Anti-Sanchez

I was thinking about this yesterday and thought I'd post. What kind of rules does the UFC have in place regarding a fighter fighting in competing promotions? I ask this because the thread I started about Hughes vs BJ Penn someone stated that Penn was booted from UFC for fighting in another promotion. This is where my confusion comes in. Liddell fought Quintin in Pride just 2 years ago with no reprocussions from the UFC. Babalu won the IFC just two years ago and he's still fighting in the UFC. GSP fought in TKO just this past january and everything is fine and dandy between him and Zuffa. Rich Franklin's done it recently, Tim Sylvia did it, in fact most of the fighters do it.

So is there really an issue here by the UFC.

[Danny]

BJ Penn was a Champion at the time. Franklin hasn't done it since he became Champion.

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Billdolfski

I'd say that most, if not all venues have an exclusivity contract for their current champions.

Unknown

Yeah, Just think if your champ lost in another promotion. Your belt would loose all credibility. I think that other than champions they would not have much of a problem with it.

[Danny]

Well, B level leauges champions like KOTC (Buentello), Shooto (Kawajiri), Pancrase (Kondo and TK), and TKO (St. Pierre and "Crow") all have fought at the top level leauges like UFC and Pride and are the current champions. But the other way around as if Arvlowski went to Pride and lost to say Mark Hunt, the UFC would be pissed.

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Mecca

So, if your champ, you can't fight in other promotions?

Unknown

Yes. If you are the champion you can not fight in other promotions. See above.