‘This Isn’t Some China Slave Factory’ — Schaub On UFC Fighter Treatment

Brendan Schaub supports Sean O’Malley, compares UFC’s treatment of fighters to a Chinese slave factory.

Retired heavyweight mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Brendan Schaub has a bone to pick with his former bosses at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Sean O’Malley recently said he would not prioritize tougher ranked competition without better compensation by the UFC. Schaub supported O’Malley’s stance in a recent episode of the former’s Below the Belt podcast.

“Sean’s in a spot where he can talk like this and he’ll be okay cause he’s undeniable,” Schaub said (h/t MMA Weekly). “He just has to keep winning, because as soon as you start losing, they’re gonna bring this back and hold it against you. But right now he’s fine.”

“I’m with him though. F—k fighting in New York, with the taxes, flying out there, his coach isn’t there. Who cares if he fights a month later? It’s Vegas. Be cool, UFC. The UFC has to do a better job of not treating their employees like they work for f—king Apple,” he added. “This isn’t some China slave factory. Like, treat them like human beings, it’s going to go so much further for everybody involved. Just be cool. Like why not be like ‘Hey Sean, we want you to fight.’ ‘Ah, my coach isn’t going to be there and I don’t wanna pay the taxes in New York. Can I just fight on the next card?’ ‘Yeah, we’ll get you an opponent, no problem.’ Click. Move on to the next guy. I’m with ‘Suga’ on this. Don’t treat him like s—t, man. There’s just no need for it.”

Schaub (10-5) retired from professional MMA on the heels of consecutive losses to Andrei Arlovski (split decision) and Travis Browne (TKO). He holds victories over Matt Mitrione, Lavar Johnson, Mirko Crop Cop and Gabriel Gonzaga, among others.

Finished reading this story? The party doesn’t have to stop. Click here to get more of the latest UFC news.