Hardball begets hardball
February 15, 2008 – 2:51 pm by fightlinker
I really wish I could dish more about this than I can at the moment but I’m in an airport stuck listening to the world’s loudest bitch argue on a cellphone with the garage that’s detailing her car. I’d move, but we’re both using the only fucking power plug in the god forsaken airport. This conversation has been going on for the past 45 minutes and her shit is ruining my zen. So rather than write a poorly constructed and generally tame thingy of my own, let me lay out the salient points about the whole ‘Mark Cuban is suing the UFC’ thing.
The testicles of the story from MMA Junkie:
On Wednesday, Cuban and the Texas-based HDNet Fights organization filed suit in district court in Dallas. While the UFC’s lawsuit centers on Couture’s employment contract and its one-year non-compete clause, Cuban wants clarification on the status of Couture under his promotional contract.
“The lawsuit filed by HDNet Fights asks the Texas court to provide the company with declaratory relief — a ruling on when Couture’s promotional contract will expire,” Swift reported for Sherdog.com. “A favorable ruling could clear the way for a highly anticipated showdown between Couture and Fedor Emelianenko this fall, potentially promoted by HDNet Fights.”
And the most interesting theory which sounds good at first glance and could change the fight game for good:
Cuban has spoken recently about Zuffa’s contracts and their possible non-compliance with the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act. Could this also be a tactic that HDNet Fights uses in it’s seeking of declaratory relief? Inclusion of MMA under the act and it’s provisions against multi-fight, long term contracts between Fighter and Promoter would greatly affect the value of Zuffa’s UFC. Zuffa’s number one asset is it’s exclusive contracts with it’s some 250 fighters. I’m not sure if HDNet Fights/Cuban would be able to launch a legal motion to have UFC covered by the Ali Act or if that is something Couture would have to sue Zuffa over. As Zuffa steps up it’s legal wranglings against Couture, one has to believe that either Cuban or Couture will seek to use the Ali act in the legal warfare that is ensuing.
I’ll hopefully find a less annoying place to nest later on and I can give you my own thoughts on the subject. But in short, this is all pretty troubling news. I’m starting to wonder if everyone fucking with the UFC isn’t akin to the villagers killing the golden goose. Sure, the goose is a prick. But it still lays golden fucking eggs.
