The Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Association (MMAAA) was established just last year. The organization set out to improve fighter benefits and compensation, to name a few. However, the group has not been vocal as of late. Now NBA star Michael Carter-Williams has come forward to give his opinion on the lack of a fighter’s union in mixed martial arts.
Speaking on The MMA Hour, Carter-Williams explained that UFC fighters should team up to create a union.
“They absolutely should. I think it’s crazy that they already don’t have a union. And I know it’s hard, but come on, they put their lives on the line every time they step in the ring. There’s no reason why their payouts are [what] they are now. And it’s because they don’t have a union.”
The NBA star then revealed that he believes a fighter strike may even be necessary.
“Dominick (Cruz) and I were talking about it, and I was like, ‘How don’t you guys have a good enough union to where you guys don’t have health insurance or you guys don’t get paid more?’ To me, that’s beyond crazy, and it is — it’s going to need to take the top guys of the UFC to not fight until the payments are what they should be, and [the benefits] are where they should be.”
“It’s going to take the Conor McGregors, it’s going to take the Diazes, it’s going to take the Stipes. It’s going to take those guys to hold out so that everybody else can get what they deserve.”
