MMA Trending Topics – Q & A – Volume 5
I definitely want to see Gilbert Melendez stay in the UFC. Should he leave to Bellator, the only guys to fight are Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez. Melendez has always claimed he wanted to be the #1 Lightweight in the world, and going to Bellator simply won’t do that for him.
Bellator has certainly made strides in developing their own talent. Signing someone like Melendez would be a legitimate game changer when it comes to fighter free agency, but is Melendez really worth the high price tag? I think they’re better off spending their cash on enticing Alistair Overeem to join their ranks, rather than Melendez, who has never proven to be a PPV star. This is clear, Bellator needs to shake things up. They need to break apart from their soiled reputation from the Eddie Alvarez debacle. Recruiting and signing Gilbert Melendez could do that for Bellator. Other UFC fighters will certainly look to Bellator before re-signing with the UFC.
Quarry certainly got the MMA media in an uproar this week with his comments below (mixedmartialarts.com):
At the UFC summit a fighter asked if he could wear his own shirt. Dana laughed and said, “Uh… we can talk about it.” I turned around and asked the UFC lawyer if I could wear my OWN shirt and he said, “Sure, give me $50,000 and we can talk about it.” People have no clue from the outside what it’s like to fight for the UFC. After spending 10-15 years chasing your dream only to see that the company it’s been your dream to fight for cares nothing about the fighters and only cares about the bottom line.
When I was fighting for the UFC we got X-Mas presents like an iPod. A very bottom of the line iPod but it was still cool. Now the guys get a gift certificate to the UFC store and can use it ONE day. Any money they don’t spend on that day is forfeited.
A fighter gets to use the gym at the hotel he’s fighting at for free. The cornermen and everyone with him have to pay. So I’m helping Leben make weight the day of weigh ins and have to pay to go sit in the sauna with him. The UFC couldn’t say, “The fighter gets 3 people to go into the gym with him the week of the fight.” That’s just nickel and dime stuff. With every little bit they try to squeeze out of the fighters, the more the other organizations will look more attractive.
I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to fight for the UFC and everything I have besides my daughter has come from fighting. But let’s not fool ourselves. It’s not a charity. It’s a business. And they are doing everything they can to make money. The fighters are just a product to use and discard. Every up and coming fighter is the best ever. Every ex-fighter who then expresses an opinion is a coward, loser, etc, etc.
I fought for the world title for $10,000. Not a penny more. No bonus. No cut of the PPV. The gate alone was 3.5 million dollars. The third highest gate in UFC history at the time. And they must have loved the fight cuz they show the final punch at the start of EVERY UFC PPV. 🙂
And that’s fine. Because it’s a business. But sooner or later the allure of fighting in the UFC will not be as attractive as fighting for an organization that takes care of you, appreciates you, will let you have sponsors to help make up the income gap, doesn’t trash you when you think for yourself, and on and on. Just like every business you work for. It’s funny to me to hear people cheer for Dana when he says things that if he was your boss and he said them about you, you would be looking for another job. But when you’re signed to a contract, you can’t go anywhere. No matter how much you want to.
When I retired I received a form letter, EMAILED to me that said, “Should you choose to fight again you are still under contract with the UFC.” I didn’t even get a hard copy with a real signature that I could frame.
As I said, I love what the UFC has done for me and my family. And specifically what Dana has done for me. But I also know it’s a business. And that’s the best piece of advice I can give to wanna be fighters. Fight for the love of the game. But you better treat it like a business. Because the promoter handing you a contract sure will.
There’s definitely two ways to look at this situation, pro-UFC and anti-UFC.
The pro-UFC side of me thinks Quarry has always told it straight, but he’s also on the payroll of the UFC’s chief enemy, Spike TV. He’s also referencing his fighter pay from a title bout 9 years ago. I have a feeling Quarry was getting paid a much higher total in his other bouts. He also did not disclose the amount he made from sponsors for that title fight because remember that was before the UFC’s sponsorship restrictions were set in place. Quarry was with the UFC for over 5 years, and has been retired for nearly 3 years. Why does he suddenly feel the need to disclose this information? Quarry had to have known that this would create an anti-UFC feeling, which is exactly what Bellator and Spike TV are likely hoping for. My hope is that Quarry made these comments to help fellow fighters, but a part of me wonders whether he’s trying to possibly solidify his job standing with Spike TV.
Now, for the anti-UFC view. Quarry has always been someone that you can trust. He’s been a voice of reason, whether on TUF, MMA Uncensored, or even on the Underground forums. He’s never really had a bone to pick with the UFC. He’s praised the UFC in the past for their support. If Quarry is trying to get the ball rolling in hopes of starting a fighter union or making the UFC step up their efforts towards fighter treatment and pay, he certainly should be applauded. Should Quarry have been paid more for his title fight with Rich Franklin? Of course. Should Quarry be getting some type of residuals for having his KO loss to Franklin shown on replays and UFC Fight Pass? I would sure hope so. They are all items of discussion that are now under the microscope. Let’s see if the MMA media takes the next step and pushes the envelope regarding the UFC’s business practices.
I think 99% of fans were hoping to see Cormier vs. Evans at UFC 170 rather than Cormier vs. Cummins. I can’t complain that Cummins’ signing helped keep Cormier on the fight card. The UFC Light Heavyweight division needs new blood for Jon Jones, and the quicker that happens, the better. I can’t see the UFC downgrading Cormier’s fight to somewhere else on the card. Rory MacDonald and Demian Maia is a solid fight, but both guys are coming off losses. The rest of the card is not PPV caliber, so the UFC is sort of throwing Cummins to the wolves in order to keep Cormier on the heavily criticized UFC 170 card.
Absolutely not. As many of you know, I study prospects, including Pat Cummins. He was one of my top 3 Light Heavyweight prospects, and he certainly has skills and upside to compete in the UFC. Yet, Daniel Cormier is a nightmare opponent for Cummins. Cummins’ #1 hope for winning fights in the UFC is with his wrestling. That simply won’t cut it against Cormier. His striking and submission skills are nowhere near elite from the footage I have seen. I fully expect Cormier to win via 1st round TKO.
Machida should be the next Middleweight #1 contender. He’s the better PPV draw, which is a big deal in the eyes of UFC executives. Machida’s fighting style has its share of critics, but it can’t be understated how impressive Machida’s striking was against someone of Mousasi’s caliber. For everyone that says Machida is boring, how quick everyone is to forget that he knocked out Mark Munoz just one bout prior. As for Jacare’s title hopes, I’d like to see him fight once more. I definitely would be interested in seeing him avenge his loss to Luke Rockhold. Their first bout was certainly close, and the winner of that fight should receive the next title shot.
Photo credit: www.sherdog.com, Dave Mandel
