THE LEGAL BEAT: PROMOTER CONTRACTS

One of the most important contracts a fighter will sign during his career is a promotional agreement. A good Promoter can greatly benefit a fighter's career. From the fighter's point of view, though, there are some important points to make sure of in any promotional deal they sign.

1. Make sure the contract guarantees a minimum number of fights per year. Fighters need to keep active in order to improve their skills and stay in the public eye. They also need to stay active so they can get paid. A good Promoter can give a fighter the security that he will be able to fight as often as he wants over a term of years.
   
   
2. Try to limit the length of time covered by the first promotional contract. There are at least two reasons for this: (1) if you keep winning, you'll be able to negotiate better financial terms in your second contract; (2) you'll also know more quickly if your first Promoter is someone you want to stay with for the long term.
   
   
3. Always have an exit strategy – an "escape clause". If the Promoter is not doing what he has promised, you need to be able to terminate the contract. Most promotional contracts allow the Promoter to terminate the deal whenever he wants; so you should be able to do the same.
   
   
4. Make sure that the Promoter has the capability to give you proper exposure. You can be the best fighter in the world, but if your Promoter can't guarantee that your fights appear on television, doesn't live-stream your fights or doesn't promote you beyond the people watching you in the arena, it's going to be very hard for people to know who you are -- and for you to get fights against top opposition.
   
   
5. A good Promoter will always make money on a fighter, which is perfectly fine, but make sure that your Promoter is paying you a purse that is up to industry standards. As you become a title contender, your promotional contract should allow for you to receive a percentage of your PPV fights.
   

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