by Rob Maysey | Oct 5, 2008 | Official MMAFA Blog
“Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.” -Justice Louis Brandeis INTRODUCTION TO WAMMA In the first installment of this article which can be read here, boxing’s history with the “sanctioning body” was examined. Instead of restoring integrity and legitimacy to the sport, these self-proclaimed reformers brought scandal and disrepute. These sanctioning bodies provide virtually no service other than publishing “independent” rankings, and extract sanctioning fees from the purses of fighters-a practice which has been called “legalized extortion.” The sanctioning bodies are not accountable to anyone, and influence peddling and outright lobbying by promoters is common place. WAMMA, however, promises to bring the sport of MMA to “unprecedented levels of integrity, legitimacy and prosperity.” Indeed, a good deal of WAMMA’s marketing strategy is focused on the integrity of the individuals involved. In its presentation materials presented to the Association of Boxing Commissions in July of this year, WAMMA states that it is “comprised of successful, highly ethical, entrepreneurs suited to guide the operation of a MMA association and sanctioning body” for MMA. David Szady, a 33-year veteran of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, brings “unquestionable integrity” to the table for WAMMA. Szady, current CEO of WAMMA, stated that one of the reasons he became involved with WAMMA after a long career with the FBI was “to bring that face of integrity, to create transparency within the MMA world and to create and add to the legitimacy” of the sport of MMA.1 WAMMA’s focus on integrity in its marketing...
by Rob Maysey | Sep 7, 2008 | Official MMAFA Blog
“Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.” -Justice Louis Brandeis The sport of mixed martial arts (”MMA“) is experiencing incredible growth, and is publicly declared to be the fastest growing sport in the world. With growth, comes change. To date, independent “sanctioning” bodies have not been a part of the MMA landscape, though the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts (”WAMMA“) aims to change this. WAMMA seeks to become the one and only “sanctioning” body for MMA, and promises to legitimate true “world” titles that are independent of any particular promotion. To accomplish its goals, WAMMA promises to provide completely “objective” rankings and has stated unequivocally to this author that they will do so without ever charging a sanctioning fee to any promoter or fighter. The concept of independent rankings determining championship bouts is desirable in and of itself. Objective rankings serving as the basis for title bouts pressures promoters to make championship matches based upon merit in competition-not upon contractual subservience of the fighter. Objectivity in rankings also serves to buttress the integrity of the sport by legitimizing title matches to the general public. Finally, an objective rankings system that recognizes champions arguably increases the marketability and earning potential of the fighters themselves. The question becomes is WAMMA, a private for profit company, the proper outlet to provide such “independent” rankings? While WAMMA promotes itself as a “multifaceted fighter and fan forward organization,” is it likely to live up to its promises? Is an...
by Rob Maysey | Aug 29, 2008 | From MMAFA
As I initially wrote about here, the UFC is ambitiously attempting to enter the merchandising arena by essentially stripping fighters of all rights to their likeness, in perpetuity. Multiple sources have indicated that UFC officials are now sending letters to fighters who have not yet signed the Merchandising Rights Agreement. The letter warns fighters that if they do not return the executed Merchandising Rights Agreement by the end of the week, the offer will be rescinded, and the fighter will not be included in the UFC’s licensing program. Even more outrageous, UFC officials are directly contacting fighters, instead of the fighters’ selected agents. Fighters are told that they are hearing only one side of the story from their selected representatives, and that the UFC’s Merchandising Rights program really is a great deal. By not signing the Merchandising Rights Agreement, fighters are told they are leaving money on the table. The UFC likes to compare itself to league sports, as do many members of the media. In all other leagues, such direct contact with an athlete represented by an agent is blatantly unethical. Such fighters have selected agents with reason—they trust and respect the counsel provided. Attempts to circumvent this representation by first pressuring, and then contacting in an attempt to engage in dialogue reeks of bad faith. Beware. Fighters—speak to your agents. Rob Maysey is a licensed attorney in the states of Arizona, California, and Minnesota. He received his BA in Politics from Whitman College and his JD from Cornell Law School. He has followed the sport of mixed martial arts closely since being introduced to Brazilian jiu-jitsu...
by Rob Maysey | Aug 28, 2008 | From MMAFA
A Suggestion for the California State Athletic Commission. On July 19, 2008, the Affliction promotion held their debut card in Anaheim, California. The following week, on July 26, 2008, EliteXC held its second “Saturday Night Fights” in Stockton, California. After an initial round of testing for performance enhancing and other illicit drugs was completed, one fighter was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission (“CSAC”). On August 1, 2008, Bill Douglas, the Assistant Executive Officer of CSAC, informed MMAweekly that additional positive results would be announced, no earlier than August 11, 2008, after the initial round of testing indicated additional fighters tested positive for banned substances.1 The news spread like wildfire across the internet, throughout the MMA blog world, news sites, and online message boards. CSAC also released the names of eight fighters for each of the Affliction and ProElite cards who had already been tested and cleared of illicit drug use. Finally, Mr. Douglas announced that the remaining results would likely be announced on August 11, 2008. This last announcement created a virtual frenzy, as fans and media members alike anxiously awaited the release, and watched it appear across news sites virtually simultaneously. Testing results, however, should not be treated as a staged event designed to obtain maximum anticipation and media coverage. The careers, reputations and lives of many athletes are negatively impacted, unnecessarily, by CSAC’s current disclosure policy. With twenty-two (22) fighters appearing on the EliteXC card, and twenty (20) fighters on the Affliction card, fans quickly utilized the disclosures made by CSAC to eliminate those fighters whose results had already been revealed. A total...
by Rob Maysey | Aug 25, 2008 | Ali Act
Sam Caplan, of Fiveouncesofpain.com, asked for just one GOOD reason as to why the Muhammad Ali Act Boxing Reform Act of 2000 (the “Muhammad Ali Act“) should be applied to Mixed Martial Arts (”MMA“). Ask, and you shall receive. Before I proceed further, let me first thank Mr. Caplan for taking the time to read and respond to my article, which delves into subject matter that many may find dull. It is of the utmost importance, however, and Mr. Caplan’s time and effort in discussing the subject is greatly appreciated. Immediately below, are six good reasons why the Muhammad Ali Act should be applied to mixed martial arts: “The Congress makes the following findings:1 (1) Professional MMA differs from other major, interstate professional sports industries in the United States in that it operates without any private sector association, league, or centralized industry organization to establish uniform and appropriate business practices and ethical standards. This has led to repeated occurrences of disreputable and coercive business practices in the MMA industry, to the detriment of professional mixed martial artists nationwide. (2) State officials are the proper regulators of professional MMA events, and must protect the welfare of professional mixed martial artists and serve the public interest by closely supervising MMA activity in their jurisdiction. State athletic commissions do not currently receive adequate information to determine whether mixed martial artists competing in their jurisdiction are being subjected to contract terms and business practices which may violate State regulations, or are onerous and confiscatory. (3) Promoters who engage in illegal, coercive, or unethical business practices can take advantage of the lack of equitable business...
