The UFC antitrust case is the gift that keeps on giving, especially recently. You may be asking yourself “What’s happened now?” and the answer to that question would be class certification. Once the honorable Judge Boulware awarded the plaintiffs class certification, it set the wheels in motion for an avalanche of discovery. Thousands of documents, text messages, e-mails and more have come to see the light of day, finally. The Hey Not The Face! Podcast is a listener-supported publication. To rec...
Mar 12, 2024•40 min
The UFC antitrust lawsuit spent three years stagnating and then a few months ago, we got big news: the honorable Judge Boulware assigned class certification and gave detailed notes that left no doubt he thought the plaintiffs had a solid case. Since then, it’s been a near-constant stream of updates, starting with the defendants’ official appeal—which was almost immediately denied by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Hey Not The Face! Podcast is a listener-supported publication. To receive ...
Mar 12, 2024•46 min
Yesterday, news broke that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied the UFC’s appeal to the antitrust lawsuit, so of course we had to record in the dead of night to bring our listeners all the details. John explains all the upcoming dates the honorable Judge Boulware has set forth and what happens next. The Hey Not The Face! Podcast is a listener-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. John has accessed the mammoth li...
Mar 12, 2024•44 min
Francis Ngannou’s boxing debut was nothing short of incredible, and even though he didn’t get his arm raised in victory, many in the combat sports world felt he DID do enough to get the nod, but the judges instead scored it in favor of reigning lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. The tally would see “The Predator” take a split decision loss—in his first boxing match!!—to the lineal heavyweight champion of the world. The Hey Not The Face! Podcast is a listener-supported publication. To receiv...
Mar 12, 2024•31 min
After nearly 38 years in business, Showtime will be calling it a day on their sports branch which mainly consists of boxing and Bellator. The rumor to this effect began a little over a month ago. Showtime boxing head Stephen Espinoza didn’t exactly make a firm denial of the rumors, nor did he outright confirm them. The Hey Not The Face! Podcast is a listener-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Espinoza will be amon...
Mar 12, 2024•21 min
Over the years, John Nash has reviewed contracts from all the major MMA promotions and several big boxing contracts, as well. We’ve been able to see just how restrictive, and at times, draconian, most of the MMA agreements between promotions and athletes truly are. The UFC set the standard with their boilerplate contract and with new changes, have made it more difficult for fighters to seek legal recourse. It seems that the competition followed suit with their own lopsided deals, tweaking things...
Mar 12, 2024•59 min
It’s been a busy couple of weeks in the world of MMA business and finance, but we tried to cover all the most pertinent topics. Front and center is the new filings that came out last week on the UFC’s first half of the year. We also discuss the latest rumblings of a Bellator buyout by the PFL and what that could look like in the future. Here’s a list of the points of conversation we covered in this week’s episode: The Hey Not The Face! Podcast is a listener-supported publication. To receive new ...
Mar 12, 2024•34 min
A lot has happened in the last two weeks. The court gave a date in the antitrust suit, the defendants requested an appeal, the plaintiffs responded and we’ve got all the pertinent details. Spectrum and Disney have been in a battle over rising rates to broadcast Disney’s content—specifically ESPN. John opines on how that could affect the UFC. The Hey Not The Face! Podcast is a listener-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscr...
Mar 12, 2024•33 min
Nate Quarry might be most famously known for his fight with Kalib Starnes or for his comeback fight against Pete Sell, but he is doing much bigger things these days. These days, he’s known as one of the original plaintiffs in the UFC antitrust suit, but because he was part of the identity class, which was denied class certification, he is no longer a plaintiff. The Hey Not The Face! Podcast is a listener-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a...
Mar 11, 2024•49 min
Since the antitrust case finally received its class certification from Judge Boulware, the community has been abuzz with what the honorable judge’s written opinion means. The commentary from him was quite serious and he appears to clearly side with the plaintiffs. He used pointed language that left no doubt of this. The Hey Not The Face! Podcast is a listener-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Rob Maysey, one of t...
Mar 11, 2024•1 hr 22 min
Sean O’Malley walked out to Lupe Fiasco’s ‘Superstar’ and by all accounts, he fits that bill to a T. His title bout with Aljamain Sterling set records just by virtue of his being there. How do we know? Because Dana White said so. Yet despite his star power and despite the record-setting, he likely won’t ever make the fabled ‘McGregor money’—once referred to as ‘Anderson Silva money‘—even if he were to land that boxing match with Gervonta Davis he called for in his presser interview after the fig...
Mar 11, 2024•19 min
This week, the UFC antitrust lawsuit finally got class certification. Judge Boulware awarded the certification to the plaintiffs (the fighters), then gave his written statement, which was brutally honest. John Nash is back to break down the judge’s statements, what they mean, and how he views the impact of the UFC’s market power over the athletes. The Hey Not The Face! Podcast is a listener-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a free or paid ...
Mar 11, 2024•38 min
There’s been no shortage of big news in the last two weeks. From Ari Emanuel’s involvement in the SAG-AFTRA strike to how much of Disney’s assets Bob Iger was talking of selling off and everything in between. Just how differently does Ari treat actors and fighters and why, as well as what “finding a partner for ESPN” might entail. The Hey Not The Face! Podcast is a listener-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. There...
Mar 11, 2024•59 min
The UFC is the industry leader in MMA, without a doubt. The promotion is in the unique and very fortunate position of having a monopoly and a monopsony all at once, and their financial statements illustrate that point quite well. One of the ways they’re able to profit so heavily while the fighters make so little (around a 13-14% revenue share) is because of their incredibly draconian contracts. The Hey Not The Face! Podcast is a listener-supported publication. To receive new posts and support ou...
Mar 11, 2024•41 min
Over the last month, the sports community has been trying to process the massive bombshell the PGA tour dropped when they announced they’d be merging with the LIV tour. For months, the PGA tour told the golfing community—including golfers themselves—that they had no intention of merging with LIV. And then they did. John immediately started digging into the story and noted plenty of similarities between the way the brass is handling the business of the merger and the way Endeavor runs their busin...
Mar 11, 2024•36 min
Let’s face it, combat sports needs a lot of work, but for the purpose of this post, we’re specifically focused on MMA and boxing . It should be noted that the latter has an advantage over mixed martial arts thanks to the Ali Act . That said, there is still a plethora of problems that need addressing in boxing. As far as MMA is concerned, there is a long and winding road ahead of any positive changes, especially with the UFC who set the standard for contract structure by which all other organizat...
Mar 11, 2024•38 min
UFC, the real predator UFC fighter pay has long been a topic of concern among fans and pundits, especially with the departure of Francis Ngannou earlier this year chewing up the news cycle. Ngannou would finally announce his historic PFL deal last week, setting tongues wagging and catching the attention of the entire community. The Cameroonian-born champion went to the negotiating table numerous times to secure a better deal for himself, all to no avail, so when his sunset provision kicked in, t...
Mar 11, 2024•27 min
Francis Ngannou has been the most high profile free agent MMA has likely ever seen. Even when Fedor Emelianenko was in the UFC's offices all those years ago, trying to come to a deal that worked for all parties involved, it wasn't at this level. Francis has avenues that Fedor never did because boxing crossovers were extremely limited and the folks with Team Fedor had a line drawn in the sand, co-promotion with M-1 Global, which we all knew was never going to fly. Fast forward to today, where Fra...
Mar 11, 2024•41 min
UFC antitrust suit history At the end of 2014, a group of UFC fighters (some retired and some not) banded together and filed a class action lawsuit against the UFC and its parent company at the time, Zuffa, LLC. Fighters like Cung Le, Jon Fitch and Brandon Vera were named class representatives with a claim that the UFC manipulated the mixed martial arts industry in a way that harmed fighters’ abilities to secure fair employment within the sector. The lawsuit seeks between $800 million and $1.6 b...
Mar 11, 2024•37 min
Have you ever thought to yourself, 'Self, I need to know more about MMA managers. What am I to do?' Well, if you have, we've got the solution for you; a thorough explainer on what managers do, what credentials they must have, key differences between combat sports and stick-and-ball sports managers and more. If you were wondering how good or bad MMA managers are by comparison to their boxing forefathers, we've got that too. Topic roots When Dominance MMA (the largest MMA management company in the...
Mar 11, 2024•55 min
Comparing UFC and PFL contracts 1. Brief description of the type of contracts * Developmental * PFL * PFL Europe * Champion 2. Length of Contract * "Term" vs "Initial Term" 3. Contract extensions 4. Champion's Clause 5. Exclusive negotiating and matching rights 6. Details on pay * Playoff Pay * Incidentals & per diem 7. Sponsors & Merchandising 8. Arbitration & Class Action 9. Fighter responsibilities re: promoting the PFL * Additional responsibilities for champions The Hey Not the F...
Mar 11, 2024•37 min
Royalties * What do fighters get paid for? * What don’t fighters get paid for? * How much do fighters get? Sponsorship * How did we get here regarding fighter sponsors? * Outfitter policy/athlete kits - how does it work? * Sponsorships and appearance fees between fighters and sponsors arranged by the UFC. How does that work and how much does it pay? * Does the UFC take advantage of this? Video Game Rights * What, if anything, do fighters get from the video game? And how long does the UFC gets th...
Mar 11, 2024•39 min
How much were UFC fighters making from sponsors prior to the Reebok and Venom deals? I realize there is a lot of variation, but if you have a range or some examples, that would be helpful. And how much are they losing compared to what they were/are paid in the Reebok and Venom deals?Boxing promoters are apparently funneling money to sanctioning bodies through some form of lobbying. Can you explain how this works?Why do you think Bellator and PFL struggle financially? Is it just because the UFC h...
Mar 11, 2024•50 min
* When were these new changes added? * Biggest changes * Section 25 * Section 12 * Section 9 * Section 4 * Code of Conduct The Hey Not the Face! podcast is an independent publication. Please subscribe to keep up with our best work and learn how you can support us. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heynottheface.substack.com/subscribe...
Mar 11, 2024•29 min
STARTING POINT * How did we get here because both became free agents in different ways because they had very different contracts? * Was Ngannou released or did he leave after his contract ended? * What do you think the UFC really offered to him? * What about Jon Jones? DIAZ * What about the PFL/Jake Paul offer? * What about that Rizin offer? * What other options are out there for Nate? * Why is a return to the UFC not unlikely and very good for Nate? NGANNOU * What can PFL offer him? * What is t...
Mar 11, 2024•46 min
PFL MMA * PFL likes to boast about being the clear #2, how are they really doing financially * What should we make about Jake Paul signing with them? What is his deal with the PFL? * Can the PFL be successful, especially with their PPV division? BELLATOR/RIZIN * Why are we putting these two together? * How did they do last year? * What about the rumors that Bellator is for sale? UFC * How did the UFC do in 2022 and what is their financial outlook for 2023? * Does the Dana White domestic violence...
Mar 11, 2024•43 min
Today’s episode continues our point-by-point breakdown of a current UFC contract, beginning on page 38. The contract in question belongs to Taila Santos. It should be noted that Ms. Santos didn’t volunteer her contract information to us. John legally obtained it via Brazil’s court system. The contracts were filed in Brazilian courts by Talia Santos’ former trainer Marcio Malko and former head coach/manager Marcelo Brigadeiro as part of their individual lawsuits against her. Link to our HNTF podc...
Mar 10, 2024•51 min
Today’s episode concentrates on a current UFC contract, specifically, Taila Santos’ contract. It should be noted that Ms. Santos didn’t volunteer her contract information to us. John legally obtained it via Brazil’s court system. The contracts were filed in Brazilian courts by Talia Santos’ former trainer Marcio Malko and former head coach/manager Marcelo Brigadeiro as part of their individual lawsuits against her. * Note: John makes an error when discussing the “Effective Date” of a contract. T...
Mar 10, 2024•46 min
* What is the Ali Act? * How and why was it passed into law? * What does the Ali Act do? * What does it not do? (some of the myths) * How is it enforced, or is it even enforced? * What would the Ali Act do if it was expanded to MMA? * Could promoters have their own titles? * Would it destroy the UFC? * How was McGregor going to use the Ali Act to get out of his contract? * How can the Ali Act get expanded to cover MMA? * Do fighters support expansion? * What can be done to fix/improve the Ali Ac...
Mar 10, 2024•40 min
1. What is a union? 2. Do fighters even want a union? 3. Can fighters form a union if they’re independent contractors? 4. How do you go about making a union? 5. So what are some of the things that make MMA so hard sport for unions to work? 6. Any positives for just trying to make a union? 7. How about an association? Could that help? The Hey Not the Face! podcast is an independent publication. Please subscribe to keep up with our best work and learn how you can support us. This is a public episo...
Mar 10, 2024•45 min
