accident-insurance coverage already helping fighters

Accident-insurance coverage saves UFC's Cub Swanson from $50,000 injury costs

With one look at Cub Swanson's medical records, you know the guy has suffered more than his fair share of bad luck.

The latest? A sparring injury that resulted in orbital, nasal and cheek
fractures, as well as a broken jaw. Seven weeks after the injury, the
UFC fighter remains on an all-liquid diet.

Still, there was a little good luck: As the UFC's first fighter to use
the organization's recently enacted accident-insurance coverage, he
saved himself a whopping $50,000 in out-of-pocket medical costs.

Swanson, a guest on today's edition of MMAjunkie.com Radio
(www.mmajunkie.com/radio), suffered the injury during a June 2 session
at Greg Jackson's camp in New Mexico. During an intense sparring
session, a training partner inadvertently tagged him – full force – with
a knee to the face.

Swanson (15-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who's fought just five times in four years
due to an array of injuries, nearly reached a breaking point.

"Right when it happened, I immediately went to the corner and went, 'I
need to take a year off. I'm done,'" he said. "I was so frustrated. You
train for months at a time, and it just gets taken away like that."

UFC vet Joe Stevenson was one of approximately eight training partners
who accompanied Swanson to the hospital. They then immediately called
their UFC contact with one question.

"'So yeah, that insurance kicked in, right?'" Swanson asked.

Yes, it had. One day prior.

Back in May, UFC president Dana White announced the first-of-its-kind
coverage, which protects Zuffa LLC's approximately 400 contracted
fighters from various injuries and ailments year-round (regardless if it
occurs during a training session or not). Zuffa pays 100 percent of the
premiums up to $50,000 per year per fighter. For fighters who usually
have insurance coverage solely on fight nights, it is a remarkable perk
of fighting for the world's biggest MMA promotion.

"I'm officially the first person to ever use it," said Swanson, who used
every penny of this year's coverage allotment. "But I guess if I do
something, I do it big. That's kind of my thing."

Swanson said such out-of-pocket costs would have drained essentially all
the money he's saved during an up-and-down, seven-year fighting career.
A three-time "Fight of the Night" winner in the WEC, he's now just
anxious for that long-awaited UFC debut, which is unlikely to come
before December as his face heals from the injuries and multiple
surgeries.

But when it comes, Swanson just wants a chance to prove the organization's money was well spent.

"We knew it'd be tough for them to find a company willing to insure 400
ultimate fighters," Swanson said. "I'm glad they found it. And they said
the coverage that we have is a start, and I believe it'll evolve into
even better coverage.

"I'm super thankful. I can't wait to get back in there and repay them."

I couldn't find the original thread about the new insurance coverage. There you go bitches, a positive thread about Zuffa.

woot woot

good to see it in action

good

zuffa rulez

"Got neck surgery in the AM, THANK U @ufc @danawhite @lorenzofertitta for the insurance!!" -Duane Ludwig


this really was a great move by Zuffa. Thank you Lorenzo, I know anything positive had to come from you.

Good.

Is this to blame for all the fighters pulling out of their fights recently?

freakzilla wrote:

Is this to blame for all the fighters pulling out of their fights recently?

im sure it's a lot easier on them to actually pull out knowing they'll get the med bill payed

They still only get paid for fighting

bobbitt15 wrote:

They still only get paid for fighting

Yeah but are not out a negative difference for having to pay out of pocket for health like before.

Yeah I think all fighters usually fight if they have small nagging injuries but now pull out and get the UFC to pay for all their medical bills. Better than having to fight injured and then later pay for your own bills like before.