united-states contract-law
What&#39;s the point in specifying that &quot;fights are verbally agreed&quot;?
<p>I read on <a href="http://www.ufc.com/event/ufc-fight-night-brazil-oct-28-2017#/fight" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.ufc.com/event/ufc-fight-night-brazil-oct-28-2017#/fight</a> (<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171028211058/http://www.ufc.com/event/ufc-fight-night-brazil-oct-28-2017" rel="nofollow noreferrer">mirror</a>):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>fights are verbally agreed</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/LOyrI.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/LOyrI.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>What's the point in specifying that &quot;fights are verbally agreed&quot;? As far as I am aware of, oral contracts have pretty much the same validity as written contracts. E.g., from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oral_contract&amp;oldid=759606175" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oral_contract&amp;oldid=759606175</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In general, oral contracts are just as valid as written ones, but some jurisdictions either require a contract to be in writing in certain circumstances (for example where real property is being conveyed), or that a contract be evidenced in writing (although the contract itself may be oral). An example of the latter is the requirement that a contract of guarantee be evidenced in writing, which is found in the Statute of Frauds.</p>
<p>Similarly, the limitation period prescribed for an action may be shorter for an oral contract than it is for a written one.</p>
<p>The term verbal contract is sometimes incorrectly used as a synonym for oral contract. However, a verbal contract is one that is agreed to using words, either written or spoken, as opposed to an implied contract.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Let's assume that the contract was made in the United States.</p>

<p>An agreement, whether verbal or written, is not necessarily a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contract" rel="nofollow noreferrer">contract</a>.  An oral contract still has to satisfy the other elements of a contract, and those may or may not have been satisfied.  For example, the fighters may not have agreed to be legally bound.</p>

<p>As an example, if a friend asks me "Shall we go see a movie tomorrow?" and I say "Yes", we have a verbal agreement, but we don't have a contract.  It's clear from context that we don't intend to be legally bound; we don't want a court to enforce our agreement if either of us fails to perform.</p>

<p>In any case, this text is probably not meant to give you, the viewer, information about the contract, or lack thereof, between the parties.  It's just to warn you that the fighters might end up deciding not to fight.  For that matter, even if they do have a binding contract (oral or written), that contract might include an opt-out clause allowing them to change their mind about fighting.</p>
