Fighter pay has long been a hot-button topic, and Super Bowl champion Ryan Clark believes fighters must form a union to make any lasting improvements.
Clark benefited from the NFL Players Association, which was formed 70 years ago. However, he recognizes that there would be a vast difference between such an established entity in a sport with a longer history and a union or association of fighters. Ultimately, issues such as pay transparency and contract negotiation could be a huge boost to fighters if implemented properly.
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“I think you you need transparency, but we also have to remember how young mixed martial arts is compared to the NFL,” Clark told MMA Junkie Radio. “This has been an evolution in the NFL, and there’s still different CBA negotiations and bouts that they deal with, whether it’s strikes or lockouts and all of those things.”
There have been multiple starts and stops of MMA unionization efforts in recent years. Whether they gain steam or not, thus far, each one has essentially fizzled out as fighters choose to navigate pay issues without a collective effort. As a result, fighters, particularly those under the UFC banner, earn around 18 percent of the promotion’s total revenue, while NFL, NBA and MLB athletes receive about 50 percent.
Clark highlights the need for a collective effort, but isn’t sure how the structure would work in a sport based on individual athletes physically fighting against each other.
“You know, you need to form a union, but in forming a union, who are you negotiating with?” Clark said. “So many of these organizations are run by small groups of people that make every single decision. And the difference is in football, the Dallas Cowboys are given every opportunity to win the Super Bowl as much as the Cincinnati Bengals are. That’s not what mixed martial arts is.
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“Mixed martial arts is truly you eat what you kill. And so, until they could find a way to bridge the gap between sort of ownership and labor, I don’t think there will be a change. I don’t believe there will be transparency because it’s such a small group of individuals who are policed in no way that are making the decisions.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Super Bowl champ Ryan Clark: MMA fighters need a union
