The Savage Truth: UFC Fighters’ Union

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.* * * So what does Mark Hunt spouting off about a fighter’s association have to do with the UFC/USADA deal? A whole lot more than you might think. I know everyone has heard the “Super Samoan” rip into the UFC and Brock Lesnar after he was made aware of Lesnar’s positive tests — both his pre- and post-fight samples contained banned substances — and his demands for a substantial portion of his opponent’s purse and it is easy to see why, now, after all this has happened to him, to make the case for a fighter’s association. The fact of the matter is there was an equally good reason for fighters like Lesnar and Jon Jones or even Chad Mendes, all recently nabbed in the wide-ranging USADA drift net. Let’s face it folks, UFC fighters are more akin to employees than ever. Reebok uniforms, expanding press obligations and especially the USADA deal. Now I don’t want anyone to think I am not happy with how this program has unfolded to date, it is doing what it was designed to do: catch cheaters. The thing I do take issue with is the fact that those who are covered by the policy had virtually zero input in how it was designed or how it is adjudicated. It is no one’s fault but the fighters themselves. They have been a fractured group for as long as they’ve been competing, but in today’s world of big money and even bigger stakes they have found themselves unorganized and primed to be taken advantage of at every turn, as MMA and the UFC in particular, have grown into a major player in the sports …

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