Luke Rockhold on Healthcare and UFC Fighter Pay

<p>"And if you let these motherf*****s think that they have that leverage, it's only gonna grow above you. So it's just people understanding their worth."</p> <p><a href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Rockhold'>Luke Rockhold</a> is an American professional mixed martial artist (MMA). Rockhold is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he competes in the Light Heavyweight division. Rockhold is a former UFC Middleweight Champion.</p> <p>The UFC is notorious for being anti-union. Based on records made available through an ongoing class action lawsuit from numerous ex-UFC fighters, the promotion has approximately paid out 16 to 20 percent of the revenue to the athletes. Most other major sports leagues — including the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball — pay out around 50 percent of the revenue to the athletes. (<a href='https://www.mmafighting.com/2022/3/16/22981963/endeavor-ceo-ari-emanuel-shuts-down-fighter-pay-criticisms-related-to-jake-paul-during-earnings-call'>source</a>)</p> <p>Nearly 80 percent of MMA athletes said they would be in favor of organizing a union (<a href='https://theathletic.com/1850784/2020/06/03/mma-fighters-support-association-unionization-no-clear-path/'>source</a>). </p> <p>Kobe Bryant even suggested the UFC should have a union. In May of 2017 Bryant was invited to speak to UFC fighters at an athlete’s retreat and was asked by labor organizer and featherweight contender Leslie Smith about the importance of collective bargaining and labor unions to NBA athletes like him. </p> <p>Kobe answered as follows:</p> <p>​“Even us as players, where we have our union meetings and things of that nature, we’re normally at each other’s throats competing against each other. But we understand completely that a rising tide raises all boats,” Bryant continued. “When you guys have this unity and you guys are operating together on the same page together, it does nothing but simply fortify the sport, make the sport better. Not just for the present, but also for future generations