Veteran Fighter Leslie Smith tells Ultimate Fighting Championship Cut Her due to Her Union Organizing Efforts

picture: Buda Mendes (Getty)Pro MMA veteran Leslie Smith was supposed to battle on final weekend's Ultimate Fighting Championship battle Night card, however her bout by Aspen Ladd was scrapped under strange circumstances. Smith initially okayed the catchweight battle on the condition which the Ultimate Fighting Championship expand her expiring contract, however the Ultimate Fighting Championship instead paid Smith her display money & beat bonus for the battle, thus ending her Ultimate Fighting Championship career. As Smith premier told Luke Thomas final 7 days, she believes the decision not to renew her bargain is due to her efforts by Project Spearhead, a nascent pro MMA fighters' union drive. In pure Battling terms, it does not make sense to cut Smith, ever ever she's a highest-10 ranked action fighter on a winning streak. Smith said which the project is on track to get the 150 signatures they necessity by their Feb. 2019 deadline.

Leslie Smith plans legal action versus Ultimate Fighting Championship after having contract purchased out in wake of union efforts

Leslie Smith perhaps go from Battling for the Ultimate Fighting Championship to battling the Ultimate Fighting Championship in court of law. Smith is a leader of the fighter unionization effort & interim president of Project Spearhead, that wants the U.S. Gov. to set whether or not Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters are employees or independent contractors. Smith, who was on the final battle of her contract, said she Suggested to the Ultimate Fighting Championship that she would continue take the bout if the Ultimate Fighting Championship expanded her bargain. Per Smith, the Ultimate Fighting Championship instead paid her the display money & beat bonus on the current contract & said it This time considers her a toll free agent. She said they are on track to get the 30 % of Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters to sign cards they necessity in order to bring that to the NLRB, that would trigger the process of determining whether Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters are misclassified as independent contractors.

Ultimate Fighting Championship Needs To Explain Its Decisions On Greg Hardy, Leslie Smith & England Sasaki

referring to Behind the scenes during battle 7 days, things did'nt get almostas well for the promotion. 1 thing that's not acceptable is to have fighters – contracted fighters – worrisome if or the method much they going to be paid. The NLRB going to then decide if Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters ought be considered independent contractors, that they currently are, or employees. with all appearances, the Ultimate Fighting Championship paid Smith, who was ranked in the highest ten before she was launched, to go away & thus injury the chances for Project Spearhead's success. The 3rd misstep the Ultimate Fighting Championship made during Ultimate Fighting Championship battle Night 128's battle 7 days was booking previous National Football League player Greg Hardy for a Dana White Contender Series card.

Leslie Smith planning legal action versus Ultimate Fighting Championship

Leslie Smith, a professional mixed martial artist ever ever 2009, going to pursue legal action versus the Ultimate Fighting Championship next its treating of a contracted bout this past weekend in Atlantic City. Smith, 35, was scheduled to battle Aspen Ladd at Ultimate Fighting Championship battle Night in what was to be the last battle of her Ultimate Fighting Championship contract. The Ultimate Fighting Championship paid Smith's entire battle purse of $62,000 however too informed her which she is This time a toll free agent. "There's a lot of litigation in the aftertime by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)," Smith told ESPN. "The biggest question is whether the actions the Ultimate Fighting Championship took are retaliation for her role by Project Spearhead," Middlebrook said.

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