Greg Jackson's comments highlight the importance of the "team system" to today's MMA Fighters

The recent public push by Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White to have fellow teammates continues to meet resistance. 

In the above video renowned MMA trainer, Greg Jackson recuses himself from the issue, "That is really up to the fighters themselves. I certainly won't be apart of one of my guys fighting another one of my guys."

Jackson's stance taps directly into the core issue with facing the UFC with regards to the proposed teammate bouts: the potential fracturing of fight camps and what that means to the individual fighters. 

Any time a fighter prepares to undergo an individual training camp they pay a huge financial and opportunity cost. They must pay for trainers, sparring partners, nutrition advice, food and supplements plus the exorbitant amount of time training their body to be in peek physical condition, while simultaneously developing a game plan to attack their opponents weakness's. Essentially a fighter is the equivalent of a franchise owner, head coach and star athlete all rolled into one. 

The team training camp system alleviates many of these pressures facing an individual. By signing and contributing to a team you insure yourself consistent training partners, coaches, nutritional advice and work facilities. Not to mention the legal and managerial protection offered by some camps. 

To a certain degree the general public is ignorant to the enormous time, effort, sweat and treasure that it costs a fighter just to get ready for a bout. Fighter's routinely describe the actual fight as the easiest part of their job. It is the six to eight week training camp where 90% of the work is done. 

While White and Fertitta may describe potential fights against teammates as "strictly business" it is because of business that such tremendous resistance exists. For teammates to fight one another it inevitably causes one fighter, if not both, to go it alone. Gone are the same training partners, facilities and coaches that a fighter has come to depend upon throughout his career. Now the individual is once again diving into his pockets and forced to expend his own capital to build his own training camp from scratch. Not to mention the potential strains and professional relationships. 

Why would any team member ever agree to potentially fracture or damage the institution where the majority of their work is done?