, didn’t complain, and fought whoever was put in front of them. They are all very rich and were taken care of while they fought in the UFC. When you start thinking like Tito that you are worth more money then you start complaining and the UFC puts you on the choping block. I’d have to say that Jesse said it right, look for Penn or even Sherk to be asked to step in and hurt Huerta before he leaves to hurt his rep.
by Cogito Ergo Sum on Jul 31, 2008 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
JOHN. the ufc has lost randy couture,jacob,a.a.,sylvia cro-cop,babalu and the chance for fedor all in 1 calender year, and they are doing better than ever. i dont see losing huerta as being bad for the future. and only 10% are happy and the rest are disgruntled. give me a break! keep the ufc hate coming.
by b.w. on Jul 31, 2008 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t understand why all fighters don’t have their own clothing line like Tito with Punishment.
All the rappers make fortunes out of selling gear with their name on it.
Why have a crappy contract with American Fighter, One More Round or whatever when you could have you own brand, wear you stuff to the ring and sell t shirts for $25 that cost $3 to make?
by Nick J on Jul 31, 2008 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well Kos was on that 10/10 pay scale until he renewed. That Hazelet fight the last won on his contract. That’s why it was so important to win in a dominant fashion. He renegotiated and now he’s making good money. Just like Huerta was new to organization, signed a contract, he’s kept winning, he’s fights are exciting and when the contract is up he’ll get more. I was reading about it on another site and the author of the article says what Huerta had to say wasn’t actually as inflammatory as the snippets make it sound…. we’ll see.
by DSmith on Jul 31, 2008 8:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
doubt he’ll get a title shot now even if he does bet Kenny Florian. they aren’t gonna give a shot to a guy that has stated he isn’t happy and might leave.
by KitsuneX on Jul 31, 2008 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He’ll probably have to face Sherk
by Cogito Ergo Sum on Jul 31, 2008 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
There needs to be a middle ground between what the UFC & Affliction are paying for fight contracts.
The $50 per diem is ridiculous. Most companies give regular Joe Schmos $80 per diem during business trips. UFC may be penny wise and pound foolish.
IDFA
by Shoulders by PETE on Jul 31, 2008 11:58 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
not true, nfl, mlb and nba don’t even give 100, and those guys are paid! my wife works for the govt. and her last trip, everything was reimbursed 100%, but we all paid for that!! lol!
by kevin doesn't know shit on Jul 31, 2008 12:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Please excuse my ignorance but what is (a) diem?
by UKmmaBOY on Jul 31, 2008 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
money allotted for food. even though pro athletes make millions, there respective organization put them in a nice hotel and gives them a limit. in this case 50$ a day for food. Unless he’s eating every meal at ruth’s chris, 50 isn’t bad for 1 person to eat on!
by kevin doesn't know shit on Jul 31, 2008 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not always just for food. some businesses that require lots of travel give out a general per diem that is used to cover, Food, gas, hotel etc. if you watch what you spend you can come out ahead on the deal.
by KitsuneX on Jul 31, 2008 1:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Lol yeah thats why he threw in there its time away from your family and the gym which I find funny because that article he’s doing is time away as well. He also would have to spend a month or two training and be away from family and at the same time while he’s with his family he loses training. Is there no winning for Huerta? Can the UFC please pay him more money so that he does not starve? How about we go ask the Olympic competitors how much they make and compare the two.
by Cogito Ergo Sum on Jul 31, 2008 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well here in the UK a professional footballer (Risse of Liverpool) left a payslip lying around and it ended up in the newspaper.
He earnt £200,000 a month and his club CHARGED HIM for food from the canteen (£50 a month came out of his wage).
So some of the big companies are tight with the purse strings.
by Nick J on Jul 31, 2008 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Once again Zuffa are taking a stance that no one is bigger than the UFC. They are going to have to realise that their monoply over the sport will slowly dwindle if they keep driving the best fighters away. RH has the potential to put UFC on the map in South America which has a massive fan base and create millions of $$$ and I cnt see Dana passing this golden opportunity up. I think he will be given a new bumper deal win or lose at UFC 87 but I expect him to win via decision.!
by Cjgilly on Jul 31, 2008 12:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
“RH has the potential to put UFC on the map in South America which has a massive fan base and create millions of $$$ and I cnt see Dana passing this golden opportunity up.”
The UFC have a ton of Brazilian fighters they can market to S. Am.
by Pat on Jul 31, 2008 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
MMA is already big in South America. The UFC wants move into Central America. And seeing Brazilians fight does not have the same impact on Mexicans as seeing another Mexican fight.
by DSmith on Jul 31, 2008 8:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That’s the beauty of a free market. It corrects itself. If it gets to the point where fighters leaving hurts the UFC’s profitability, then they will HAVE TO pay their fighters more. Like it or not, the UFC is bigger than any one fighter, or even a handful of fighters. Their profits are still as big (if not bigger) despite notable losses (Randy, Tim, AA) and misses (Fedor, Aleks).
by Pat on Jul 31, 2008 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
This has to be a concern for the ufc. I hope they make this a non-issue. There is no-way the ufc can justify paying keith jardine 10k. That is shameful. I love the ufc, and i want to see them remain as the #1 mma organization. They really need to fix this.
by delldog on Jul 31, 2008 12:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
do all you guys really not understand that is is BASE PAY! They all get bonuses ! Hughes got a million dollar bonus for beating Royce, we all saw randy’s bonus check! Track back to my pay conversation (or someone who saved it post it). Give me 10k to fight and I’m there! win and get paid more, prove yourself and you move up in the organization! My job should give me a raise because the VP of operations is making more than me…great argument huh!
by kevin doesn't know shit on Jul 31, 2008 12:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
they dont get it! thats the problem. and the ones that do are so busy hating on the ufc that they ignore it.
by b.w. on Jul 31, 2008 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
thanks b.w, so I’m not crazy right!
by kevin doesn't know shit on Jul 31, 2008 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
MMA + socialism = equal pay based on whining + ignorant fans = elitexc
by Jrandolph on Jul 31, 2008 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hes better off somewhere else where hes apreciated for his talent he is a stud and brings alot of viewers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by skoler on Jul 31, 2008 12:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
If Dana, and the Fertitas would just take a second to think about what they already know, then they would realize in five years mma will be as mainstream as any other sport ans be a multi billion dollar franchise. So pay these guys good money now, make them happy, and become the NFL, NBA, or MLB of your sport. If you can retain all the best fighters there is no way any other organization can stay afloat, which is really what the UFC wants. Money talks fellas. Pay now to protect your future investment.
by Dave on Jul 31, 2008 12:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
This is what in time will tell.. as hte UFC holdsfast.. stands their ground.. as I learned in Randy’s book " Becoming the Natural ".. that “Zuffa” is Italian for “Fight”.. and with Randy as UFC HW Champ.. leaving the UFC and going to war and giving a Zuffa to Zuffa..and with more and more mid to upper class fighter’s expressing their didlike with the company.. is bad for business. The undercard fighters.. the ones who are making the 1st or 2nds show..will not make a peep. their mouths are shut.. they’ll take what they can get.. such as was for Huerta at one.. point. He was that unkown fighter.. that the UFC discovered.. and smacked his face on a UFC DVD cover. I hope the UFC Brass doesn’t let their own egos get in the way of conducting business.. the same can be said for the employees/fighters..but the employer in this situation is holding all the aces.. When I see a undercard.. not even aired fight..fighter maikng more money then the main event fighters put together..it makes me scratch my temple.
The UFC should re evalute their fighter’s salaries/contracts/ medical plans.. ( which I’ve heard are real good ).. but for Roger Huerta. a MMA rising star.. to get 50bones for show up anywhere on the UFC’s clock.. is BS. Are you serious? 50% before I blink I can spend that.. With fighter’s like Randy, Roger, AA, showing us hoe they feel about the UFC’s busniess practices..I hope things can hopefully balance out where everyone is happy.. well at least most of them on both sides should be happy with their contracts and agreemants.
by PhilQNY on Jul 31, 2008 12:21 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I spend about 50 bucks a day on my weed habit! what a joke!
by john on Jul 31, 2008 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If the UFC is worth in the 100’s of Millions.. let’s jus say.. and they have about 240 fighter’s under contract with them as employees.
Only about 25-35 would be called to do a thing-a-jig that Roger was reffering to.. an appearance…whatever forthe day.
And they pay 50$.
35 × 50 = 1,750
If this is true more or less..don’t you think they can add a bit more money into that PO..or account.?
That’s crumbs to them at this stage of the game. and from the their 1st investment of 2million to loss of 44million before the TUF Show took the moffthe ground.. I’m sure they have paid themselves back already.. now just make sure your family is eating..and things are all good in UFChood.
by PhilQNY on Jul 31, 2008 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I played on the U-17 US National Soccer Team and we were given like $20 a day. That was 13 years ago and we were not professional athelets. I have never been 1 to talk bad about these guys pay because if they didn’t like the deal they shouldn’t have signed, but that $50 bucks is a little ridiculous. I am not sure what the standard is with others sports, but that just seems extremely low.
by BNF on Jul 31, 2008 3:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
he does have point about Jardine. But he has no right to talk bad on his own behalf. UFC has made him into the rising star he is today, they could have thrown him into the grinder of top competition, and he would have been another 2-4 UFC nobody that fights for 8-10K per fight. I know that its the fighters that get people to watch, but it is the UFC that makes the names for those fighters. It’s easy to see, watch how many small promotions headline a UFC reject. Thats not only cause he is the best fighter there but it’s because he was in UFC and that means people heard his name.
by e-brawler on Jul 31, 2008 12:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Dave – you are right, but this is the same thing Dana got blasted for when he did not sign Fedor. Imagine a team in the NFL signing a guy who also wants to play in a Rugby league…it would never happen. But everyone got on Dana’s case because he was unwilling to sign a contract with Fedor that permitted him to compete in Sambo tournaments back in Russia.
As a fan I would love to just see the UFC pay a lot more to the fighters so we could see everyone in the same organization, but these guys are not stupid and are likely realizing that all these other organizations cannot continue to keep paying such salaries and stay afloat. What better way to rid off future competition than to have all these organizations fail while the UFC makes money year after year. I believe they have a longer term outlook than most fans whereas in 5 years Affliction and Elite XC will be things of the long past and the UFC will be the only place to fight respectable opponents. The fact that the UFC is the only MMA organization in the US making money is HUGE and goes undiscussed.
Let’s also consider that these fighters are not represented by big time agents, so speaking out could also be just a negotiating tactic to get big money in their next contract.
by noneed4name on Jul 31, 2008 12:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
How many of you think that Rodger might be more upset with the fact that he has to wait while BJ goes up in weight instead of giving guy’s their chance?
I honestly think that the Rodger and Ken-Flo fight is happening only because everyone’s overhyped super-boy BJ won’t put his belt up so those guy’s could get the shot they deserve.
by anthony cazares on Jul 31, 2008 12:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
nah, BJ isn’t sweatin either of them, he’s probably not even Sweatin GSP.
by O damn he got caught on Jul 31, 2008 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed, BJ is thinking about his legacy and avenging his loss to GSP. I don’t even think it’s about tthe WW belt, he just wants to prove he could beat GSP.
by DSmith on Jul 31, 2008 8:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Tito Ortiz was paid MUCH more than many other fighters in the UFC who deserve it. He wasn’t getting 10K per fight, not even close.
Ortiz was just greedy and had a high opinion of himself.
Dana needs to pull his head out and start paying fighters better.
They either grossly overpay (Lesnar) or grossly underpay fighters. Balance it out.
by KS on Jul 31, 2008 12:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
ive always thought recently that the ufc SUKS!!!!!!! and when another promotion does better then it did on a saturday night everything goes south for that promotion. i hope roger huerta gets out of the ufc because the ufcf suks!!!!!….
by cub23 on Jul 31, 2008 12:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
“I’ve always thought recently…” lol. Really?
by chefdaddy on Jul 31, 2008 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Sounds to me that Affliction and EliteXC have begun the put the buzz in the ears of these guys and we will soon see alot more guys nearing the end of their contracts who are willing to go test the waters. UFC would be COMPLETELY stupid if they allowed Huerta to get away.
Man EliteXC would love Huerta I can see them pairing him with Crazy Horse Charles Bennett IMMEDIATELY as that would be worth the press confrence alone and I can see Affliction marketing a guy like him to the latino market very well also… Plus Affliction is not only the promotion but the sponsor for the clothing as well which is a double whammy.
I have said it for years about Dana and Zuffa and how they got favorites who get all the perks and then grunts who get no respect and that it was going to be the downfall of UFC.
Just like the same way the NFL instituted “Signing Bonuses” in the early 90’s which is garunteed money which was meant to deter college athletes from wanting to go to CFL or the then World League and much like how NBA did the same for the same reasons. Once guys feel that they have LEGIT options of other places to go and earn a living you will start to see many more voice their discomfort with UFC’s policies
by Bizarro Tommy on Jul 31, 2008 12:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
you’ve been saying it for years and it hasnt even come close to happening. doesnt that tell you something? so when is the downfall of the ufc gonna happen? sounds like preachers that say the end of the world is coming for the last 100 years.
by b.w. on Jul 31, 2008 12:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
All i have to say about this.. go and look at all Tito interviews and you will hear the TRUTH!! I can’t believe that ppl are ignoring that, Tito’s not stupid he’s smart.. and i read about this about a half year ago that Roger said that he lived an unhuman life last year, and we don’t make much, we don’t… the UFC doesn’t wanna show what they’re paying because they know they’re paying so bad! and all this about giving fighters money under the table is BS go out public and show the numbers.. at the end of the day the guy that makes the most $$ is Dana White and thats all he cares about
by RoB on Jul 31, 2008 12:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Calm yourselves, peeps. Here’s how it will work:
1. Some more fighters will defect to EliteXC or Affliction, weakening a division or two.
2. Ratings & PPV buys for the competitors will go up a bit.
3. Dana will open his purse up some more and try to lock in the fighters with better, longer term contracts.
4. At some point, Dana will once again think the UFC is bigger than the fighters and get tightfisted with UFC $.
5. Shake and repeat.
by BobC on Jul 31, 2008 12:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Tito Ortiz was responsible for bringing in big PPV’s and selling out arenas. Only Chuck was as worthy of high pay as Tito Ortiz. You guys like to make it out that the UFC made these guys, but the reality is that had Chuck or Tito gone to other organizations, they would have been just as big.
by MB on Jul 31, 2008 12:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
The fact of the matter is wayyyy tooo many guys have complained or left the ufc b/c of disputes with money. the list is like the who’s who of mma
Jens Pulver
Randy couture (2 time)
BJ Penn
Tito Ortiz
Kalib Starnes (ok he’s a tool but he still complained, lol)
Koscheck
Roger Huerta
The first season on TUF, the fighters complained that there was no purse for the fights on the show. Thats when Dana went to stupid ‘do you wanna be a fighter’ speech. Ok the company was struggling then but now its doing well so its time to pay these guys well. Its not even like these are undercard fighters who are just whining b/c they havent paid there dues. Most of these guys are main event level guys who have made allot of $$$ for the ufc. If you dont want to pay them based on the fights, then offer them some type of royalties on merchandise and dvd sales. It only makes sense to at least try that.
by bobby o'shea on Jul 31, 2008 1:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
jens left to go to 145
bj left to fight gomi
kos is in the ufc
huerta is a moron who is getting overpaid
randy lied, we saw the check stubs
tito made millions and got ppv %
good try though
by kevin doesn't know shit on Jul 31, 2008 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
jens vacated the lw title and left b/c of money issues
bj left b/c of a contract dispute
huerta is overpaid? yea he only has exciting fights everytime he fights. im sure other mma promotions wouldnt want to have him when he’s a free agent.
randy left the ufc twice b/c of money issues. yes he lied about the amount he was paid but he’s also always argued about fighter pay for the lower level fighters as well.
tito’s made millions? true, but of those millions how many tens of millions has the ufc made on ppv buys, gate #‘s, dvd sales and rebroadcasts??? tito’s also spoken out not just on his pay but all fighters pay.
think my try was better than you thought it was
by bobby o'shea on Jul 31, 2008 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The real fact of the matter is that u gotta be kidding me!? it’s a business and no one would be a professional athlete if they didn’t get paid for it.. the thing that’s so funny is that when Tito came back and fought Forrest they sold out and got numbers that they had never seen before.. and now i get too hear all this bs about Forrest being the most beloved fighter? he’s nowhere near that and he’s never going to be anywhere near doing the numbers that Tito did! .. most of these fighters are obviously not too smart and are satisfied with low ass paydays. when in other sports like soccer every player and their agents knows that the main thing is to secure a good contract even if they get to play in Uzbekistan!
by RoB on Jul 31, 2008 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
agreed, i’d love to see an analysis of the ppv buy rates when tito was the headliner compared to other fighters. Fact is he was the face of this organization when it needed somebody. He’s a marketing machine, its easy to be the one that everyone luvs like Forrest but it takes allot to be the one that people hate and wanna see get his @$$ kicked like people did with tito.
by bobby o'shea on Jul 31, 2008 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
What is with the love affiar with Tito and his fans? He was no longer a contender for the title so where is the excitment in his fights?
by noneed4name on Jul 31, 2008 4:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It’s called charisma and the ability to have ppl hate him. Much like a WWE character.
by OJR on Jul 31, 2008 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
yes, you’re damn right OJR! .. fans want to see characters, it’s supposed to be entertaining.. and fans should get emotionally involved, which they do when Tito fights.. I can not explain this enough times, IT’S NOT about who’s got the best record and is the champ! When Tim Sylvia was the champ you didn’t see fans that got fired up for his fights did you noneed4name?
by RoB on Jul 31, 2008 5:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I just want to see great fights and the top caliber fighters put on the best fights. Tito was great and is still good, but I don’t see what there is about him that would warrant getting near the same amount as some of the top contenders.
I admit he does bring in the dollars though so I won’t argue with him getting paid well, I just don’t understand why fans like him so much.
by noneed4name on Jul 31, 2008 6:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
bobby o’shea, when did Koscheck complain about his pay? I think the guy is an arrogant prick but in his last interview that mania posted he sounded very happy with his current contract. I stress CURRENT, as in post TUF contract.
Josh Koscheck: Listen, I have a good contract now. The UFC has treated and continues to treat me well.
by WB on Jul 31, 2008 1:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That’s b/c he signed a new contract. But before he signed his new contract which wasnt THAT long ago WB he said that they have to sit down and negotiate a new deal b/c he fealt he had paid his dues and was a stealler ppv performer and someone that brought the company $$$. He didnt outright complain that he didnt like his pay and did say that the UFC was his home but he also did say that would have to entertain all offers.
Also it was reported one time that kos went off on the ufc on his myspace blog, but he refuted that saying someone hacked into his account. you never know though.
by bobby o'shea on Jul 31, 2008 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
KOS has a new Contract. BJ is already Rich. Jens returned and is now in the WEC. Randy Got paid more then he let on. Kalib ran from his pay check. Tito just plain hated Dana.
by DC on Jul 31, 2008 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He’s scared to fight bj and thinks an outburst like this will screw up his chance of fighting for the title and then later he can make it look like…oh, they screwed me over and didn’t give me my title shot because i spoke out.
Fighters that want more money will earn it buy making great fights and then renegotiating after there contract is up.
by MaxOne on Jul 31, 2008 1:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Is Jardine still under his original TUF contract? Because I know Kosch just resigned his contract and he’s making like $80k now I think. Jardine was Season 2, Kosch was Season 1, and Kosch fights way more often I think.
Could be wrong.
by WB on Jul 31, 2008 1:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I think he’s still under his old contract. In his last fight with Wandi it was reported he got paid 10k. Not a great payday when you get KTFO. Then again the fight only lasted 36 seconds so he got paid almost like 300/second if u wanna thnk about it that way.
Usually the fighters themselves make it public how many more fights they have on there contract so my guess would be that Jardine is still under his original one.
by bobby o'shea on Jul 31, 2008 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
if you think that is what he actually got paid, you are smoking crack.
by KitsuneX on Jul 31, 2008 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
that what the disclosed fighter payout was, look it up. Now did he get paid more as in possible bonuses??, yes that’s truely possible, but those bonuses are up to the ufc’s discretion and i havent heard anything about him getting additional money for that fight.
by bobby o'shea on Jul 31, 2008 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That’s right, all of the contracts for the season 1 guys expired this past April, so when were the season 2 guys signed? 6 months- 1 year later?
by DSmith on Jul 31, 2008 8:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The UFC should pay them better if not they are going to start losing more talent. Affliction may have lost money but new business’s usually do. They have people in place with deep pockets and a good business sense they will right the ship and the UFC will be in trouble because no one will want to sign with them unless they over pay. Dana should take a little less and throw these guys a bone.
by Mike on Jul 31, 2008 1:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I wonder if Huerta made his concerns known to Lorenzo Fertitta before he went public? If he hasn’t, then I think he has just made a huge mistake. I’m somewhat surprised that Huerta at this stage of the game would create waves. Let’s face it, Huerta to some extent has been coddled.
by Muscle Dolphin on Jul 31, 2008 2:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
If his fight against Guida was coddling I would hate to see what mistreatment looks like.
by noneed4name on Jul 31, 2008 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Furthermore, this is just more evidence that the job has become too big for Dana. Lorenzo Fertiita will probably smooth things over. This is not good PR for the UFC. With EliteXC’s and Affliction’s poor showings economically, Huerta may have nowhere to go in six months.
by Muscle Dolphin on Jul 31, 2008 2:13 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Its all to do with drawing power. Wanderlei got paid ten times as much cause he can attract about ten times as many fans.
by kayriss on Jul 31, 2008 2:13 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Who makes more Nick Diaz or Nate Diaz. Keep in mind the UFC let Nick walk away and Nate won the TUF show.
by Mike on Jul 31, 2008 2:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
good question. i remember reading a story were nate said that he and nick used to sit on the couch, watching tuf and making fun of them. after nate went on the show he said that he and nick had alot more respect for tuf fighters. nick couldnt beat anyone in the top ten when he was in the ufc, he alawys gave everybody a tough fight and came close a couple of times (karo,riggs) but he just couldnt get it done. as far as your question goes, nick probably makes more bank now, but in a year if nate keeps winning he’ll make more, alot more!
by b.w. on Jul 31, 2008 8:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I definitely agree. Names say it all. A big name is a big draw.
Rob Dib
http://www.break-your-face.com
by Rob Dib on Jul 31, 2008 2:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
1. the DREAM LWs will put him through a clinic on the ground.
2. he’ll get paid more in the UFC if he reaches superstar status when they go to mexico
3. since when was Jardine’s contract his business?
4. theres serious martial arts veterans like aurelio, edgar, pellengrino, griffin, guida, young diaz, paying their dues their whole life, not acting or doing movies, ready and willing to jump at the chance to fight florian for #1 contender spot.
5. talk like this will only burn bridges and get him buried by zuffa. just like tito, AA, randy, etc.
by kama kaze on Jul 31, 2008 2:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Does anyone really get excited about seeing Jardine fight anyway?
by noneed4name on Jul 31, 2008 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
i don’t love or hate him. but it does amuse me to see him drop everybody’s favorite fighter every so often. he has a BOMB right hand! it also did excite me to see Wand walk up to him, choke him with 1 hand, and pound him out with the other.
by kama kaze on Jul 31, 2008 6:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
yeah I also have no feelings toward him, but also have on interest in seeing him fight. I cannot put my finger on it, but something about him makes me belive he could ever be a headliner.
by noneed4name on Jul 31, 2008 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He made over $100K for 5 fights last year…not counting undisclosed bonus money…or sponsor money…while fighting mediocre competition at best(save guida). He needs to stop whining.
by Kelvin on Jul 31, 2008 2:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I hope you do realize that the UFC does not insure their fighters so when they go to the hospital after the fights they are the ones paying for it. So lets break this down better
He made about 100K over 5 fights last year
we can pretty much almost cut that in half for various state and federal taxes
then you subtract what he has to pay for his training
then you subtract what he has to pay for medical costs after the fight
then you subtract what it cost to pay his management (most fighters do not manage themselves.)
at the end of the day he is not netting alot of money and really 100K over the course of 5 fights is like spitting in the face of a guy who is literally putting his life on the line everytime he steps in the cage.
by Bizarro Tommy on Jul 31, 2008 3:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He was fresh on the scene during that period, UFC hlped him make his reputation. Check out the big names like they don’t get what they deserve.
Affliction is taking a profit loss to create a fantasy blemish on zuffa. it will bite them in the ass.
by Ro-J on Jul 31, 2008 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m sure most of these fighters have realized that they can write off almost all of their pay as business expenses, so the lower level guys probably pay little to no taxes at all.
by DonnyG on Jul 31, 2008 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dude, no way in hell they pay %50 in taxes.
by Kelvin on Jul 31, 2008 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Let’s see, I:
-get taxes taken from my paycheck
-had to pay for my education (college and grad school)
-have to pay most of my own health care (company pays partial premium)
-have to pay my accountant and lawyer when I need one.
He nets more than most Americans, and probably earns 2x his fight pay in endorsements. If he doesn’t like it, he can try working in another profession and see if he earns as much—not likely.
by BobC on Jul 31, 2008 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
And like any other American – when your bosses are on the cover of Forbes as billionaires and you don’t even have insurance coverage- it pisses you off.
by DSmith on Jul 31, 2008 7:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yet no one held a gun to his head to sign up for 5 fights.
by noneed4name on Jul 31, 2008 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thank you! And don’t forget the money for the hotel and flights. Roger isn’t saying anything that everyone hasn’t mentioned a million times over, so I don’t know what the big controversy is. The thing is like any other athlete- they can’t do this forever. It’s completely irrelevant how much he made for fighting fives in a year. 100k is not money to retire on especially when you are beating your body up the way these guys do. These guys only have but so much time in the game before they have to start thinking about opening up a gym or whatever. Most of you couldn’t live the way one has to live to fight 5 times a year. Sounds like a guy who has been fighting 3-4 times a year since he was 19, got in the UFC, did what he was told, took every fight (no matter the opponent, how many times the opponent changed or how much short notice it was), let the UFC run him ragged for a year and when he got a chance to sit down for a minute and think he realized what the hell was happening. And yes— a year of not hanging out with family, friends and just training, making weight is more than enough time to put in and rethink your effort to pay ratio. And these fighters can do interviews (whether phone, video or whatever) to promote themselves and the fights, but they don’t have to run around the country to promote the UFC in the Spanish market and what not for $50 a day. Like Roger said in a TAGG radio interview a few months ago- ‘I could make more mowing lawns’.
by DSmith on Jul 31, 2008 7:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
then he should go mow lawns. or work as a male exotic dancer like drew prickett. i didnt have a favorite in the huerta/florian fight until now . war kenny!
by b.w. on Jul 31, 2008 8:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
yees, and big names should get wayy better paydays just because they draw, cause we all know what would happen if the stars leave (like they will if they dont make more money)and there’s a bunch of average joe’s left fighting that has no drawing power like keith jardine, im not saying i accept they way they pay keith but still.. they would go out of business!
by RoB on Jul 31, 2008 3:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I’m not so sure that I would call Keith Jardine a big name. And the “stars” are not going to leave the UFC. They are way to smart for that and so is Dana. Couture is way over the hill and only moved up to heavyweight because he was getting KTFO by Liddell. Ortiz is just an above average LHW fighter. Sylvia is absolutely horrible and boring to watch which is why I didn’t purchase the Affliction PPV. The only fighter that I was disappointed in was Arlovski and I think that he will be back. Huerta is a fool for bad mouthing the UFC like that. Those are statements that need to be done behind closed doors with UFC management. Besides, I honestly think that he is going to get destroyed by Kenny Florian. Huerta has a ton of heart but not the technique on the floor or standing to be an elite level fighter.
by Adam on Jul 31, 2008 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Good points. It doesn’t seem very “streetsmart” of Huerta to go public this way. I wouldn’t be surprised if he claims that some of the statements that are published were taken out of context.
by Muscle Dolphin on Jul 31, 2008 4:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That’s what the author of the article said
by DSmith on Jul 31, 2008 9:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t call Jardine a big name or a star, I said when there’s average joe’s left fighting like Keith Jardine that has no drawing power.. Adam you need to see the whole picture you’re just looking at results and records with Wins and losses.. there’s more to it than that!!
by RoB on Jul 31, 2008 5:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT! DONT SIGN THE FA-KING CONTRACT!
YOU START MOANING AND RENEGING ON YOUR PART OF AN AGREEMENT IT COMPRIMISES YOUR BUSINESS INTERGRITY, AND YOUR LOYALTY.
DEFINATLY NOT SOMETHING ANYONE LOOKS FOR ON A RESUMES.
Ok I’M calm now, I don’t get it like Dana wouldn’t give Roger what he deserves on his next contract.
and they still call couture “captain america”. captain….?
by Ro-J on Jul 31, 2008 3:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Your absolutely right
If you sign the contract play it out and renegotiate… I think the point that is being made by Huerta and others is that now as contracts run out more and more guys are willing to explore other options
Dana white talks about affliction using to much money but they have Donald Trump on board and may be working with Mark Cuban soon. both of which have have said that they know that MMA isn’t an instant success formula but that they are willing and able to weather the early storm to make it successful. Really Affliction isn’t going anywhere there is to much money coming in from to many angles. EliteXC on the other hand may struggle but with the CBS thing it will lead to CBS convincing sponsors to get on board and now you see guys like Kimbo doing a movie with Hulk Hogan for kids and you will start seeing other EliteXC guys showing up on various CBS programming not including but not limited to their prime time line up.
Lorenzo realizes this which is why he is taking a more active role in UFC. The term PROFESSIONAL athlete means that you are going to dedicated all of your time and energy to that sport, putting your body on the line. When you go to a job and Type on a computer all day long they pay you (although you may not be making enough) your also not being asked to put your health on the line and risk long term injury each time out. The fact that a guy can get 10,000 for a fight and end up spending 2000 at the end of the night on a CAT scan and thats jus the tip of the iceberg in terms of what he spends vs what he makes is outrageous.
by Bizarro Tommy on Jul 31, 2008 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Trump has no equity in Affliction – he is just a spokesman. EliteXC will be out of business in 6 months. CBS is not a charity. I do believe however that Lorenzo needs to take over the reigns of the UFC. At present, Dana is “in over his head”. I do not share your optimism wrt Affliction or EliteXC. Affliction is not going to spend the money that they get from other sources just to “prop up” some MMA shows. Affliction’s first show was a disaster financially (as was EliteXC’s last CBS broadcast). In any business you are going to have disgruntled employees – that’s just a fact of life. If this was Forrest or GSP complaining – now that would be a different story. I doubt that the insanely rich and successful Lorenzo Fertitta will allow his investment to “go south”.
by Muscle Dolphin on Jul 31, 2008 4:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
its not about how much money you have, its how you spend it! calvin ayre was/is a billionaire and came out with bodog about the same time mma was getting hot and he failed miserably, mma payout stated that the ifl started out with 800 million to start their company with and they failed as well (they did do more for the sport and lasted longer than bodog), i havent heard a single peep out of cuban in months ( except he is still tring to buy the cubs) and the donald hasnt said much latley either. i dont think afflictions pockets are as deep as some would think and cbs exec kell kahl has already stated that if the ratings werent much better come oct. cbs will cut all ties with elite and they will fold quick. elite is only having free shows to try and build up for ppv. no one is going to pay $40 to see kimbo, when they can see him for free on youtube. if huerta keeps winning, he can write his own checks, but if he loses he is toast. the ufc is THE #1 co, every single fighter wants to fight for, period ( except some of the japanese stars) and theres a reason why. i shoudnt have to explain this reason to anyone with any intelligence at all. its already been said and proved over and over.
by b.w. on Jul 31, 2008 8:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ro-J … you nailed it on the head. Well said.
by noneed4name on Jul 31, 2008 4:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
jesse….. the original piece appeared over at mmapayout.com
by robnashville on Jul 31, 2008 3:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I guess he got pissed seeing Affliction paychecks :)
by Fedor Emelianenko instructional DVD on Jul 31, 2008 3:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
The fighters and their managers should start putting more weight in negotiations on open ended contracts that allow fighters more leverage in early terminations/opt outs. If they do that, the UFC marketing machine has a lot more incentive to please its fighters and the fighters have more incentive to work with the organization.
by clayton on Jul 31, 2008 3:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Stop bringing the Jardine story up. He’s getting 10k because of something called contract. If you sign it than you can’t complain or you’ll end up in court and unable to fight like Couture. We don’t hear Keith complaining, only a few guys here and every fighter that wants more money. I know Huerta is unhappy, WTF , I’m unhappy with my salary and I don’t just start running my mouth about my boss, because I’m putting the job in the line. If Huerta wants more he’ll have to wait for his contract to expire in order to negociate a bigger paycheck. If you don’t like the contract they put in front of you don’t sign it.
by Cristiano from Brazil on Jul 31, 2008 3:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I’m so sick of my wife talking about what hot little mexican Heath Ledger look alike Huerta is. I told her he may not be pretty at the end of this fight.
by Punch You in the Ovaries on Jul 31, 2008 3:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
“"I know Dale Earnhardt Jr isn’t doing appearances for free."”
Comparing yourself to Dale Earnhardt Jr someone who is the son of one of the most if not the most famous nascar driver in history, as well as having been racing for nascar for 10 years or so now, is pretty ignorant & short sighted.
He is a nobody compared to Earnhardt and should be happy he’s even in a magazine to whine about his middle class income lifestyle.
War Ken-flo!
by DirtyML on Jul 31, 2008 4:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Well, given the mma record (with more than 20 fights) that Huerta has, he’s entitled to say something here.
by 123boogie on Jul 31, 2008 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Is Roger Huerta the only one on the planet that was not expecting him to get a big contract after he finishes this one?
by noneed4name on Jul 31, 2008 4:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Seriously. Winning like he has, he’s should get a huge bump. Whining like his is now might take a little bit of that bump off.
by DDT on Jul 31, 2008 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He’ll get his money when he renegotiates. As long as his performances remain exciting and people want to see him fight- he’ll make what he should.
by DSmith on Jul 31, 2008 7:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
He posturing(up) for contract negotiations…Same thing NFL and NBA players do.
Momma always said -“The squeaky wheel gets the oil.”
by Ground-Game on Jul 31, 2008 7:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Cry me a river, you signed the contract, if you didn’t like it you shouldn’t have signed it. Kenny is going to whip his overated butt anyway. Sounds like another Tito.
by Rubberman on Jul 31, 2008 7:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Release him let him sign with ifl see how fast he quits bitching
by DBG on Jul 31, 2008 9:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Can someone explain to me why it is that when the UFC paydays come out, we all bitch about how unfair the pay is but when a fighter does it all hell breaks loose?
by DSmith on Jul 31, 2008 10:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
This really contradicts his previous statement of wanting to be a UFC champion.
by UFCAddict on Aug 1, 2008 12:52 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Just because he wants to be champoin of the biggest mma organization in the world doesn’t mean he wants to do it for peanuts
by DSmith on Aug 1, 2008 1:23 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dana is looking at the bottom line only. Putting people in seats doesn’t always mean big bucks for the fighter. Fedor wanted a percentage of the PPV to fight Randy and Dana made it out to be Fedor’s handlers. If the ufc is going to compete, they will have to increase pay. Do you think Chuck, Page, Wandy, GSP, BJ, and Anderson Silva didn’t notice what the payouts at affliction. If they finish their contracts and move over, the UFC will have no drawing power. All fighters should get a percentage.
by CLETIS on Aug 1, 2008 6:48 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
If a fighter is not happy, they have a right to say so. Yeah they signed a contract, so what, it doesn’t mean that they were happy with it or liked it, it is probably the best they could get at the time, which doesn’t mean thay have to jump up and down for joy or bend over and part their cheeks because they are so grateful. I’m sure they do appreciate the opportunity, but these guys have a lot of expenditure and the bottom line is their next fight could be there last. If the company is growing and expanding it is also because of the fighters and the exciting matches they put on, and if a fighter believes that he deserves more because of this, then why should he keep quiet about it. I do not believe because a fighter has signed a contract he should be content and walk around pretending to be happy about it. It is not much of a choice for them to fight or not to fight in the biggest MMA organization in the world, of course they are going to want to fight, but that doesn’t mean that they are happy or have to stay happy with the contract they have signed.
by Ade on Aug 2, 2008 3:17 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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