Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard called off their May 28 lightweight championship rematch today after Edgar revealed he had hurt ribs and Maynard said he'd messed up his knee. Far be it from this blogger to question the timing of these injury announcements, but they do come on the same day that the UFC made a rather significant announcement of its own: starting June 1, the promotion will now be offering its fighters "customized accident insurance coverage."
What that means for Edgar and Maynard is unclear. What it means for other fighters is that if they get hurt during training, they've now got insurance to cover the costs of treatment (up to $50,000 per year, with no out-of-pocket expenses). Previously, the UFC only paid for insurance to cover injuries sustained during its events, which was kind of harsh considering how much an athlete gets beat up just to get ready for a fight.
The new setup is basically like auto insurance and intended only for acute injuries. If fighters pop a joint, they're covered. If they get the flu, they're not. The outfit providing the coverage is called Houston Casualty Company, which is also a good name for one of those private military companies that kills innocent civilians in Iraq. Whatever. This is a progressive move for both the fighters and Dana White, who can now rebut critics worried about the UFC monopolizing a sport that has no union. Whether it's good for the actual fights remains to be seen.