(“This belt is real gold, not chocolate like the UFC ones.”)
According to former featherweight and current bantamweight DREAM champ Bibiano Fernandes, he turned down an offer to fight in the UFC because the Japanes promotion pays better — which is somewhat curious considering that a year ago “The Flash” was having problems getting paid by them.
“This was the last fight of the contract. The most interesting thing was that the contract finished when I got the belt. And they already want me again. DREAM’s a good event. I like fighting there. So [to] sum up, because I know you’ll ask me about the UFC (laughs)… UFC is also good, but I got a career. I don’t know how long I will fight,” he told Tatame recently. “I got family, bills to pay. I’m a pro; there are people who rely on me to put food on the table. I got my wife, who’s carrying another baby. Now I can fight as if it was my dream. I must be responsible. It’s business. I’m happy DREAM pays me and I get more things from there. They’ve tried to take me [to the UFC], but I said that’s not my dream. I told them I’m responsible for my family.”
Though it’s possible that DREAM pays him more than he was offered by Zuffa, if he isn’t paid until months after his fights and ends up paying interest on bills, maybe a consistent paycheck would cancel out the difference in salary. Maybe that’s the fan in me talking who would like to see Fernandes rematch Urijah Faber — a fight he told me last summer that he’s take in a heartbeat.
Hopefully DREAM stays afloat so Bibiano can continue to compete for them or else he may run out of other lucrative options, having snubbed the UFC.