Jake Paul to MMA Labor Lawyer “Hit me in the DMs”

Not trying to hook you with a clickbait headline but a short exchange between YouTube star turned pro boxer Jake Paul and labor side union lawyer Lucas Middlebrook is worth keeping an eye on. After reporter Stephen A Smith feigned (or actually has) ignorance about the woeful amount of revenues UFC fighters get (about an … More Jake Paul to MMA Labor Lawyer “Hit me in the DMs”

Jake Paul to MMA Labor Lawyer “Hit me in the DMs”

Not trying to hook you with a clickbait headline but a short exchange between YouTube star turned pro boxer Jake Paul and labor side union lawyer Lucas Middlebrook is worth keeping an eye on.

After reporter Stephen A Smith feigned (or actually has) ignorance about the woeful amount of revenues UFC fighters get (about an 18% split) he was called out by Jake Paul who has a recent track record of being critical of UFC financial practices.

From here lawyer Lucas Middlebrook suggested Jake do more than just talk but help organize fighters to which Jake repsoned as follows

Middlebrook was the lawyer behind former UFC fighter Leslie Smith’s complaints against the promoter to the National Labor Relations Board. She made strides to having herself (and therefore potentially all UFC fighters) being labeled as employees as opposed to independent contractors which would have cleared a path to unionization. The legal fight died in the Trump administration era. Under the Biden administration signals have been put out indicating a much more favorable result could come if a similar legal challenge was launched.

I reached out to Middlebrook about this potential collaboration with Jake who replied as follows:

I have been passionate about fighter rights and organizing for many years and I welcome Jake Paul’s involvement and the exposure an organizing drive would receive with his assistance. I truly believe the fighters could unionize and finally bargain with the UFC for their fair share. And, with Mr. Paul’s help, it could happen sooner rather than later.

Interesting to see if this matures beyond a simple tweet. Keep an eye on this.