Nog geen vervanger voor Khabib, hopelijk Cerrone of misschien Penn.
Romero at JacksonWink...
Former UFC contenders urge other fighters to not be 'silly' and test the free-agent watersBeing No. 2 in the world of MMA promotion can be an unforgiving position, just ask Pride FC founder Nobuyuki Sakakibara. However, things may be looking up for a current second fiddle, Bellator MMA as a swath of former UFC fighters are urging current fighters to test free agency.
Recently Bellator has been making a strong push to acquire top UFC talent. Whereas previous similar attempts resulted mostly in milking the last remaining drops of celebrity out of faded former stars, in the past year it has managed to sign ranked contenders Phil Davis, Benson Henderson, Matt Mitrione, and Josh Thomson from the UFC by offering the fighters things the UFC does not.
"For me, dealing with Scott [Coker] and Rich [Chou] the first time, it was a little bit of a breath of fresh air," said Benson Henderson, former UFC Lightweight Champion when talking with Mike Chiappetta of Bleacher Report. "They were super up-front, transparent and honest about where they were coming from. With some other people, it's like, 'This is how it is, and this is how it's going to be done.' There's no discussion. Scott, Rich and Mike Kogan were super open to discussing things. They had openness, forthrightness, transparency. That's not something you get in most negotiations, I suppose, but especially in MMA."
As former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson notes, consistency is often preferable to hoping for a bonus.
"I can't base my livelihood on how much you like me. You hear, 'Oh yeah, we'll take care of you.' I can't do that... I needed to have it where I know I get this much money. I get that now. I know what the numbers are. Your bills don't give a crap if you get a backroom bonus or not. Your bills are coming the same either way."
A promise is not the same thing as a paycheck and, as heavyweight contender Matt Mitrione says, "there is no promise of loyalty."
"[The UFC] took so much money from us and so much revenue-earning potential from us, it changed the entire landscape of everything. I don't understand why anyone would re-up with the UFC unless they're still caught up in the glamour of being in the UFC."
Not all of the fighters have such strong words for their former employer but they all seem to share the same sentiment: current UFC fighters should fight out their contracts and test the free-agent market.
"But honestly, I think it'd be silly not to look into free agency,' said light heavyweight contender Phil Davis. "You need to make the most money while your body holds up and you're sharp and in your prime. If there's a competing market out there for yourself, it's up to you...Supply and demand. It's silly to limit yourself to only one marketplace."
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