“Manage the careers, not pockets,” Aljamain Sterling joins rival Sean O’Malley in exposing MMA managers for ‘not elevating’ careers of fighters

Aljamain Sterling, the former UFC bantamweight champion, has been public about the difficulties and frustrations he has encountered in the MMA world. Sterling spoke with MMA Junkie on the World MMA Awards red carpet about the UFC’s lack of a merit-based approach and his reservations about fighter management techniques.

Sterling discussed the importance of management in the MMA environment throughout the conversation. While acknowledging the UFC’s power and control over fighters’ career paths, Aljamain Sterling questioned managers’ ability to negotiate favorable conditions for their clients. He claimed that certain managers put their personal financial gain ahead of the progress of the fighters they represent.

If you’re gonna be a manager, all I’m saying is, Managers, manage the career, not your pockets.

Aljamain Sterling via MMA Junkie

Sterling emphasized the need for fighters to be more vocal in their advocacy for fair treatment. He chastised managers, claiming that they contribute nothing to fighters’ career growth. He believes that the money spent on management fees may be better spent on other elements of a fighter’s life.

Aljamain Sterling’s vocal stance underlines the sport’s continued issues and complexities. His plea for stronger fighter advocacy adds to the wider discussion about improving MMA conditions and fairness.

Sean O’Malley lashes out at MMA managers, calls them “POS”

Sean O’Malley became the current UFC bantamweight champion after defeating Aljamain Sterling. He criticized MMA management, accusing some of manipulating competitors for financial gain. O’Malley turned to Twitter to vent his displeasure, specifically targeting managers who earn a proportion of fighters’ purses as well as a portion of their bonuses.

O’Malley stated in his tweet that there are managers who take 20% of fighters’ purses AND 20% of their bonuses. He describes these types of managers as pieces of Sh*t. O’Malley has consistently expressed the importance of fighters actively scrutinizing manager contracts in his previous statements, contributing to this public condemnation.

While O’Malley did not name specific managers involved in such actions, he did imply that more information might be revealed in the future. He stated his aim to approach the issue strategically. 

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