UFC institutes medical/criminal background checks
Occasionally the UFC runs into issues where they sign athletes and later find out that athlete has something in his past that would cause issues for the UFC.
Occasionally the UFC runs into issues where they sign athletes and later find out that athlete has something in his past that would cause issues for the UFC.
This week the UFC distributed a new questionnaire to all it’s athlete’s on it’s roster to help them further look into any potential issues in the future:
A questionnaire circulated this past week to managers asks UFC contractees to release personal information for background checks, according to a copy of the document obtained by MMAjunkie. Fighters are asked to detail their medical history, as well as educational and criminal backgrounds.
Notably, they are also asked to waive doctor/patient confidentiality, which would allow them to discuss any potential medical issues directly with healthcare providers.
Both new and existing fighters are required to fill out the questionnaire, according to multiple managers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to discuss the UFC’s internal policies.
Zuffa LLC requires its contracted fighters to act in a legal and responsible manner and avoid conduct detrimental to the integrity of the UFC organization, wrote Michael Mersch, UFC senior vice president of business and legal Affairs and assistant general counsel, in a letter attached to the document. As the UFC’s highest profile independent contractors and as ambassadors of the sport of mixed martial arts, UFC fighters are held to a high standard by Zuffa, the media and the public.
It is important for Zuffa to be fully informed of your background in order to evaluate and potentially assist on matter that may be detrimental to the integrity of the UFC organization.