Simon Samano

So let me get this straight… Elijah Smith says his manager, Jason House, called to tell him the UFC wouldn't negotiate a new deal before the final fight of his contract, despite being 3-0. Apparently that's only for top-15 fighters now. And the ONE opponent he was offered? Davey Grant. Who also happens to be represented by House's agency, Iridium Sports Agency. "That was the only name I was given." Here's the kicker: Smith is now 4-0 in the UFC, and THREE of his FOUR opponents have been represented by his own management agency. The UFC makes the fights. No rule against any of it. But when the call comes 12 weeks out, with one opponent name, who is pushing back for Smith? And who is looking out for Grant? If my manager took a cut of everything I earn in the Octagon, including discretionary POTN bonuses he did nothing to negotiate, and three of my four fights came against his own clients, I'd start questioning everything he says…including the comment on contract renewals being for ranked fighters only. But that's just me.

In 2017, Jason House said it was “just too tough for me” to watch his first client vs client UFC fight. On tomorrow's UFC card, Iridium has three client-vs-client fights. So from client-vs-client fights to taking a percentage of discretionary POTN bonuses, how are the fighters' best interests being looked out for? By 2022, House said Iridium represented approximately 115 UFC fighters, a number that’s seemingly only grown since, representing approximately ~20% of the current UFC roster. I’m not suggesting anything improper about the fights themselves, but genuinely curious how fighters are comfortable looking across the cage and seeing their own management team representing the person trying to beat them? How do you promise two opponents you’re fully behind them and fighting for their best interests when their interests directly conflict? A manager’s job isn’t just securing fights. It’s negotiating compensation, matchmaking, and career opportunities, both inside and outside of the cage. Every decision to accept an opponent, push for more money, or advocate for the next booking requires putting the individual fighter’s interests first. But perhaps the craziest part is what House said on the JAXXON Podcast. When Rampage Jackson asked whether Iridium takes a percentage of UFC fight-night bonuses, House confirmed it does: “If I’m gonna come home with half my money when you lose, then when you win, I should be able to eat as well.” Taking a commission on negotiated purses is one thing. But what exactly earns a manager a percentage of a discretionary performance bonus awarded for what a fighter physically accomplishes inside the cage? Lawyers face strict conflict of interest rules. NFL and NBA agents operate under union certification and conflict rules. Even boxing has federal protections governing promoter-manager relationships. MMA has no comparable industry-wide framework. And how aggressively can an agency representing over a hundred UFC fighters negotiate against the promotion it depends on to keep those fighters booked? The UFC doesn’t need to coordinate anything for those competing incentives to potentially work in its favor. None of this proves wrongdoing. But transparency about commissions doesn’t resolve conflicts of interest. One card. Three fights. Both sides under one agency. Just a smaller picture example, but genuinely curious who is independently advocating for each fighter?