ONE Championship Fighter Contracts Will Leave You Speechless

Fighters are caught between a rock and a hard place.

In the world of combat sports, four major names stand out: UFC, Bellator, PFL, and ONE. UFC, as the leading martial arts organization, has long faced criticism for not compensating its fighters adequately. However, the spotlight has now shifted to ONE FC, as the public gains insight into two more fighter contracts.

The contract of former flyweight champion Adriano Moraes has brought shocking revelations, including a surprisingly low salary and some of the most restrictive clauses we've encountered. On the other hand, a contract for a debut fighter on ONE's popular 'Friday Fights' series contains numbers that are sure to astonish fight fans.

ONE FC Friday Fights Contracts Reveal Shocking Salary for Fighting on the World Stage of MMA & Muay Thai

Uzbekistani martial artist Sardor Babayanov's contract for One Friday Fights reveals a debuting salary of $1,500 to show, $1,500 to win:

Atakulov MMA Bearsclub released Sardor Babayanov's ONE contract which says he's making $1.5K/$1.5K for his promotional debut. pic.twitter.com/iXFpS0Rvhn

— Al Zullino (@phre) October 4, 2023

Friday Fights serves as ONE's equivalent to the UFC's Contender Series, and it's important to note that fighters in the talent pipeline may not receive compensation at the same level as contracted athletes. Despite this, it is still remarkably low for a product that has "broken [record after record after record] in the history of Thailand," according to chairman Chatri Sityodtong.

Adriano Moraes' Contract for Championship Bout Against Demetrious Johnson Unveils Some of the Most Restrictive Agreements in MMA

Former ONE flyweight champion Adriano Moraes has had his contract revealed from when he fought and beat Demetrious Johnson in their first bout in April 2021.

(Credit to Bloody Elbow for the contract)

Adriano Moraes' One Championship contract has been released, and it contains some of the most restrictive language we've seen pic.twitter.com/DDvpZLgNYu

— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) October 4, 2023

Moraes earned $100,000 for the bout, including his $50,000 win bonus. Regardless of the salary being relatively low for a championship bout, the full contract unveils some of the most restrictive terminology we've seen in a MMA contract:

Here's what you need to know:

• ONE retains the rights to the athlete's image - even after death - for the purpose of selling goods and services.
• ONE can use the athlete's image forever, and the athlete can't stop them or let anyone else stop them.
• ONE has complete ownership and control over everything created with the athlete's involvement.
• ONE isn't obligated to pay an athlete if their non-main event bout is cancelled, suspended, or postponed.
• If a fight is delayed for any reason, ONE can choose to extend the contract period by the same number of days between the original and rescheduled bout at its own discretion.
• If the athlete becomes a ONE champion, their contract is automatically extended by four fights or 24 months, the moment their current contract expires.
• ONE retains the right to accept or decline a fighter's offer from a rival promotion up to a year after they have left ONE.
• Any bout that is postponed (for any reason) is cause for ONE to extend the athlete's contract.
• Athletes are not allowed to speak publicly about their contract without permission from ONE.
• ONE has the right to use the athlete's name to make and control websites.

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• Athletes shall not change their name (birth, stage, or otherwise) without the consent of ONE.
• Champions have to return their belt any time ONE demands and cannot appear publicly with them without ONE's consent.
• Athletes must not disparage the promotion or any third parties associated with ONE, even after leaving the promotion.
• Athletes cannot be involved in any advertising or promotional materials that contain false, offensive, illegal, or infringing content, or any content that infringes upon the intellectual property rights of third parties.
• ONE can extend or suspend an athlete's contract if they are unable to participate due to injury or otherwise.
• ONE can suspend an athlete's contract for the duration of their retirement.
• ONE can terminate a contract if the athlete becomes bankrupt or are subject to an administrative order.
• At the end of an athlete's contract, they enter an "exclusivity period" of 60 days where they can only negotiate with ONE and can't escape to rival promotions immediately.
• After the exclusivity period, athletes enter a one year "matching period".
• The contract is governed by, and construed in accordance with the laws of Singapore.
• Any disputes related to the contract will be settled through arbitration in Singapore.

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• Athletes receive economy tickets for themselves and one cornerman.
• Athletes receive one twin sharing room as their accommodation.
• Athletes receive $40 per day per person for fight week meals OR three meals a day provided by the organizer.
• Athletes are guaranteed $250k for title defenses.
• ONE is obliged to offer two bouts per 12-month period.

It's worth noting that some of the fighter benefits are on a fighter basis. Moraes, however, was going into a championship bout, so this doesn't bode well for lower caliber talent.

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We should appreciate that legal action led to the release of this contract because, if the athlete completely adhered to all the terms in the document, the public would remain unaware of the ethical concerns surrounding these terms.

ONE's practices are intentionally restrictive, aiming to control fighters. Terms like "exclusivity" and "matching" periods are used to pressure vulnerable athletes into re-signing with the promotion.

READ: UFC Officially Involved in Class-Action Lawsuit, Over $1.6B in Damages Possible

It isn't without hope, however. The ongoing UFC antitrust lawsuit has the potential to uncover questionable business practices within the MMA industry. This case recently received class-action status, and its goal is to bring about substantial changes in how the UFC conducts its business, ultimately reshaping the entire MMA landscape:

"One of their goals is to recover money for all 1,200 fighters. Another goal is to force the UFC to change the way it does business." (via UFCclassaction.com)

Litigation appears to be the most viable avenue for fans and fighters to witness any meaningful progress on this issue, especially considering the significant control that promoters hold over fighters.

Hopefully some light can be shone on the issue.

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