The UFC is, first and foremost, a business. And while it is a very profitable business, making over $1 billion in profits last year, it is not as highly regarded when it comes to ethical business practices. The world’s largest, most popular MMA promotion has long been accused of underpaying fighter and shady business practices.

This has even led to the promotion being in the middle of a class-action lawsuit by former UFC fighters that may cost it billions of dollars. The UFC usually keeps its contracts secret. However, Islam Makhachev and former undefeated champ Khabib Nurmagomedov’s coach Javier Mendez explained one important factor regarding UFC contracts.

Mendez reveals UFC can unilaterally extend contracts

During an episode of his Javier Mendez AKA Podcast, the coach shed some light on the structure and form of UFC contracts while talking about his student and Khabib’s cousin Umar Nurmagomedov‘s next fight. Umar, an undefeated bantamweight in the UFC, will fight on March 2 according to his manager, although the opponent remains unknown.

While speaking about this fight, Mendez revealed how much leverage the UFC has over its fighter due to its contracts. UFC contracts bind a fighter to a certain number of fights within a fixed period of time. The coach said that while the contract may originally be for a specified period of time, the promotion could extend the time period of the contract.

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According to Mendez, if the UFC offers a fighter fights which they turn down for no good reason, the promotion could choose to extend the duration the contract is valid for. “Well not make you [fight]. The UFC can’t make you do anything. Dana can offer you a fight, you can decline them but if you decline enough of them, they just you extend your contract,” he said.

“If you turn down a fight and they make reasonable attempts to get you the fights, and you still turn them down, then they have the right to, you know push your contract further up. Because they offered and you declined so your contract’s still active let’s say another six months, you know,” Mendez added. However, all of this may have to change as the UFC finds itself embroiled in a consequentially lawsuit that goes to trial this year.

UFC anti-trust lawsuit set for April

The UFC anti-trust lawsuit was filed in 2014 by former UFC fighters alleging the promotion indulges  in monopolistic practices by purchasing and decimating rival promotions as well as forcing fighters into  exploitative, restrictive contracts and suppressing their wages.

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In a major development, a Nevada court granted class certification to the lawsuit and fast-tracked it. The UFC has engaged in what many say are delaying tactics, but all such attempts have been in vain as the lawsuit is officially scheduled to start in April 2024. If found guilty, the UFC may have to shell out a multi-billion dollar payout and change how its contracts are structured.

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