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Drew Fickett has a lot of explaining to do. After he agreed to fill in for Joe Riggs on short notice, Riggs was subsequently removed from the card by Maximum Fighting Championships. Now, Fickett is out of MFC, and a war of words has ensued.
Fickett’s career has included a who’s who of MMA promotions: the UFC, Cage Rage, Strikeforce, and HDNet Fights to name a few. His 34 – 5 record is impressive with a vast majority of his wins by way of submission. But his seemingly aimless antics have recently drawn the ire of MFC President Mark Pavelich, who pleasantly quipped on Fickett’s lighting-quick decision to fill in for Joe Riggs: 
I’ve just received notice that Drew Fickett or you [Fickett’s manager], I don’t care which one of you f*ckers did it, has signed a contract to fight in Strikeforce this f*cking weekend. I’m going to get on a f*cking plane soon and go where you’re at and choke you the f*ck out. I’m telling you right now, I’ve had enough of your fucking shit…I placed Drew Fickett in a fight f*cking months ago and five weeks prior to my main event of my f*cking fight card. You’re going to give me a f*cking call tomorrow or I swear I’ll get on a f*cking plane and go right where you’re at right now. You’re pissing me off, I’ve been nothing but professional to you mother f*ckers and you’re doing this kind of bullsh*t, alright? Call me back, I’m f*cking pissed.
Oops! It appears as if Mr. Pavelich is quite upset about a contracted fighter taking a fight on short notice despite his signed commitment to the promoter.
Drew Fickett – for some reason – felt disrespected by Mr. Pavelich and decided to “clear the air” (if you can call it that) in quite an eloquent manner on The Underground Forum:
MfC promoter Mark Pavlich MARK PAVLICH MARK PAVLICH MARK PAVLICH MARK PAVLICH whatever his f*cking name is called me last night threatening my life because I was going to fight on short notice at 185lbs in Strikeforce today an entire month before his MFS welterweight gold glittered diamond crested world championship of the whole universe. Now Scott Koker (sp) (who f*cking rocks!) doesn’t want to get involved and can’t let me fight in his show. Thanks for being a complete fucking doosh bag (sp) Mark…thanks for threatening me and my friends and running me out 20,000$…pretty sweet for a blue collar fighter all about the fighters who is just trying to make some money for his unborn baby girl…but I’m the a**hole! I’m always the a**hole! F*ck you Big Brother. F*ck you corporate politics. And f*ck you Jake Shields for being a punk a** b*tch. Somebody run into me on the f*cking Street…P-L-E-A-S-E. Here’s to Victory Athletics and Team Scrub. Some Real Soldiers who aren’t afraid to stand up in battle. F*ck all the affliction wearing poser’s that don’t even remotely know the direction to…the….”Skate…Park.”Master
BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!!!
Pavelich felt it necessary to reply in kind to Fickett’s nonsensical and aimless muddled manifesto in the Underground Forum:
Drew,
You sign a two fight deal and it clearly states and even bolded that you can’t fight 5 weeks prior to the dates of my show’s and I’m the bad guy. No f*cking way put it on yourself don’t sign be the rebel be the guy who tells everyone to blow but don’t put this on me, no way. I have never spoke to you in my life and be very clear, I yelled at your manager and was pissed. I have never spoken to you in my life. Come take the belt and stop making excuses.
Good luck,
Mark Pavelich MFC President
Moreover, Pavelich also published and distributed a press release explaining the status of Fickett and MFC:
Drew had agreed to and signed a contract to fight on the Maximum Fighting Championship show on July 25 for the welterweight title against Ryan Ford. Over the last few days, Drew has caused severe problems and therefore we find him in complete breach of his contract.
We were shocked to learn Drew agreed on one day’s notice to fight as a middleweight in another organization’s event this past Friday. When I contacted this other organization, its owner immediately cancelled Drew’s fight when informed that he was under contract to fight on the MFC show and as part of Mr. Fickett’s contract he was not allowed to take another fight up to five weeks before the MFC show.
When I learned of Drew’s intentions to take this fight, I repeatedly attempted to reach Drew’s manager to find out why. After numerous attempts to reach his manager went unreturned, I did leave a voice mail which has since been made public. I admit to being very upset, angry and frustrated not only by Drew’s action but also by not being able to reach his manager and the tone of that voice mail reflected my feelings.
Shortly afterwards I realized that I should have taken a deep breath and calmed down before leaving that message and I profusely apologized to Drew’s manager. I am not proud of that message but as the owner of a major fight organization I felt that I and my staff which works tirelessly to put on a first-class show were being treated very disrespectfully by Drew. If he had read his contract he would have realized he shouldn’t have taken the fight and he should not have attempted to get away with it.
Then for Drew to post the private voice mail – which was not left on his phone – was just ridiculous and petty.
This was the last straw in a series of unprofessional acts by Drew. He failed to send a promotional photo that we wanted to use for advertising the fight even after the MFC had sent him gloves and even went as far as being willing to book a photographer to take the pictures. He also failed to send any documents pertaining to his medicals, passport and border information.
Drew even stated in an email after the posting of the voice mail that he was still willing to fight in the MFC. But after that he added that he would want to be paid after the weigh-in one day before the fight. There is no question in my mind that Drew would have stiffed us completely and run off with our money without fighting as some sort of warped payback for the MFC protecting its investment in him and doing everything in its power to not allow him to fight within the five-week period prior to July 25.
We now completely understand why that despite his excellent record so many organizations will not work with Drew and we have a pretty clear indication why he has been banned by the UFC.
Drew Fickett will never fight in the MFC. As evidenced by his latest actions Drew clearly does not want to fight Ryan Ford for the MFC title despite signing a contract to do so.
The MFC has never had any problems with any fighters who do not breach their contract nor have we had any problems with fighters with issues that we do control such as payment for fights, travel itineraries, etc. Fighters we have problems with are ones who are neurotic misfits with poor management who won’t take responsibility for their actions, who won’t live up to fulfilling their contracts and those who do not act as professional athletes.
I will take all steps necessary to settle this issue legally and I will also move immediately into replacing Drew Fickett with a top-level fighter to contend for the MFC welterweight title against Ryan Ford on July 25.
Mark Pavelich, Owner/President
Maximum Fighting Championship
Now that both Mr. Fickett and Mr. Pavelich were able to dispense of the pleasantries, let us all take a deep breath and understand the consequences of both guys’ actions.
For starters, it is assumed that Drew Fickett entered into a legally-binding bout agreement with MFC President Mark Pavelich to take on Ryan Ford for the MFC Welterweight Championship in mid July. Subsequently, the contract includes a clause allowing MFC to cancel any bout Fickett is scheduled to have within 45 days of the scheduled contracted date.
Fickett – who is either absent-minded, illiterate, is not of sound mind, dimwitted, or is just plain stupid – decided to fill in for Joe Riggs when he was removed from this past Friday’s Strikeforce card. The problem is that the date of the Strikeforce card falls within the 45-day non-compete period instituted by Pavelich.
It should come as no surprise that Pavelich is now threatening legal action against Fickett for this utmost unprofessional display of character and ethics seen since the Enron debacle of 2001.
MFC invested countless resources to bring a name fighter to fight Ryan Ford for their welterweight title. Fickett stands accused of baiting and switching by asking for his fight purse up front after the weigh in.
The ire Fickett has drawn as a result of his thoughtless actions is a lesson to both fighters and promoters: fighters should read the terms and conditions of a bout agreement before signing, and irate promoters should think twice about leaving foul messages on a contracted fighter’s manager’s cell phone |
