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Added by Jeff Gerstmann on Nov. 21, 2008

I wonder if this lady had to sign away her likeness rights, too...
I wonder if this lady had to sign away her likeness rights, too...
It's probably been a whirlwind of a day for Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Jon Fitch. In less than 24 hours he's been booted out of the UFC and reinstated, all because of a deal involving THQ's upcoming game, UFC Undisputed 2009.

It sounds like the core of the Undisputed dispute was the contract for likeness rights, which would entail Fitch signing away those rights to the UFC in a lifetime deal for use in THQ's game. The earlier reports on this have quotes from Fitch about how he wanted to negotiate a shorter-term deal. The response from UFC, apparently, was to boot Fitch and other fighters from the American Kickboxing Academy team that he represents out of UFC. According to MMAjunkie, here's a classy quote from the president of UFC, Dana White on the subject.

"We're looking for guys who want to work with us and not against us, and frankly I'm just so [expletive] sick of this [expletive] it's not even funny," White said from Honolulu, where he flew Wednesday from Toronto to hold a news conference to announce the B.J. Penn-Georges St. Pierre fight for UFC 94 on Jan. 31 in Las Vegas.

"Affliction is still out there trying to build its company. Let [Fitch] go work with them. Let him see what he thinks of those [expletives]. [Expletive] him. These guys aren't partners with us. [Expletive] them. All of them, every last [expletive] one of them."

Nice.

In a later quote in the story, White went on to say "I'm not a douche bag." Sorry, dude. If you have to come out and claim that you're not a douche bag, you're most definitely a douche bag.

Today, MMARated, another MMA-focused blog, posted updates on the situation, including a video interview with Fitch where he claims he has signed the deal and that the whole thing was about respect and Fitch not liking the way White was coming at him over all this, and that the terms of the contract were never a big deal. Considering there are already quotes out there where Fitch questions the need for a lifetime deal, this seems... uh... untrue?

Filed under : UFC, UFC 2009 Undisputed

49 Comments

BiggerBomb
on Nov. 21, 2008
lulz Jeff called someone a douche bag. Rock on!

kmdrkul
on Nov. 21, 2008
Yep, he's a douchebag.

Jayge
on Nov. 21, 2008
What a bunch of shits. A lifetime deal? Really?

I mean I guess most of the UFC fighters are there because they really just can't do anything else (Kimbo Slice, anybody? No- he can't even fight.) It just seems like a huge douchebag move to do that over someone mildly intelligent pointing out something unreasonable.

Someone needs to kick Dana White in the face.

Kontrapunkt
on Nov. 21, 2008
A Douchebag like most anyone with a "Tapout" shirt.

walkingcarpet
on Nov. 21, 2008
I never understood the appeal behind UFC television in the first place. Why would I want to watch guys in tight short shorts hug each other and roll around in the ground while trying to beat the shit out of each other. Quality TV right there. I guess it would maybe be better in game form. But really if I wanted to see some dude get the crap kicked out of them, I'll go watch a Jason Statham movie, I don't care if it's not realistic, it's way more entertaining. Besides, all of the people in these fighting leagues are like mini Alis, IE they all think their the most badass thing to ever walk the planet, only with Ali it was pretty much. With these so called "people"... not so much.

dtran1212
on Nov. 21, 2008
thanks for reminding me the B.J. Penn-Georges St. Pierre fight for UFC 94 on Jan. 31, IM SO WATCHING THAT!!!!!

MasterSplinter
on Nov. 21, 2008
lol @ walkingcarpet

Your whole post is a nice job at stereotyping fighters. Clearly you know what you're talking about.

Yes Dana White is an asshole, but luckily Lorenzo Fertitta was there to diffuse the overreaction. Dana seriously mishandled the situation, but his issues were about the overall management of AKA rather than just some video game contract agreement. Let's stop with this stereotypical bullshit about MMA when some of you apparently have no clue about the sport's legitimacy.

Jayge
on Nov. 21, 2008
MasterSplinter said:
"lol @ walkingcarpet

Your whole post is a nice job at stereotyping fighters. Clearly you know what you're talking about.

Yes Dana White is an asshole, but luckily Lorenzo Fertitta was there to diffuse the overreaction. Dana seriously mishandled the situation, but his issues were about the overall management of AKA rather than just some video game contract agreement. Let's stop with this stereotypical bullshit about MMA when some of you apparently have no clue about the sport's legitimacy."
Let's stop trying to convince people that pay-per-view fighting leagues are legitimate.

MasterSplinter
on Nov. 21, 2008
I wasn't aware sports were illegitimate. Sorry, Jayge.

TeflonBilly
on Nov. 21, 2008
walkingcarpet said:
"I never understood the appeal behind UFC television in the first place. Why would I want to watch guys in tight short shorts hug each other and roll around in the ground while trying to beat the shit out of each other. Quality TV right there. I guess it would maybe be better in game form. But really if I wanted to see some dude get the crap kicked out of them, I'll go watch a Jason Statham movie, I don't care if it's not realistic, it's way more entertaining. Besides, all of the people in these fighting leagues are like mini Alis, IE they all think their the most badass thing to ever walk the planet, only with Ali it was pretty much. With these so called "people"... not so much."
Yeah, God forbid something stir your latent homosexual feelings. Just keep repressing dude, they won't come out until you've hit your mid life crisis.

TeflonBilly
on Nov. 21, 2008
Jayge said:
"MasterSplinter said:
"lol @ walkingcarpet

Your whole post is a nice job at stereotyping fighters. Clearly you know what you're talking about.

Yes Dana White is an asshole, but luckily Lorenzo Fertitta was there to diffuse the overreaction. Dana seriously mishandled the situation, but his issues were about the overall management of AKA rather than just some video game contract agreement. Let's stop with this stereotypical bullshit about MMA when some of you apparently have no clue about the sport's legitimacy."
Let's stop trying to convince people that pay-per-view fighting leagues are legitimate."
You know, call me naive, but I actually believe that UFC is for the most part legit.
Mainly cause they're under so much scrutiny due to either being compared to the predetermined nature of pro wrestling and the rigged fights which have destroyed the legitimacy of boxing. They wouldn't dare risking being caught. At least not during these formative years of the sports popularity.

musdy
on Nov. 21, 2008
Lorenzo saves the day!!!

ferrarimanf355
on Nov. 21, 2008
I looked at the title of this post and thought, since when does Dana White have a soul?

BA-DUM-TISSSSH!

HartKnight
on Nov. 21, 2008
At first the whole Mr. Bad Attitude was cute, but now it's ridiculous. Mr. White go back to the douche bag hole you came out of. You're pathetic.

Kohe321
on Nov. 21, 2008
Hahaha

Claude
on Nov. 21, 2008

gzl5000
on Nov. 21, 2008
Why do the Fertitas let Dana represent their company again?
He goes on a tirade over Jon Fitch not signing a lifetime rights contract for a video game and decides to release not only him, but 3 of his teammates from American Kickboxing Academy from their UFC contracts. That's 3 elite fighters (Fitch, Josh Koschek and Shane Carwin) and 1 good fighter in a weak division (Christian Wellisch) released because Fitch and Wellisch wouldn't sign an unreasonable contract for, essentially, a promotional vehicle. Not only that, but Dana claims the UFC will never do business with AKA (a premier MMA training gym) again. Good thing for him Lorenzo and Frank are there to smooth things over, but wow. Someone needs to fire Dana already.

OzzerOzby
on Nov. 21, 2008

"A Douchebag like most anyone with a "Tapout" shirt."


I can't even count the times I've ran into people that wear Tapout and don't even know shit about the sport that it represents, and while we're on the subject, does the sport of mma really need guys like this representing it?

addictedtopinescent
on Nov. 21, 2008
these people really are idiots.

StaticFalconar
on Nov. 21, 2008
Harsher than WWE when it comes to contracts.........


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