Leslie Smith is many things in the fight world. Most notably, she's a fly and bantamweight fighter, but willing to take on outsized challenges merely for the opportunity to accomplish the impossible.
She's almost as much a fighter as daredevil, but more recently, she's taken on another role: fighter advocate.
Smith has spent time in the public eye recently raising awareness for what she alleges is the general lack of rights and representation MMA fighters have. In work with the Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association (MMAFA) and independent interviews with the media, Smith is both attempting to affect legislative change as well as lobby on behalf of the cause, generally.
The result, she told Ariel Helwani on Monday's The MMA Hour, is that she's developed a bit of a reputation among fighters, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, she argued it's all for the good.
"One of the great things for me about being as visible as I am is that I'm putting it all out there on the line. I'm pretty sure that any fighter I interact with at this point knows where I stand on the issue. I don't have to be knocking on everyone's heads and saying, 'Hey, I'm for the fighter's union. You want to stand with me?' Because everyone knows that. I'm putting it out there," she said.
According to Smith, fighters now know she's a contact point for those with questions or ideas, making the need to knock on doors obsolete. Her teammates have even told her they're proud of her efforts.
Some, however, have told her they're just not interested in fighters taking collective action. That, she said, she understands and has helped evolve her thinking on the issue of how to best collect support for those who want or need it.
"We've been using the word scared a lot when trying to talk about why fighters aren't signing up for that and I've used it as well, the word 'scared'. But I've done a little bit more reflection over this weekend. I don't think that 'scared' is the right word for it," she argued.
"As fighters, when we get ready for a camp, we have to devote a hundred percent of everything to getting ready for a camp. I know that I've been in a camp before and things have gone on - a sponsor for a t-shirt or maybe a coach can't show up or a training partner falls out for a sparring day - I can't get attached to all those details. I have to say, 'I need to delegate someone to take care of those things for me and then I'm going to keep focusing on what I have to focus on, which is me and doing my best.
"I think that's what we're seeing going on," she continued. "This is a situation where the fighters are, 'This does need to happen, but I'm focused. I'm focused on me, I'm focused on my training. So, is there someone I can delegate?' At this point, there isn't anyone to delegate, so the easiest thing is just to keep on focusing on our training and not to pay attention or jump in the fray."
The 'fray', Smith observed, is a metaphor, but the commitment to the cause is no exaggeration. She's the first to admit the process doesn't work unless there is firm and unbowed commitment. The cause of pushing fighter representation and collective action isn't for everyone, she said. She's accepted that, which has only steeled her own resolve.
"That's really what it takes at this point," Smith noted. "You have to be willing to dive headfirst into the fray. We don't know if the UFC is going to come down on us. We're still working to get public support even though it's overwhelming been in our favor.
"It's hardly a swim down the lazy river right now as far as navigating which way to go, but it's one-hundred percent worth it. When people decide it's the right thing to do, to jump into it, then I'm there to welcome them and tell them everything I know."
All of this raises the specter of blowback. Will the UFC exercise some form of retribution? Will there be personal and professional consequences?
On the one hand, Smith acknowledged she's happy in the UFC. They paid her a discretionary bonus for her UFC 198 fight with Cyborg Justino. They also recently helped her get a tumor removed from her stomach after she made her condition public in an interview.
Yet, as Smith stated, while pushback is a concern she grapples with daily, it isn't ultimately one that deters her.
"I get worried every time," Smith admitted. "I get worried every single phone call, every single tweet that I am going to put out. Fighting in the UFC has been a goal of mine for so long. It's something that I'm incredibly proud and happy to be here. I want nothing more than to continue to be here, for the UFC. Every time I say something, I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, am I stabbing myself in the head with this?' I know that it's the right thing to do and I haven't had any repercussions.
"They've been great. Sean Shelby called my management to talk about another fighter a couple of days ago, they took care of the tumor for me. I still got a discretionary bonus. I got $25,000 discretionary bonus for UFC 198. That was awesome. That was just as much as I made for the fight, so I was thrilled to get that."
The bonus, Smith said, shows two things. First, the UFC doesn't appear to be angry with her. Second, and perhaps more importantly, it also demonstrates "there's money being left on the table." If the fighters were getting a fuller and fairer share, she reckoned, the UFC wouldn't be in the business of handing out bonuses at whim in the first place.
Besides, the possibility of earning a performance bonus can't be cudgel by which the UFC silences criticism.
"One hundred percent, I'm super appreciative," Smith said of how the UFC has treated her. "If I knew who to say a thank you to, I would. Thanks, UFC, for the money, I appreciate it. But it's not going to scare me away from talking. It's not going to make me not want to talk.
"I hope that it's not discretionary bonuses that are keeping people from talking because the idea that maybe you might get some undisclosed amount that you don't know about if you're lucky, that's not a good reason to not talk about the rights that we need and the defenses that we need for us as employees."
For now, Smith is trying to move the process of fighter representation forward. She's active in efforts with the MMAFA and was recently encouraged by actions taken by the Professional Fighters Association (PFA).
While others have expressed concern the two advocacy groups could be at odds with each others, Smith sees them in complimentary roles. The MMAFA is an association looking to advance the Ali Act to MMA. The PFA is attempting to become a union and is working on a different timeline. She began her advocacy work with the MMAFA, but claimed the PFA is a reason for optimism.
"I was able to sit down with Jeff Borris after the press conference and talk to him. I was really encouraged to hear the timeline I was laying down, the plans that he had for getting everything started," Smith said.
Perhaps most importantly isn't merely the possiblity of improvement, but the timeline. Between these two organizations as well as the efforts of fighters like herself, Smith is confident that by this time in 2017, fighters are going to have a lot more options.
"I'd say that in a year, we should see a totally different climate and actions being taken by the association and the union."