Tito Ortiz Says Georges St Pierre Is Disgusted With The UFC
Posted by Dustin James on 05.11.2008
Tito causing controversy with another interview........
During a recent interview with MMA Mania, Tito Ortiz was asked if any other current UFC fighters are disgruntled with the UFC but are being more soft spoken about the matter than Ortiz himself:
"Of course they're commenting on it. There are all kinds of guys … Georges St. Pierre, I know he's very disgusted with the UFC, but it's just one of those things where they give him little small things that he thinks are great. He gets a brand new Hummer, like "Wow, I get an awesome new Hummer" (and it) costs 50 grand, and all of a sudden I gotta pay taxes on it, and I gotta pay for gas, and dutta-dutta-duh.
These little small things they give them to make fighters happy because they know they've never had those things before. Well let's think about when fighters have their cars and have their houses, and now all of sudden, they're like, "Well I want to start paying bills. I want to start paying for all this stuff, because I'm not gonna be able to fight for the rest of my life," you know.
That's what it really comes down to, because there are other fighters who are screaming as loud as they possibly can … under their own tone. And they can't say anything, because the UFC holds a thumb over them. If they speak out, they'll squash ‘em. Just as they did with Randy Couture, they squashed him."
Posted By: Matt (Guest) on May 11, 2008 at 06:19 PM
i would really hate it if someone gave me a new hummer and only had to pay for gas when i made 200,000 plus for one fight and when fighters make that much money it isn't the UFC's fault if the fighters can't manage their own wealth
Posted By: Dave (Guest) on May 11, 2008 at 07:14 PM
You can always sell a car if you don't want to pay for gas or upkeep.
Tito sounds like those audience members on Oprah a few years back. They were all given brand new cars...and then whined Oprah didn't pay the taxes as well. Unbelievable.
Tito should realize this kind of petty complaining hurts himself more than Dana or the UFC.
Posted By: Jake (Guest) on May 11, 2008 at 08:12 PM
Buy a nice small house with a good gym, get a nice car and fight 4 times a year. You then officially live the perfect life. But big bitch Ortiz is complaining that he still can't afford a personal jet.
Posted By: Cj (Guest) on May 11, 2008 at 08:14 PM
Does Tito know there are millions of people with dangerous jobs that cant even dream about making the money he does, what a crybaby
Posted By: Titohater (Guest) on May 11, 2008 at 09:29 PM
Tito is just a whiny big headed pansy trying to stir shit up on his way out the door.
Im hoping SO much that Machida makes him look terrible in his last fight.
Posted By: KevinS (Guest) on May 11, 2008 at 10:10 PM
That's what a lot of companies do. Give you gifts instead of cash. When 2Pac was murdered he died with 100k in the bank and his moms house. Between lawyer fees and Suge not paying him he died relatively broke. Tito is right in thinking that the fighters deserve to prosper when the company is doing so well.
Posted By: hulk smash 54 (Guest) on May 11, 2008 at 10:29 PM
It wouldn't be Tito if he didn't start some controversy anytime he opens his mouth...
That doesn't mean he's not right. A quick look at the PPV numbers and how much the fighters make shows how off it is.
They sell 350-500k PPV's, then add the seats at the venue, sponsors and so on... yet total pay out averages only about $1M (including bonuses).
Should they make the same as boxers with 20M a fight? No- sponsorship still has a long way to go before they can get those numbers, but a 10x increase in payouts wouldn't be unreasonable.
Posted By: cyks (Guest) on May 11, 2008 at 10:33 PM
Isn't there that movie "Redbelt" where in this magically world a fighter on the undercard gets $250,000... ROFL man I wouldn't be surprised if the WHOLE undercard didn't make that much at a UFC ppv.
Posted By: Bobbay (Guest) on May 11, 2008 at 11:18 PM
Someone needs to punch that whiny little bitch in the throat and be done with it.
Dana would be more than happy to spend the money if Tito represented himself the way GSP does... There's a reason why GSP is called one of the classiest guys in the UFC... Any disagreement he has, he works towards settling it in the cage or with Dana & Co. Tito just bitches like a spoiled brat who's getting his rattle taken away.
Posted By: Exzyle (Guest) on May 12, 2008 at 12:02 AM
Hopefully, Machida will shut this ass up. He should be fighting, not whining.
Posted By: konron (Guest) on May 12, 2008 at 12:06 AM
"Dana would be more than happy to spend the money if Tito represented himself
the way GSP does... "
Tito's point is that GSP (and the rest of the roster) aren't getting paid either.
200k a night when Zuffa is pulling in Millions is a slap in the face. Giving cars and such is just a way to get the fighters to overlook how little of the purse they really make.
Much like a boss taking someone out to lunch every so often- instead of giving them a raise.
Posted By: cyks (Guest) on May 12, 2008 at 01:00 AM
Tito was on the Howard Stern show a month or two ago, and he told Howard that he is worth around $50 million. I wonder how much he'ed be worth without the UFC. I hope he gets hit by a bus!
Posted By: Top (Guest) on May 12, 2008 at 01:01 AM
Tito right. ufc should pay higher. remember this fighters careers dont last very long. about 10 years. so after ten years what are they going to do?its gonna be hard finding a job with you youth gone.. so a fighter should be paid salaries that would last them for at least 30 years.. look at the NBA, NFL baseball and boxing. the athletes get paid well
Posted By: bubuli (Guest) on May 12, 2008 at 01:46 AM
First - this is Tito being Tito. Of course the guy is going to badmouth his soon-to-be-former employer on the way out. That's just him.
Second - he does have a point. A solid one. MMA is growing at a rate no-one could have dreamed of during the 'lean years' of UFC. UFC and Zuffa are the biggest players these days so they're having money come in by the truckload. Then again, they should - UFC was what put MMA on the map big time. But who's making them all that money? Yep, the guys who get in the cage. NO DOUBT those guys should be paid.
Third - sadly, the paychecks won't grow to the level they should be UNTIL UFC has some real competition. So here's hoping that Affliction, DREAM, EliteXC, IFL, hell, whoever (including YAMMA) gets big enough to get Dana and the Fertittas to sit up and take notice.
Posted By: woody (Guest) on May 12, 2008 at 02:26 AM
i don't believe a word that comes out of Tito's mouth anymore. If he said that the sky was blue, i would go outside and check.
Posted By: stronelis (Guest) on May 12, 2008 at 09:23 AM
Fighters have contracts for a reason. They are signed of their own free will. I doubt Tito complained when he was making pretty good money while fighting Ken Shamrock and beating him in less than 4 minutes. Nothing sounds worse than trying to put words into someone else’s mouth. I highly doubt GSP needs Tito to speak for him.
Fighters have a short career. So? Everyone knows this, including the fighters. If the fighters aren’t taking care of themselves, getting themselves the best contracts and saving their cash, then they can expect to be broke when their career is over. Fighters who piss away their money on dumb shit (think of Mike Tyson) will be broke in the end no matter how much they make. Should the UFC pay their fighters more? I’m sure the fighters think so; and if that’s the case then that is a fight they have to handle, not us fans.
Posted By: Kuch (Guest) on May 12, 2008 at 09:32 AM
Their fighters should be paid more, there's a reason why the UFC loses good fighters to lesser organizations it's because of Dana White and the pay.
No more Randy Couture, they don't have Fedor so that's a huge money fight that they won't get due to stubborness.
But since it's Tito saying it everyone wants to say fuck him but it's the truth the UFC pays their fighters shit, if you want to be the Top Organization then you have to pay like a top organization.
Posted By: Guest#7301 (Guest) on May 12, 2008 at 11:26 AM
"You can always sell a car if you don't want to pay for gas or upkeep."
You still have to pay full taxes on it, because it counts as income, and you wouldn't be able to get a full retail price because it is still second hand, even if it hasn't been driven. Plus the UFC is probably getting these as comps from their sponsers, so they aren't paying 50k for it. So yeah Tito is right, is not the same as just paying them an extra 50k a year.
And as people pointed out, You aren't fighting for 30 to 40 years. So those big salaries aren't so big in the long run.
Posted By: Guest#6803 (Guest) on May 12, 2008 at 12:32 PM
Financially, Tito's right. Imagine the cost of that kind of lifestyle. Sure, you get a Hummer, but still have to pay your own taxes, licensing, registration, and insurance on it. Sure you get a nice, huge house, but you still have to insure that PLUS pay the property tax. No such thing as a free meal. And these fighters arent always the most educated about these kinds of things because they spend, and have spent, most of the lives training to fight and that's it. But you cant be a fighter forever. Even if Tito is annoying, or however you view him, at least he's smart enough to understand the business aspect of his situation. And it seems he does that much better than most of the other fighters and chances are, he will most likely remain successful outside of the ring than. Unfortunately, that cannot be said for a good percentage of other MMA fighters.
Posted By: daniel (Guest) on May 12, 2008 at 01:23 PM
The UFC doesn’t have to pay their fighters more money. Every other organization has to pay their fighters more money. Until they do that, there is no reason for the UFC to change their salaries.
Posted By: Kuch (Guest) on May 12, 2008 at 01:25 PM
Wait...people still listen to Tito? He is still relevant.
Typical upset employee leaving complaining and trailing on and on.
Posted By: Guest#8756 (Guest) on May 12, 2008 at 02:47 PM
a job pays what a job pays.......if you don't like the pay get a new job
Posted By: icepik (Guest) on May 12, 2008 at 04:57 PM
All of ya who bash on tito are stupid. If it wasnt for him and people like the natural there wouldnt be a ufc that you idiots could talk about.
Posted By: shut up (Guest) on May 13, 2008 at 09:59 AM
All of ya who bash on tito are stupid. If it wasnt for him and people like the natural there wouldnt be a ufc that you idiots could talk about.
Posted By: shut up (Guest) on May 13, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Yeesh man you guys are dumb as hell, the reason these guys complain how much they make is because they deserve it, you guys flip burgers for 5$ an hour because thats what your job is worth, if you trained 4-6 hours a day spent a fortune in the best trainers the best of everything to get to their level and then you got into a ring got your leg broken and had to sit in a chair for 4 months, im sure you would be wondering why the hell you did all that for the amount of money they get.Its not like they wake up scratch their balls go into the ring get 100,000 and then go home and chill. If you guys knew what the word effort means you would know why the money they get isnt enough. And on top of that the ufc rakes in an obscene amount, for ufc 83 the gate was 5 million thats without ppv,ppv is in the millions over 200 million for 1 year, whats that 4 events ! and the fighters dont even get 1% of that between them. They are what make the sport.
Posted By: Guest#0289 (Guest) on May 13, 2008 at 12:16 PM
I worked 50 hours last week, was glad to get the overtime even though i was out working in the rain for most of it. Hopefully i can get more overtime in the next few weeks to make sure i can cover my gym and training cost. Of course i also have to pay for gas ,taxes and everything else just like Frenchie. So pardon me when i say Tito,GSP and whatever other millonaire or close to millionaire fighter can kiss my blue collar paycheck to paycheck just glad to get some gym time ass.....
Posted By: ScottMMA (Guest) on May 14, 2008 at 09:27 AM
