Weight Cutting, A Necessary Evil?

One of the dividing issues in the sport of mixed martial arts is dealing with the reality of weight cutting.  Weight cutting provides many advantages.  Often times fighters see it as a way to maintain a size advantage over their opponents, but the process of dehydrating one’s body to make the needle move desirably comes with many risks.  Several fighters have had problems making weight even to the point of having been hospitalized due to complications.  However, this is nothing new, weight cutting has been a spectre over many combat sports.  Amateur wrestling for one has created new guidelines for weight cutting after several college students have been injured due to severe hydration, or have even perished as a result.  Boxing dealt with this by making more weight classes available to competitors so that athletes would not be inclined to cut as much weight.  Even in mixed martial arts, commissions like California have begun to crack down on exorbitant and extreme weight cutting by implementing hydration standards for those competing in the state  and Asian promotion One Championship has also implemented similar standards.

While fighters spend weeks in camp getting fit for their bouts and trying to put together strategies for upcoming opponents, looming on the back of their minds is always the concern of making weight.  Although its definitely concerning regarding the larger promotions like Bellator and the UFC.  The true concern should be on smaller regional promotions where safety standards, oversight, and experience may be lacking.  Make no mistake I am not saying that the commissions are slacking on the smaller promotions.  The issue is more what are these inexperienced athletes doing in order to make weight, the ramifications of which may create long-term complications in the future.  This is extremely dangerous for women athletes whose metabolic systems can be completely decimated by the process of rapidly losing weight. 

A few years back Cristina “Cyborg” Justino’s grueling weight cutting process was documented by her coaches. The video was difficult to watch and featured her writhing in pain to make the weight. The video was a stark reminder of the arduous journey it takes to step into a cage on the night.  Even though, she had always competed at a higher weight class, when she was signed to the UFC it was with the hope that she could come down to a lower to potentially compete with then sensation Ronda Rousey.  But the result, were several bouts at a catchweight with unranked opponents. But that in itself is another story entirely.

The reality that weight cutting and nutrition have become such a vital part of an athlete’s development and success in the sport has generated a whole cottage industry behind it.  Names like Mike Dolce and George Lockhart come to mind.  These personalities can often be seen accompanying fighters to the cage or lurking in locker rooms.  These individuals and their companies provide concierge services to fighters dedicated to one goal, making sure a fighter makes weight on the morning before the fight.  These companies prepare meals and provide 24/7 advice to athletes on their rosters.  For more higher profile fighters, these services might provide live in nutrition specialists that monitor every meal an athlete consumes.  These “professionals” measure water intake, glucose, and salt levels in order to make sure that athletes not only make weight,but are able to perform at their best the night of the bout.  And the results are apparent Khabib Nurgomedov’s bout in April with Tony Ferguson had to be canceled because of complications due to weight cutting, which resulted in him being hospitalized for renal failure.  But, he stepped on the scale with no problem in late December after partnering up with George Lockhart’s nutrition team.  However, these services come at an expense, and most of the athletes even competing in the UFC have the funds to acquire them.

But even with these services available to fighters that might not be enough.  Can the dangers and risks of weight cutting truly be eliminated?  The line as to what a promotion can force an athlete to do is a murky one, and there have been several discussions on other forums about this very topic.  Perhaps more divisions would be the answer (akin to boxing which much of the sporting roots of mixed martial arts derive from).  However, some argue that this would dilute the product and fighters would continue to be incentivized to make weight in the more lucrative divisions.  Perhaps the solution is to ban weight cutting altogether? Perhaps the larger promotions can follow California’s standard and implement hydration tests?  They already adopted the state’s early weigh-ins concept.  The sport has evolved dramatically in its nearly 25 year history, and it continues to change with a concern of not only making athlete’s safer, but also creating a more competitive and enticing product.  I’m not saying this problem can be solved overnight.  The issue is to make sure that athletes even the one’s at the regional circuits are being educated in a manner that can lead to prolonged and successful careers.

The Balance Between Sport and Spectacle

Since the buyout of the UFC in the summer of 2016 by WME and IMG (now called Endeavor), the UFC has failed to find stable footing.  The company has seen its PPV numbers decline sharply and has failed to deliver the same kind of fights that generated much buzz while still under Zuffa’s banner. 

The numbers speak for themselves, in 2017 only a few events broke the 200,000 PPV mark. These estimates may be seen here.  Although 2017 has not yet ended and the UFC is hoping that it will be able to close the year on top with its upcoming UFC 219, it does not appear that Endeavor’s first year at the reigns of the world’s largest MMA promotion has gone well.  Much of this malaise in turns of buys has been attributed to a lack of star power. In 2016, the UFC benefitted from a number of large events that created a lot of buzz.  Conor McGregor fought three times, the UFC also put on an event for the first time at the famed Madison Square Garden, it celebrated its 200^th event with the return of superstars like former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, and it ended the year with a show headlined with the return of Ronda Rousey. 

However, 2017 has been devoid of these athletes.  Brock Lesnar returned to the professional wrestling and doesn’t appear to be returning to the sport.  Ronda ended 2016 being brutally stopped Amanda Nunes and appears to also not be returning with rumors circulating that she may be signing with World Wrestling Entertainment.  In addition, Conor McGregor has not stepped into the octagon in 2016, having traded the cage for a lucrative foray into the squared circle against Floyd Mayweather.  Although many believe that the UFC took a cut from the revenues generated, it probably only made a dent in the debt accrued when Endeavor bought the company.

The new owners have failed to create and find superstars to bolster its numbers, and it has also struggled to promote its stable of athletes into superstardom.  Demetrious Johnson one of its most successful athletes who broke the record of consecutive title defenses in UFC history generated under 200,000 buys.  In fact, the UFC brass via its President Dana White has verbally attacked its own athletes, denigrating its champion Amanda Nunes who fell ill and had to pull out of a fight. 

Another problem the UFC is facing is just out right saturation of the market.  The UFC has an enormous roster of over 500 fighters in 12 weight classes when including both the women and men’s divisions.  As a result, the UFC has along with its TV partner Fox and its own Fight Pass Network, put on an event almost every consecutive week.  As a result of so many events, the UFC has become less a rare event than a weekly routine.  Fighters are lost in the shuffle of the UFC’s machine.  When one event ends, the next must be promoted and more often than not this time frame is not long enough to make people excited to buy PPVs.  Especially when another free event is right around the corner. 

As a result, the UFC has taken an interesting strategy of creating superfights and making the majority of its main event’s title fights.  The problem that arises is that the UFC starts looking more like a circus and spectacle rather than a legitimate sport where the best athletes in the world will compete for the organization’s belt. This is not a problem of just the UFC, Bellator and Japanese promoters of the past have put on what many fans of the sport have deemed sideshows. At some point this year, I made the comment to a friend and fellow MMA fan that the UFC was giving out belts like candy.  And its own actions and decisions have clogged several divisions, mainly the lightweight division which has been put on hold awaiting Conor’s return.

This problem has become apparent even to legislators.  In a House Congressional Hearing regarding the expansion of the Ali Act to MMA.  Congressman Mullin, a former professional MMA fighter himself, has criticized the UFC’s business practices in that the belt does not denominate the best athlete of that weight class, but the best athlete on that night.  His criticisms have merit both UFC 217 and the upcoming 219 have many questions as to the legitimacy of these fights.  Georges Saint Pierre, at legend at 170 pounds had never competed at 185 pounds, but yet he was gifted a chance to fight Michael Bisping the current champion at that weight class.  That decision put the breaks on the 185 pound division and snubbed a worthy competitor in Robert Whitaker.  His victory was unexpected and left many questions as to what the future of that division would be.  Would Georges defend the belt at 185 or would he return to 170 leaving the division in limbo?  Continuing, 219’s main event features Holly Holm taking on the champion Chris Cyborg. Holm’s only bout in the weight class was a loss to Germaine de Randamie, and she has not competed again in the weight class until now.  So what gives her the right to challenge for the title when her resume does not merit this? The UFC as promoter has the ability to make the matchups it wants, without needing the approval of a sanctioning body as another sport like boxing requires.

Talking heads like myself have said that this injures the legitimacy of the sport. The UFC depends on PPV revenue to stay afloat as a result it needs to get “butts in seats” and eyeballs on its content.  The issue here is how to balance the spectacle and the sport.  The UFC created in 1993 has become the flag bearer of the sport and legitimized it since it was called “human cockfighting.”  But as financial concerns on the company continue to mount it appears that UFC is reverting back to creating the fights that it believes can be the most lucrative and leaving the top contenders waiting for their opportunities.

The Difficult Decision to Pull a Main Event

I'm back not totally dead.  I would like to apologize for the fact that I haven't written anything in almost a year, but due to certain circumstances I wasn't able to continue to write and post....Those of you who know me personally will recognize those circumstances and understand my dilemma.  That being said I will try to post as much as I can.

The issue that is present at the time of course is one that by now every MMA fan has been devastated by, which is the fact that the second fight between UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier and the current UFC Interim Light Heavyweight Champion will no longer come to fruition on Saturday's UFC 200 event.

The news came yesterday as a distraught Dana White and the UFC Brass hastily rounded up members of the media into a press conference and Jeff Novitsky, the UFC's official responsible for the the company's anti-doping and drug policy, informed the world that Jon Jones had been flagged by USADA for testing positive for a banned substance for a test conducted on June 16 of this year.  As a result, he would have to be pulled from the main event of UFC 200.

For a billion dollar organization with rumors of a buyout looming,,,for the company to come out and address the issue head on shows the evolution of the sport and its continued quest to legitimize itself against the big four.  The company could have kept the findings hidden until after the event so as to not effect the gate and pay-per-view revenues, but it instead took the high road and came out forthright to rectify the issue and also offerred refunds to anyone who so desired them.

This is not the first time that Jon Jones hurts the company.  Before his legal issues Jones held significant sway as to where his career was going and even got the company to cancel an entire event because he refused to fight at UFC 158.  So this is nothing new.  Some may attribute this to his brashness and youth, but he had become one of the faces of the UFC.  When Electronic Arts launched its UFC mobile app Jon Jones was the poster boy for that game, but was soon replaced one he started to find himself in legal issues.

Meanwhile, his opponent Daniel Cormier has been nothing but a professional,  He is an impressive athlete as well as has a gift for gab.  In addition to being a UFC fighter, he branched out into broadcasting and analyses and has created a great partnership with FOX Sports.  Daniel was a decorated wrestler before coming into the UFC, but saw a revitalization of his athletic career when he entered the sport of Mixed Martial Arts.  At the age of 37, Cormier has either entered the twilight of his career or is already in it.  As a result, Cormier has little time left to make money in his athletic pursuits, and to headline UFC 200 would have been the biggest payday of his life given the projected revenues associated with that event and its promotion.  Now Cormier is left in limbo with no opponent and having lost this once in a life-time financial opportunity as he must be both physically and mentally drained by the entire ordeal.  He had come from an injury and he had just finished an extensive training camp in preparation for the fight.  Unfortunately, this is what happens.  As CEO Lorenzo Fertitta said last year when the drug policy was announced "That things would get much worse before they got better."

On another note, this is an eye-opener to many fighters who use a myriad of supplements in their dietary regiments.  Assuming there is no fault on Jones.  The supplement industry is completely unregulated and some companies offering miraculous results are actually inserting performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) into their products without informing the consumer.  If this becomes an issue, it may lead to several lawsuits against these companies.  Jones most certainly could sue this unknown company for lost purses and other damages associated with any repercussions from a positive test, but the issue is the companies themselves.  Most of these companies are quickly insolvent.  If an athlete sues, they may opt to declare bankruptcy pay off major creditors in a restructuring and then begin anew under another label, leaving the athlete with little recourse.  This is not uncommon.  (I may be oversimplifying the bankruptcy process but the idea is there).

For Daniel he may see an opponent pop up to fight him, but it would have to be someone who is already in shape and it would not be fair to put his title on the line in that instance.  For Jones, it is back to the drawing board and appeal the ruling in the due process set up by USADA.  A two year suspension would not be the end of his career given his young age, but as we saw with Ali, Jones will never be the same.  It is also a hope that he does not fall back into his darkness and see himself get into more trouble as he still has a promising career despite the obstacles he must still overcome.  For the UFC, the company has garnered good will with its fans and has silenced it critics as it has demonstrated with this decision today that it is committed to make its organization a clean, PED free environment, not only as an example to the sport of MMA, but that of sports period no matter the financial consequences,

As always if you like this article or have any opinions you would like to share feel free to leave a comment down below or via my Facebook page, Google +, or Twitter @mmalegal2016.

UFC unveils its Reebok Fight Kits

Every media outlet under the sun is buzzing about the UFC's press conference this afternoon where the company finally unveiled its long-awaited fighter kits, which initiate a long-term partnership with the apparel brand Reebok.  This deal as many know has gained mixed reactions from both fighters and the sports media.  I won't delve into the details of the deal right now, but you can click here for a previous story about the partnership and the compensation strategy for fighters.

With all of its major stars in attendance Reebok unveiled a signature champions line that will be all black and several other variations of colored shirts emblazoned with the fighters full name.  In addition one of the sleeves will display the fighter's country of origin with a large UFC logo in the front.  My description is fairly lacking so I will post a link to the story.

These kits are a stark contrast to the fighter shirts of yore.  The previous apparel brands were quite artistic.  Some had interesting graphics and some were just plain logos.  These new kits are the example of professionalism, much like the athletic kits of other sports only the most necessary information is displayed in order enhance recognition.  It also may create a larger unity in terms of team infrastructure (countries share similar color schemes, creating discernible groups within the organization).  In other words, they are uniforms meant to unify and distinguish fighters in the roster.  However, I cannot help but think of previous fight leagues like the now defunct International Fight League (IFL) where the fighters were separated into teams and displayed uniforms reflecting those teams where they competed as teams as well, much like the current season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Fighter reaction to the new kits has been mixed as well. Some ridicule the structure and color scheme of the new kits.  Others are ready to tow the line and embrace this new chapter in their careers.  I actually thought that the UFC was just going to let Reebok design custom shirts for every event reflecting the personalities of the fighters who were to step into the cage much like they had done with some of their signature athletes before this partnership.  But as we saw today the ability to brand yourself and stand out from the crowd has been hindered to fighters, which means that fighters will have to hustle to monetize themselves out of the cage.

On the other hand, this could make the sport better.  A fighter will now be recognized because of their skills if everyone if  are know distinguishing characteristics.  Fighters would elevate their performances in order to be recognized by the mass media.  This is the first step the company believes will lead to more promotion and more coverage form media circuits outside of the traditional MMA media and legitimize the sport to appeal to the masses.

Whatever you think of the new kits; they will be here to stay.  Let me know what you think of the new kits.  Feel free to leave a comment down below and subscribe to the blog.  Also I am available to discuss these issues on my Google+ account and on twitter via @mmalegal2016.

The New York Senate Has Once Again Passed a Bill That Would Legalize Mixed Martial Arts in the State

Courtesy of Google Images

Today it was once again announced as six years prior, a bill has passed in the New York Senate legalizing the practice of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in the state.  New York remains one of the last states to not have a regulating body for MMA.  Much to the chagrin of large promotions like the UFC which envision the possibility of revenues that could be generated by holding events in venues like Madison Square Garden.

The bill still needs to be passed in the Assembly and signed by Governor Cuomo.  New York's governor has on the record several times expressed his support for the addition of MMA to New York.  The UFC itself has spent millions of dollars in lobbying efforts in the state.  Also various athletes from the company like Women's Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey and Long Island's own Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman have made the trip up to Albany to garnish some good will from the state's legislators.

Some attribute the failure to legalize MMA in New York to the strength of the Culinary Union in the state.  The Culinary Union has produced a bitter lobbying campaign against the Fertitta brothers who own Station Casinos in Las Vegas.  Station Casinos remain as some of the last non-union casinos in Vegas.  The Fertittas also own Zuffa LLC. (the parent company of the UFC) and as a result fans in New York have suffered from this feud.

In addition, New York's Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was a staunch opponent of the sport's legalization.  He would do anything to roadblock the bill from reaching the assembly floor.  There are also allegations that the Culinary Union directly contributed to his campaigns.

Former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver in FBI custody Courtesy NYPost.com

However, fans breathed a sigh of relief when Silver was arrested by federal authorities under suspicion of corruption. Former Speaker Silver had been charged with taking over $4 million worth of bribes and kickbacks. Finally the biggest obstacle had been surpassed and fans envisioned an event at MSG by the year's end.  Now all that's left is for a vote to finally happen in the assembly and the governor's signature.

This law would rename the state's boxing commission into the New York State Athletic Commission, regulating both professional and amateur MMA events put on in the state.  In addition, the state would also require a promoter to bond $50,000 insurance at professional events for injuries sustained by fighters as well as other accidents during the event.

I will keep my readers updated on any developments to this story, but fingers crossed it may be happening finally this year.  As always feel free to leave a comment down below if you have any questions or would like to contribute to the conversation.  I can also be contacted via Google+ and twitter @mmalegal2016.

UFC Decides to Keep Jackson out of Action until Litigation Finishes with Bellator

The UFC has decided to shelf Quinton "Rampage" Jackson until his court battle with Bellator MMA is finished.  Given the debacle that occurred in April where a NJ Superior Court enjoined Jackson from competing. Then, the same judged proceeded to remove the injunction at the commencement of fight week.  During this period of three weeks or so, the UFC scambled to save to the co-main event and even considered cancelling the bout altogether (something that plagued its PPV numbers and led to a downgrade of its credit rating by Moody's and S&P last year).  So this seems like a reasonable course of action given that there is a chance that Jackson would be prohibited from competing inside the cage.

For those you who are not in the loop, Jackson left the UFC in 2013 and signed for the rival Bellator MMA for reportedly six fights.  In 2014 he competed twice under the Bellator banner and then jumped ship with four fights still left on his contract.

Essentially Bellator is looking for estoppel or the promises that were guaranteed when Jackson signed for the organization.  The promise of course was his services inside the cage and the potential revenue that could possibly have been accrued due to Jackson's name in the sport of MMA.

I find it very unlikely that the courts will force Jackson to return to Bellator until the end of his contract against his will.  The most likely scenario is that a judge will award damages to make Bellator who for the lost revenue created by Jackson's premature departure from his contract.  Unless Jackson can find some egregious circumstance created by Bellator to justify his departure it is very likely that the courts will side with Bellator.

As always I will try to keep my audience abreast of any developments in this case as they unravel in the future.  Feel free to leave a comment down below and subscribe to the Blog.  And if you'd like to chat you can find me on Google + and twitter @mmalegal2016.

UFC Announces that USADA will be Handling its New Drug Policy.

The UFC announced a few months ago that it would be implementing new drug policy that would crack down on performance enhancing drug (PED) usage within the sport.  The new program completely overhauls the previous policy by implementing harsher penalties on anyone who tested positive for any of the banned substances as designated by the various commissions.  For example, an athlete who has tested with abnormal hormone levels outside the ratio allowed, that athlete could potentially face up to three years suspension competition.

The UFC's capability of testing athletes has been highly criticized by fans, the media, and the athletes themselves.  The former policy was to test random athletes after their bouts as well as all the main event's participants.  The result was a system where some athletes would take advantage of their downtime to administer PEDs with enough time to cycle off the drugs by the time they had to compete and subsequently be tested.  In consequence, several athletes would receive all the benefits of PEDs in competition, outweighing the risk of discovery.  This worked for a while, but soon enough, several fighters began to "piss hot."

The other quagmire that plagued the sport was that of Testosterone Replacement Therapy where certain commissions, after receiving a prescription from a doctor, allowed aging athletes to supplement themselves with testosterone.  The justification of this policy was that it could prolong the life of a fighter's career by supplementing their waning testosterone whether that was because of head trauma or other reasons for low testosterone in order to return to levels comparable to another man of the same age.  This program became the subject of an ESPN expose revealing the fact that doctor's traded diagnoses and prescriptions for money and/or other favors.  Furthermore, another controversy as to why some of these fighters' levels had dipped over the years.  The main speculation was a prior history of testosterone/PED usage on the part of the athlete.  Due to the heavy controversy the program was scrapped completely.

Also, over the past year, the UFC and Nevada State Athletic Commission began to implement random drug testing to some of its major athletes prior to their bouts.  The first to fall in the trap was Alistair Overeem who according to Joe Rogan had "inhuman levels" of testosterone in his body.  But the greatest shock to the sport came when it was revealed in February of this year that UFC legend and former middleweight champion Anderson Silva failed a drug test in early January.

At the time Silva was synonymous with the UFC brand, he was charismatic and friendly to sponsors.  He embodied the image of a traditional martial artist, although he showboated at times, like Ali he was very respectful of his opponents and their skills (except for an incident with Damian Maia in Abu Dhabi).  George St. Pierre another former champion who chose to leave the organization justified his departure by saying that there was a systemic problem within the UFC as he believed fighters were using and masking PEDs to give them unfair advantages.  Chris Weidman the current middleweight champion has also spoken out about these allegations as to his most recent opponent Vitor Belfort who had been a beneficiary of TRT.

Which makes today's announcement all the more better as a step in the right direction to cleaning up the reputation of a developing sport.  The UFC announced today that it would be working in conjunction with the United States Anti Doping Agency (USADA).  This agency is considered the most prestigious drug testing facility and policing agency to ensure fairness in sports when it comes to the usage and abuse of PEDs in national sports following the regulations of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA.)  The cooperation with USADA will also ensure the chain of custody of urine and blood samples, unburdening the commissions who had been tasked with performing these exams on athletes with very limited budgets from their states.  As much as the UFC and Zuffa have been criticized over this past year, it appears in this instance that the company is moving towards the right direction in ensuring both the safety and fairness of the sport.

As always feel free to leave any comments down below and subscribe to the blog.  You can always find me on Google+ and twitter via @mmalegal2016.