Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is one of the fastest growing sports in the country. In the course of two decades, it has gone from being illegal in many states to becoming a multibillion-dollar business. Today, the privately owned Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the largest MMA promotion company in the world.

The UFC sets the standard for the industry and exercises enormous control over the careers of the fighters that have made millions for the UFC by putting their bodies and health on the line. And yet, the company has misclassified fighters as “independent contractors” — meaning they are treated as self-employed business operators and not employees. This has allowed the company to reap enormous profits through pay-per-view events, television licensing, ticket sales, and sponsorship deals while skipping out on providing fighters with basic benefits like health insurance.

But all of that might be about to change, thanks to the organizing of Leslie Smith, one of the highest-ranked MMA fighters in the world and a founder of Project Spearhead, the organization leading the charge for fighter unionization. Labor journalist Chris Brooks spoke with Smith about her organizing efforts and the issue facing fighters in the industry today.