Any reference to the Term herein shall be deemed to include a reference to the extension term where applicable." "If, at any time during the term, FIGHTER is declared the champion of his weight class, a Tournament winner, or a Tournament runner-up, the Term shall be automatically extended for a period commencing on the Termination Date and ending on the earlier of (i) eighteen (18) months from the Termination Date, or (ii) the date in which FIGHTER has participated in three (3) bouts promoted by PROMOTER following the Termination Date ("Extension Term"). The most objectionable part of the contract, according to a consensus from my sources, was found in what many refer to as the "champion clause." Back in September of 2009, MMAPayout posted the text for this clause, which read: The managers complaints focused on a few provisions that they thought were particularly egregious in comparison to what is found in other MMA promotions' agreements. I have also conferred with several attorneys and law professors, taking advantage of their expert opinions. I have been given an opportunity to examine several Bellator promotional contracts and have spoken to several different managers and agents who represent fighters signed to the promotion, each of whom independently verified the details. This automatic extension has the effect of contractually binding a champion boxer to one promoter for his entire career without ever having a chance to renegotiate.Īccording to many fighters and managers, the same problem exists in mixed martial arts today, with fear of promoters using their contracts to trap fighters with nearly endless extensions. According to some fighters and managers Bellator contracts are the stickiest they've seen. Although most promotional contracts extend for terms of two to four years, the most successful boxers are not permitted to renegotiate due to the use of a term that has become standard in the boxing industry. The boxer would therefore benefit most if the initial contract was for a term of only a few years, which would permit renegotiation of contractual terms should the boxer experience early success. Though a boxer may have little bargaining power during the initial stages of his career, rising to contender or champion status obviously provides greater negotiating leverage. In contracts between a boxer and promoter, especially those signed early in a boxer's career, the provision stating the term of the contract is very important because of the impact it can have in later negotiations. In an article for the Fordham Law Review, Scott Baglio described how such coercive contracts were used to bind a boxer to one promoter for the duration of his career: Senator John McCain said as much during a 1998 hearing, when he pointed out how fighter were often duped "into signing long-term contracts that represent nothing more than a sophisticated version of indentured servitude." This was in fact one of the motivations behind the passing of the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act. This situation is not unique to MMA, as boxers can attest to.
In the worst-case scenarios, which are more typical in MMA, the fighter is forced to sign a deal when his leverage is at an ebb, coming after a loss and/or when constrained by a promoters contractual rights.
#Mma manager how do you change the weight class free#
In a best case scenario a fighter will be able to negotiate while he is at his most valuable, when he is a champion or a top contender, free from any contractual restraints. The window of opportunity for a fighter to make their money is therefore very small. A fighter's career is numbered in years not decades, and the amount of time a fighter can compete at the top of his division is even narrower. It goes without saying that for most fighters mixed martial arts can be a very difficult profession.
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