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The UFC has touted its security protocols as the best possible solution for hosting events during a global pandemic. And according to a new report, it can punish fighters who say otherwise.
Yahoo! Sports reported Saturday that the UFC 249 participation agreement includes a no-disregard clause that allows fine fighters to be promoted for criticizing their handling of security issues.
UFC President Dana White said the clause was standard for UFC contracts and would only be used if a fighter said something that was not true, which is typical of the defamation clauses that are often included in contracts. of entertainment.
“If a fighter says something that is not true, if he says that we don’t prove anyone for this, that would be [violate the agreement]”White told Yahoo!” But if he said something that was true, his opinion, then that’s different. “
According to the New York Times, nothing in the agreement makes it clear that only false statements are subject to fines.
The news of the clause initially came via Twitter from Showtime boxing executive Stephen Espinoza, a promoter with whom White shares a long and controversial past. The two clashed as co-promoters of “The Money Fight” between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor in 2017, and have sniped in the media since White rebuked Espinoza’s claim that the pay-per-view box office success attracted the second highest national purchase rate.
It is because they were asked to sign a document that says they can lose their entire purse and bonds if they say anything negative about the COVID protocols. https://t.co/97v9ZduOxF
– Stephen Espinoza (@StephenEspinoza) May 9, 2020
“It’s called a disdain clause, and if I know what that is, that bastard [Espinoza] he’s a lawyer, and you’d think he should know what that is, “White told Yahoo!
Yahoo! It included language specific to the contract that would allow the UFC to revoke “all or part” of the fighters’ potential compensation for the event.
“If the Participant is a Wrestler, the Participant acknowledges and agrees that, in the event that the Participant fails to comply with this Paragraph 7, the Company may revoke all or part of the prizes or prizes won by the Participant in connection with the Activities, including, among others, purses, prize vouchers, other fight-related bonuses and event-based merchandise royalties, “the agreement said.
The language that indemnifies the UFC against legal action is nothing new. Standard promotional agreements and other UFC contracts contain such clauses in addition to confidentiality provisions designed to protect business practices that the promotion considers its trade secrets. The no-nonsense arrangement seems to break new ground at an unprecedented time in the company’s history.
After initially dismissing the COVID-19 threat in early March, UFC President Dana White ducked like millions of Americans. The promotion was forced to postpone various events in March and April because state government closings prohibited large gatherings and sporting events. But he moved aggressively to preserve UFC 249, securing the Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemoore, California. Only when the promotion’s broadcast partners asked him to “retire” did he postpone the event.
UFC fighters at the site in Jacksonville have praised the promotion’s efforts to keep them safe despite fear of the virus. Heavyweight Greg Hardy said he was “terrified” of COVID-19, particularly because he has asthma, but added that he felt he and the promotion are partners.
On Friday, less than 24 hours before UFC 249 was established, that trust took a hit in the gut when Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and two of his middle-weight corner people tested positive for the virus. Upon arrival at the host hotel, the Brazilian, who lives and trains in Orlando, reported that one of his family members had tested positive for the virus. His initial tests were negative for the virus. But two days later, a third failed and was scratched from the bout.
The UFC and the Florida State Boxing Commission, which is regulating the trio of events, claimed that Souza had been isolated. But the video on social media showed him relaxing with fellow Brazilian fighter Fabricio Werdum. And he was present at the weigh-ins, where he appeared with gloves and a mask.
Before raising his hands for a confrontation with his opponent Uriah Hall, Souza collided with White, who was not wearing gloves or a mask.
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