Former UFC welterweight John Fitch says the UFC is still asking athletes to unfairly push them and sign a lifelong agreement to waive their rights to their name, image and likeness.
In an interview with Blaze News, Fitch discussed the lawsuit against the UFC, which he had been involved with for many years. His organizational issues have always returned. 2008when the UFC dropped him for refusing to sign what he described as a lifetime contract for his similarity. The conflict only took 24 hours to famously become solve After Fitch agrees to the terms of viewing him in the UFC video game, before Fitch is welcomed back to the promotion.
“They wanted me to sign my image and likeness rights for zero dollars.”
Fitch claimed that these contracts still exist and that the fighters still signed permanent portrait rights. In particular, Fitch mentioned UFC heavyweight champion John Jones and former champion Conor McGregor. Fitch said UFC's consistent mention of Jones was the highest ever, and the organization will continue to tease McGregor's return permanently.
“They own John Jones. They own him in the way that no one could own Muhammad Ali or Bruce Lee. Think about whether one of Ali's promoters owns the company, the film studio and Don King's everything about Ali.”[s] All fighter planes. That was everything I did back then. … They wanted me to sign my image and portrait rights for zero dollars…forever. ”
Fitch then mentioned the Muhammad Aliboxing Reform Act 2000prohibits boxing promoters from requiring boxers to grant future promotion rights as a prerequisite for competition. However, this rule does not apply to mixed martial arts. Fitch said that when the marketing value is the best, fighter jets often locked in one promotion.
The 47-year-old said he didn't ask for money during the original dispute. He simply wanted a 20-year sunset clause for his image rights. In other words, he would have been on a contract to this day. He further argued that the UFC used his situation to “scarcely sign everyone else and it worked.”
Class Action Litigation For the UFC, which lasted more than a decade, the company claimed it had suppressed fighter payments by using a counter-competitive scheme to keep its rivals out. It is available at UFC declined to comment In many cases (especially) The Battle of MMA) And simply I said That is to “hardly adhere to itself and its business practices.”
In February, the UFC was finally I'm calmed down It costs a whopping $375 million.
Other outlets can find it It has been reported UFC agreements often include exclusive image and likeness rights, as well as competitive restrictions.
But at the same time, former fighters such as the demetrious Johnson have expressed their gratitude for their broader image rights. Johnson has Praise paid What he received from the UFC video games.
The UFC did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comments on Fitch's claims.
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