What do you make of the UFC’s silence and lack of disciplinary action towards their fighter’s bad behavior?
JOSHUA GARCIA, MMATorch Contributor
Currently the fighters do not have any kind of worries about disciplinary actions and it shows. It seems the UFC follows the model of controversy sells and are hoping to cash in on the antics of fighters.
DYLAN BOWKER, MMATorch Contributor
It certainly shows a lack of consistency on their end. Fines have been given out to past fighters touching referees i.e. / Roy Nelson. In other instances, fighters are canned and blacklisted from the promotion i.e. / Jason High. Dana will shamelessly admit in certain instances regarding Conor that McGregor gets preferential treatment and is handled differently. It seems altogether consistent with how the UFC has handled Conor over the years.
Also, the reports of Conor’s punishment being ousted from a fight at UFC 219 is laughable at best. The bottom line is that Conor assaulted a commissioner, showed no regard for a hurt fighter, and went way over the line in touching / aggressively pursuing a referee. The fact UFC isn’t talking about this is disappointing but entirely expected based on history.
SEAN COVINGTON, MMATorch Contributor
It makes for fewer fans in the future. You either run your place like WWE or let someone buy it that will. Most fans don’t want to see fighters run around and do whatever they want; no one should be bullet proof like that. This is real life not the WWE and fans want this to have real consequences. There are rules and guidelines and they should be adhered to.
FRANK HYDEN, MMATorch Columnist
I think it’s very damning and sets a bad precedent. I’m most definitely in the camp of thinking things have become way too PC and everyone is offended by everything, but as a company the UFC needs to at least address all this stuff. They need to draw a line in the sand and say “This is wrong, this is no big deal, and this is kind of wrong.” Dana White giving some flippant remark during a media scrum that he then turns around and contradicts the next day isn’t going to cut it. The UFC needs a new PR face, and it needs to be someone who doesn’t talk out of both sides of their mouth. Dana White is supposed to be the promoter, not the PR guy. At least if someone came out and said why there’s no discipline for some of these things that would be better than silence.
ZACK HEYDORN, MMATorch Contributor
It’s unacceptable. The UFC is multi-billion dollar company and they need to start acting like it. By not responding to anything thus far, it will be hard for them to respond to anything at all. That said they need to take a stand and layout the kinds of punishments they will dole out for certain things. That way, fighters will clearly understand the consequences of their actions. Many fighters in the UFC are top notch people with pristine attitudes. The coverage goes to the select few who are openly disrespecting their sport and their company. The UFC needs to rein them in before the inmates start running the asylum.
RICK MONSEY, MMATorch Contributor
It’s a tough call. I think it depends on the circumstances. If it’s domestic assault or things of that nature I would like the UFC to throw the book at the fighters. In the case of Conor McGregor jumping in the Bellator cage the UFC has their hands tied. The UFC doesn’t want to get rid of their biggest draw but they have to show some sort of repercussions. If it came down to it and I was in charge I would like to think I’d do the right thing but I’d probably stay as silent as they are.
RAFFAEL IGLESIAS, MMATorch Contributor
The UFC has always had a dodgy stance on their fighter’s behaviour outside of the octagon. The lack of attention from the media is also indicative of why MMA (UFC) is still not seen or treated as a mainstream sport. If Werdum and McGregor were in the NBA for example, the consequences would have been very severe and it would have been all over the news. What do you think would happen if Lebron James uttered a homophobic slur? UFC fighters seemingly don’t need to worry about being held accountable by the organization. Who do these guys think they are … the President?
NOW CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS ROUNDTABLE: How would you rank the fighters competing in Bellator’s Heavyweight Tournament with “1” having the best chance of winning and “8” having the least chance?
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