Today Zuffa, parent company of both the UFC and Strikeforce, announced that all 350-400 of their contracted fighters will receive accident-insurance which would cover them financially in case of injury sustained while training for a fight. Prior to this, in accordance with state athletic commissions, Zuffa had provided insurance for injuries which occurred during the fights. The new plan includes 24 hour worldwide medical and life insurance;There was no mention of how much this new plan is expected to cost the company though Zuffa has stated that the expenses will be “substantial”.
According to Lorenzo Fertitta, CEO of Zuffa and the man who made the announcement earlier today, the deal took three years to put together. They eventually came to a deal with Houston Casualty Insurance Company. Under the plan the fighters will not be forced to pay a monthly premium, and their yearly maximum benefit is $50,000. There is also nothing written into the contracts that would prevent the fighters from partaking in other risky activities though Dana White has said that they have been told to use common sense, if you are considering million dollar life insurance policy, read more about this Life insurance for children.
The issue, as far as the fighters were concerned, dealt with training injuries that would force them off cards and leave them without a paycheck that they were depending on. The UFC had, on a case by case basis, provided financial bailouts for fighters but that was in no way an absolute. Some have theorized that this may be Zuffa’s attempt to stave off another wave of unionization talk that has sprung up since they acquired Strikeforce, and thus far the reaction of the fighters has been almost universally positive.
