Imagine where you would stand if you didn’t have the health insurance that your employer provides. Better yet, talk to one of the millions of Americans who are struggling without health insurance today, who miss out on important treatments and doctor visits that they would complete if they had the means to do so. Now imagine being a professional fighter without health insurance; that idea can be even more frightening. This situation was the reality for fighters until Zuffa corrected the problem.
Effective June 1st, the UFC and Strikeforce fighters competing under the Zuffa banner will be provided with insurance that will cover them during training and preparation for fights. This is important because previously, if an injury happened during that time, the fighter had to pay out of pocket to cover any expenses related to that injury. That situation is now a thing of the past.
Announced during the Zuffa Fighter Summit in Las Vegas, this announcement was received with overwhelming praise. According to Sherdog.com and other MMA news outlets, fighters will have “24-hour worldwide medical life insurance and dental coverage.” HCC Insurance Holdings in Houston, Texas is the insurance company that will provide the fighters with their coverage. Fighters will be provided with $50,000 in coverage, with no premium payments required, and coverage available throughout the world. In the past, fighters were only covered for injuries that occurred during events.
This is a major progressive move in mixed martial arts history. Major sporting organizations such as the National Football League and Major League Baseball provide insurance coverage to their athletes. This move by Zuffa is a great stride in their effort to become one of the biggest sports in the world.
The possibility of injury is always present when fighters are training for mixed martial arts competitions. For example, the simple accident of someone rolling into Rashad Evans’ knee earlier this year cost him a title shot and large payday. We’ve heard stories about fighters receiving eye pokes or accidental head butts that jeopardize major fights. Now these fighters can rest a little easier knowing that Zuffa will provide medical coverage in the case of such an accident.
Whether you like their business practices or not, the leaders of the UFC, Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta, are continuously pushing the development of mixed martial arts. Providing medical insurance to combat sports athletes was a task that many other leaders would not have even tried to complete. Zuffa deserves to be commended for taking this step.
