Someone needs to call out Dana on the UFC's shady backroom dealings

I've been thinking about this for a while, but Bryan Caraway's recent debate with Dana White backstage - discussed at UFC post-fight media scrum - made me think about the UFC's underhanded, backdoor, shady dealings.

Basically, Caraway wanted an official bonus, and tried to negotiate with Dana for 65K. Dana laughed at him, jokingly comparing him to a "a union representative," because bonuses vary from event to event. He said afterward there will be "no more negotiating."

Another video has UFC fighter Diego Brandao asking Dana if he won the submission of the night bonus. Dana says he didn't win, but he'll be "receiving a check in his mail" in the next few weeks.

This is some very shady stuff, and I'm surprised nobody has called out Dana on it in the media. Instead of writing bonuses into fighters' contracts, ZUFFA just hands them unofficial money backstage, off-the-cuff. By giving them this undisclosed money, the fighters cannot use it as leverage when negotiating contracts. And is this undisclosed money even taxable?

Very shady stuff here. Quite shocking how filthy the UFC business model is...

Here are the two videos again in case you missed them:

Dana/Caraway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDoQIYuiXLk&feature=youtu.be&t=15m50s

Dana/Brandao: https://youtu.be/iUtiTO2XEuw?t=8m

what goes in in the backroom, stays in the backroom

BUSINESS as usual, folks.

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If the money isn't taxed, it is a violation of federal law. It must be taxed both on the 'employer's' side and on the earner's side. Otherwise it's tax fraud.

The issue of these discretionary bonuses has been repeatedly raised on No Holds Barred.

mmainamerica wrote:Its not like they are giving him straight cash in a brown bag.

My guess is that they send the proper tax documents in. That is not the issue. These subjective bonuses are a means of social control and dividing the fighters. They mean that the fighters must "entertain" according to the whims of their bosses.

What is needed are standardized contacts and collective bargaining. Of course, fighters at different levels will get different purses. But they will know ahead of time what they are getting.

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mmainamerica wrote:

nodogoshi wrote:If the money isn't taxed, it is a violation of federal law. It must be taxed both on the 'employer's' side and on the earner's side. Otherwise it's tax fraud.

how do we know, its not being taxed?

The fighters need to speak up. It´s the only way to find out.

mmainamerica wrote:

nodogoshi wrote:If the money isn't taxed, it is a violation of federal law. It must be taxed both on the 'employer's' side and on the earner's side. Otherwise it's tax fraud.

how do we know, its not being taxed?

That was a response to a comment from another.

I agree with Eddie. I assume it is taxed. I was saying 'if'.

It is more so an instrument of control, I would tend to think.

And you can stop with the 'devils advocate' schtick. We're just having a discussion.

mmainamerica wrote:Its not like they are giving him straight cash in a brown bag.

Whether they give it in a brown bag or a little white envelope is the same. UFC is shady as f@ck run by politically connected Vegas mafias.

Yeah it'd be nice if they were actually just bonuses for a job well done but they're more of a business model to institute control, hinder the competition and get people to sign for less. Plus they can always fall back on the "Secret Bonuses" when people are criticizing them for low fighter pay.

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mmainamerica wrote:-We can't assume it not being taxed on Zuffa's part, IRS would be all over this
-Are the fighters reporting the income?

Speak up all they want, fighters need to start pushing the Muhammed Ali Act, not unions or speaking to bloodyelbow, etc.

The Ali act would be great. I said the fighters need to speak up because you asked how we will know if the fighters get untaxed money.

I still like the pay for performance aspects of the Zuffa pay structure. Not at all saying I agree with everything Zuffa does regarding pay but I like these aspects. I wish it was 50% to fight 40% to finish and 10% to win rather than 50% to fight and 50% to win.

Fighters should be encouraged to come out and fight to finish and the bonuses help with this.

Refs should also be enforcing the timidity rule to help out with this as well.

CDF47 wrote:I still like the pay for performance aspects of the Zuffa pay structure. Not at all saying I agree with everything Zuffa does regarding pay but I like these aspects. I wish it was 50% to fight 40% to finish and 10% to win rather than 50% to fight and 50% to win.

Fighters should be encouraged to come out and fight to finish and the bonuses help with this.

Refs should also be enforcing the timidity rule to help out with this as well.

This should be in the contracts not something Dana and his buddies make up after each event based on if they like the fighter or not.

PRIDE FC wrote:

CDF47 wrote:I still like the pay for performance aspects of the Zuffa pay structure. Not at all saying I agree with everything Zuffa does regarding pay but I like these aspects. I wish it was 50% to fight 40% to finish and 10% to win rather than 50% to fight and 50% to win.

Fighters should be encouraged to come out and fight to finish and the bonuses help with this.

Refs should also be enforcing the timidity rule to help out with this as well.

This should be in the contracts not something Dana and his buddies make up after each event based on if they like the fighter or not.

Yeah, if they would just have 50% to fight, 40% to finish, and 10% to win in the contracts that would help out and they could rework their discretionary bonus system.

Referees should also be all over enforcement of the timidity rule. If a fighter isn't engaging on the feet, is wall-n-stalling, or is LNPing they should be warned once and then deducted a point, followed by a second point or DQ. If both fighters aren't engaging they should both be warned, warned again, and then double DQ for losses on both records.

These two things combined would definitely help force the action. MMA is a fight sport so I hate when fighters come in to point fight or win a hugging contest. Take downs should hardly count at all if there are no sub attempts or damage being done on the ground. The fighter on the bottom should also be awarded more for sub attempts and damage from the bottom. The guard position is a neutral position in BJJ and should pretty much be scored as such in MMA if nothing is happening or if fighter on bottom is inflicting damage or sub catches that are escaped. Ring or cage control should be a very low weighted criteria. Damage and aggression should be at the way top of the list and submission catches even though escaped should be up there as well.

They should pay big knock down bonuses & big submission attempt bonuses.