Professional Fighters Association formed in effort to get UFC fighters unionized

For the past few years, the conversation surrounding the formation of a fighters union has been more lip service than action. That has all changed with the announcement of the formation of the Professional Fighters Association (PFA), the first step in unionizing.

The release on the PFA’s website mentioned the organization’s hopes to get recognition of a fighters union through the National Labor Relations Act and spoke specifically to working toward securing a collective-bargaining agreement for UFC athletes.

“It is the goal of the PFA to organize these hard-working athletes so that they may collectively bargain their terms and conditions of employment pursuant to the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA),” the release stated. “The PFA will not only be a union of fighters, but it will be governed solely by fighters. It is the fighters who will control their own futures.”

The announcement comes in the wake of the UFC being sold for over $4 billion last month to WME-IMG and the persistent outcry from fighters who are unhappy with their pay. A graphic on the PFA’s website claims that the fighters receive only 15 percent of the revenue generated by the UFC. By comparison, the NBA and NHL have an even split with their athletes while MLB (43 percent) and NFL (48 percent) are also close to a 50-50 split.

Other points of concern outlined include health care, minimum guarantees, pension and disability benefits. The organization also plans to have a say on the current ranking system, drug policy and life insurance for fighters.

The PFA is led by baseball agent Jeff Borris and also features the likes of labor attorney Lucas Middlebrook, administrator for the NBA referees union Callie Mendenhall and economist Andrew Zimbalist. The organization has received support from players unions in the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA and MLS.

With the UFC labeling its fighters as independent contractors instead of employees, the fighters and the PFA would need to legally challenge that status in order to form a union.