Craig Jones has never been shy about calling out issues in the grappling world, and his latest warning targets a critical topic for athletes — the fine print in their contracts.
Jones took aim at the show/win bonus payment structure often used by organizations like the UFC, and increasingly seen in grappling promotions:
Guys if you sign a contract with a 50% show 50% submission bonus…
You’re being bent over and you deserve to be.
He didn’t stop there, mocking promoters who try to sell athletes on “exposure” instead of proper pay:
Hey, I know the money isn’t good – but we’re going to pay you in exposure.
This isn’t the first time Jones has sounded the alarm on the business side of combat sports.
He’s previously warned athletes about the dangers of signing exclusive contracts, often without fully understanding the long-term consequences:
Please, for the love of God, read your contracts.
I cannot emphasize this enough.In other combat sports they have the luxury of managers. Those managers will read the contracts hopefully and make sure you’re not being bent over.
He stressed what he calls the “golden rule in business” — don’t trust the other party, especially when that party is a fight promoter:
Some of the least trustworthy people in all of business.
Jones also cautioned athletes to be wary of promotions that try to sell the value of their brand instead of offering real financial incentives:
If any organization is trying to sell you the value of being attached to their name, they’re trying to pay you less money because they’re talking about the worth of the association with them.
And while fame in the sport might look good on social media, Jones reminded his audience that it doesn’t always translate to financial security:
I know plenty of people with names and faces on posters that have no money at all, and that’s the worst position to be in life – to be famous, people think you have money, but you really have no money.
