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The landscape of the MMA world is likely to change significantly, and possibly for the better, in the next two years. Renowned MMA journalist Ariel Helwani broke the news on his personal Substack website.
Ariel Helwani reported that, as per sources, several influential entities were coming together to create a new MMA league set to launch in 2023.
The league would have a 'CBA' or 'Collective Bargaining Agreement' put in place by an athletic association to ensure fair compensation and adequate insurance coverage for the fighters.
The International Labor Organization website reads:
"Collective bargaining is a key means through which employers and their organizations and trade unions can establish fair wages and working conditions... The objective of these negotiations is to arrive at a collective agreement that regulates terms and conditions of employment."
This new venture would resemble established sports leagues such as the NBA, NHL, or NFL in structure instead of a regular MMA promotion.
"According to sources, a number of influential industry individuals have come together to create a new MMA league that is structured more like the NBA/NHL/NFL rather than your typical MMA promotion. This new league would also include an athlete association that implements a CBA with 50/50 revenue share, guaranteed contracts, health insurance, career-ending insurance and a pension plan. The plan is to announce the venture in the coming days, I’m told. They are hoping to launch in 2023," Ariel Helwani wrote on his website.
Helwani tweeted about the same, stating that the venture is likely to "shake up the whole MMA industry" in the near future.
However, the journalist also pointed out that fight sports are inherently different from all others, so there is a possibility that this 'interesting' and 'ambitious' plan will play out differently as well.
Read Ariel Helwani's full column here.
The announcement of the new MMA league comes in the wake of multiple UFC fighter pay disputes
As any fan of combat sports is aware, there have been multiple cases of pay disputes between the UFC and their fighters in recent times. Former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones famously called out Dana White multiple times, asking for fair compensation.
Middleweight contender Paulo Costa also withdrew from a recent fight with Jared Cannonier, citing inadequate pay as the reason behind his decision.
Additionally, YouTuber-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul makes it a point to constantly mention that the UFC does not pay their fighters what they deserve. 'The Problem Child' even donated $5,000 to UFC women's flyweight Sarah Alpar's GoFundMe page to help pay for her training camp fees and expenses.
