Can Tyron Woodley, Hector Lombard Get to UFC Title Without Fighting Each Other?

Top UFC welterweights, and American Top Team teammates, Tyron Woodley and Hector Lombard are still a long way from ever fighting each other. 
After a quick knockout over Chinese star Dong Hyun Kim in August, Woodley made his intentions clear, afte…

Top UFC welterweights, and American Top Team teammates, Tyron Woodley and Hector Lombard are still a long way from ever fighting each other. 

After a quick knockout over Chinese star Dong Hyun Kim in August, Woodley made his intentions clear, after speaking with ATT Owner Dan Lambert and UFC President Dana White, that he had no plans to “fight my teammates.” Despite Woodley‘s loyalty to his camp, events like this arise and it appeared then, and still now, that the Cuban Lombard does not have any kind of relationship with his fellow teammate that would prevent the pair from fighting each other. 

While the battle for welterweight supremacy rages on, so does the media circus surrounding the ATT teammates. Last week, Woodley spoke to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour about his relationship with the “salty” Lombard. 

“Me being scared of somebody is not very likely, so when people say those things you want to kinda get back at them,” said Woodley. “I haven’t fought any scrubs. I’ve had a big break.”

To Woodley‘s credit, he has fought four times in the span of one year, and making a quick turnaround to fight another top-10 opponent is no easy task. Still, that is something that a fighter should do if they want a coveted title shot. Especially one who has floundered in bouts with title implications before.

The 32-year-old was also quick to point out how quickly public perception can change even after he took Lombard’s spot in Macau, China, after the Cuban pulled out of the fight with a herniated disk. 

With the war of words pouring in from both fronts, and Lombard sick of 170-pounders picking and choosing their matchups, a fight with these two would seem inevitable. At least for now, each seem destined for a stay in the top five, so what are a few routes that both may take towards a title shot?

Lombard accepted a fight with returning UFC competitor Josh Burkman on Jan. 3 at UFC 182. Burkman, a World Series of Fighting standout, has won six of his last seven fights. The 34-year-old hasn’t fought in the UFC since October 2008 but remains a dangerous opponent for the sixth-ranked Lombard. 

Burkman is a very balanced fighter, with potent striking and a solid ground game. He’s most notable for submitting Jon Fitch in their second tussle together. As a southpaw, he poses even more of problem for Lombard, as Burkman can expect the straight left to come, while keeping his legs fresh by switching stances as he has done often. 

The 36-year-old Lombard is more than capable of defeating Burkman, though, and he has the resume and judo credentials to back it up. He is currently undefeated since dropping down to welterweight, using his hands to make quick work of Nate Marquardt and his judo to decision Jake Shields. Should he defeat the former WSOF title challenger, Lombard has a couple of options that don’t involve Woodley.

White could choose to pair him with the winner of the Matt Brown vs. Tarec Saffiedine fight on Feb. 14, or, he might elect to pair him with the returning Carlos Condit. A shot against the loser of Johny Hendricks/Robbie Lawler also sounds appealing. Aside from a meeting with Woodley, those are the only viable options, with Rory MacDonald more than likely waiting for his title shot.

As for Woodley, he has a date with the surging Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 183, who recently finished Jake Ellenberger in the first round of their bout at UFC 180. Gastelum has been on a rapid rise, constantly improving in every fight. The Ultimate Fighter 17 winner is undefeated and has won five straight in the Octagon. The 23-year-old Gastelum has exceeded all expectations and won via a strong wrestling base.

There is plenty of cause for concern on Woodley‘s end, as he has a lot to lose here, but his experience level should pay dividends against the seventh-ranked welterweight. Woodley has ran through the majority of his UFC competition en route to a 4-2 record. His wrestling credentials—Woodley is a two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler—are far superior to that of Gastelum

Should Woodley win, he would have a strong case for a title shot, especially if he finishes Gastelum. A win would give the ATT fighter three victories over top-10 opponents. His peer, Lombard, has fought quality names, and defeated them easily, but Shields and Marquardt are over the hill. The competition Woodley has faced, aside from his KO of Josh Koscheck, has been much steeper than Lombard’s. 

But one dominant victory over Burkman, who has shown he’s no slouch, can change that. Lombard also handedly defeated Shields, a foe that Woodley lost a close split decision to. A suitable opponent for Woodley, if he does win, would have to be the loser of Hendricks/Lawler. It would make sense for two reasons, one, because it would give Woodley the elite test he needs after failing against MacDonald, and two, because the loser will be looking to get back into title contention as fast as possible. 

There are ways for both Woodley and Lombard to chase the 170-pound title without fighting each other. Lombard likely receiving the winner of Brown/Saffiedine and Woodley facing the loser of the upcoming main event at UFC 181. Now, should the pair of Woodley and Lombard face off? The answer is yes. 

It may not be a grudge match on the level of Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock, nor is it on Matt Hughes and Matt Serra levels, but it’s still a fight that many fans would want to see. One would learn much from a bout between these two. First off, who’s the better ground fighter, and secondly, who’s better with their hands. With each fighter being as decorated on the feet as they’re on the ground, a win for either man would stop the senseless jibber jab in the media and vault them into the title discussion. 

White can’t force Woodley to come to the negotiating table, but he could if a title shot is put on the line. The only thing standing in the way are Woodley‘s ideals, either that or he’s clearly making a highly selective career choice based on this matchup. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Wanderlei Silva: UFC threatened to sue if I appeared at Bellator event

Wanderlei Silva is at it again with another video blasting the UFC. This time, his monologue was mostly about his assertion that the UFC threatened to sue him if he appeared at a Bellator fan event earlier this month.

Silva was advertised for an autograph signing the week of Bellator 131 in San Diego, which went head-to-head with UFC 180. “The Axe Murderer” said he was promised $10,000 for two hours of signing. A few days before, he received an email from the UFC telling him that the organization would take legal action if he went forward with the event, Silva said.

Silva is still under contract with the UFC, though he is banned from MMA competition by the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) and says he is retired.

“I am retired, I don’t fight anymore, I lost the desire,” Silva said on the video, which was posted Friday. “So what stops me from generating income now? Are these people going to keep threatening me? They’ll keep coming to sue me every time I work with my image? How is that going to be? This is a shame. These guys are doing things above the law. Because the law clearly states that every person is free to come and go. And they want to take that away from the athletes? How is that?”

This is Silva’s fourth video with anti-UFC overtones since the NAC ruled he could no longer compete due to evading a drug test in May. In September, he put out a video on his YouTube channel officially announcing his retirement and vowing to start a “war” against promoters, bashing them for underpaying and mistreating fighters. There were words like that in this most recent video.

“There’s so much wrong in all of this,” Silva said. “This is a new sport where the rules were dictated by the same people who are giving these contracts to the fighters to sign. This is not right at all, this is wrong. We can’t live under this kind of control.”

UFC president Dana White told Combate in September that Silva is putting up a smokescreen when he was the one at fault for running from a test and using diuretics, which he has admitted. White also said Silva made $9.7 million in seven years with the organization.

Silva has denied that figure on Twitter. Now he’s angry because apparently with his contract he cannot make money off his name without UFC consent. Of course, the event being run by Bellator, the UFC’s biggest domestic competitor, probably has plenty to do with why Silva was issued an informal cease and desist.

“So I can’t work anymore, I can’t profit from the image that I built with my blood, my sweat, my heart and everything that you all witnessed?” Silva said. “These guys have already profited so much off of me. So are they going to pay me for my time, are they going to ask if I need that income to live? Will they pay my bills? You want to keep my contract without giving me any income? You want to use my name even after I die, but not even my own son has rights over my name? So you want to use Wanderlei Silva to the end and not pay me anything for it? So I spilled all my blood for nothing.”

In the video, Silva also sympathizes with Quinton Jackson about his issues with Bellator and apologizes to Cain Velasquez for questioning the validity of his injury.

“I picked the wrong words when referring to his withdrawal from the Werdum fight,” Silva said. “And I know he had a serious injury, so I come to say sorry. I was wrong, I am sorry and of course you are a great champion.”

Wanderlei Silva is at it again with another video blasting the UFC. This time, his monologue was mostly about his assertion that the UFC threatened to sue him if he appeared at a Bellator fan event earlier this month.

Silva was advertised for an autograph signing the week of Bellator 131 in San Diego, which went head-to-head with UFC 180. “The Axe Murderer” said he was promised $10,000 for two hours of signing. A few days before, he received an email from the UFC telling him that the organization would take legal action if he went forward with the event, Silva said.

Silva is still under contract with the UFC, though he is banned from MMA competition by the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) and says he is retired.

“I am retired, I don’t fight anymore, I lost the desire,” Silva said on the video, which was posted Friday. “So what stops me from generating income now? Are these people going to keep threatening me? They’ll keep coming to sue me every time I work with my image? How is that going to be? This is a shame. These guys are doing things above the law. Because the law clearly states that every person is free to come and go. And they want to take that away from the athletes? How is that?”

This is Silva’s fourth video with anti-UFC overtones since the NAC ruled he could no longer compete due to evading a drug test in May. In September, he put out a video on his YouTube channel officially announcing his retirement and vowing to start a “war” against promoters, bashing them for underpaying and mistreating fighters. There were words like that in this most recent video.

“There’s so much wrong in all of this,” Silva said. “This is a new sport where the rules were dictated by the same people who are giving these contracts to the fighters to sign. This is not right at all, this is wrong. We can’t live under this kind of control.”

UFC president Dana White told Combate in September that Silva is putting up a smokescreen when he was the one at fault for running from a test and using diuretics, which he has admitted. White also said Silva made $9.7 million in seven years with the organization.

Silva has denied that figure on Twitter. Now he’s angry because apparently with his contract he cannot make money off his name without UFC consent. Of course, the event being run by Bellator, the UFC’s biggest domestic competitor, probably has plenty to do with why Silva was issued an informal cease and desist.

“So I can’t work anymore, I can’t profit from the image that I built with my blood, my sweat, my heart and everything that you all witnessed?” Silva said. “These guys have already profited so much off of me. So are they going to pay me for my time, are they going to ask if I need that income to live? Will they pay my bills? You want to keep my contract without giving me any income? You want to use my name even after I die, but not even my own son has rights over my name? So you want to use Wanderlei Silva to the end and not pay me anything for it? So I spilled all my blood for nothing.”

In the video, Silva also sympathizes with Quinton Jackson about his issues with Bellator and apologizes to Cain Velasquez for questioning the validity of his injury.

“I picked the wrong words when referring to his withdrawal from the Werdum fight,” Silva said. “And I know he had a serious injury, so I come to say sorry. I was wrong, I am sorry and of course you are a great champion.”

Regardless of Whether He Returns, GSP Is Voice of Reason MMA Needs

Georges St-Pierre may go down as one of the greatest mixed martial artists in the history of the sport. As multiple MMA writers continue to speculate whether or not he is going to return to the sport, he has taken on quite a different role. Instead of …

Georges St-Pierre may go down as one of the greatest mixed martial artists in the history of the sport. As multiple MMA writers continue to speculate whether or not he is going to return to the sport, he has taken on quite a different role. Instead of letting his fists do the talking, GSP has become a spokesman of sorts for the conversations that much of the MMA world has not wanted to discuss. It would be vital to see him stay in this position, regardless of whether he returns to competition or not.

The controversy surrounding GSP stepping away from the cage started even before he announced his time away, right after taking a controversial win over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167. Before he could even get out of the cage, he was stammering when trying to decide whether or not he was going to compete anymore. This led to UFC President Dana White claiming that the fighter “owed” it to the sport to give Hendricks a return bout (via MMA Weekly).

That moment can be considered the spark that began to sour “Rush’s” relationship with the UFC. Soon after, he was criticizing the organization for its inability to remove PEDs from the realm of competition.

It’s one of the reasons why I stopped,” St-Pierre told RDS.ca. (a French-Canadian news outlet, translation via USA Today). “Not really to [teach] them a lesson, because it penalizes me, too. But I wanted to do something for the sport that I love. I see the direction in which it goes, and I think it makes no sense. This is stupid.”

In August, an interview with Bloody Elbow revealed a number of other issues that St-Pierre was willing to discuss out in the open, such as his stance on a fighter’s union.

“I believe it will come someday in MMA, not because things are bad right now but because it’s just part of the normal evolution of all major sports” St-Pierre said. “I’m not a ‘politician’ and people know that I’m not a confrontational person or someone who likes to be in front, so it would be hard for me to lead that kind of initiative. But I will never be against something that is good for the fighters.”

By his own admission in said interview, St-Pierre was never the type of individual to get out in front of situations such as these. But the fact that he is standing up now is an excellent move, and he should continue to do so, whether or not he comes back to competition.

Unlike many other fighters, St-Pierre is one of the biggest stars in the sport. His crossover appeal has led to many other opportunities, and the fact that he can step away on his own terms shows how much he has grown. In doing so, he’s amassed a large following of fans who would not be quick to turn their backs on him. As seen in the past, the UFC is smart to discredit fighters who have stepped out of line, but they would have a difficult time doing so with St-Pierre. But that wouldn’t stop them from trying.

“The thing that’s bothered him his entire career, he just threw it back on all the other guys that are fighting,” White said in a report by MMA Junkie. “Which is unfair to the guys that aren’t using anything. Everything that Georges St-Pierre said is a little kooky.”

Still, St-Pierre has never found himself in the negative views due to a failed drug test or public misstep. Having that background would give him much more credibility if he were to continue speaking against things that he sees going on in the sport.

Throughout the history of sports, change has come when athletes took the onus to stand for something different. Major League Baseball had Kurt Flood; perhaps Georges St-Pierre will be remembered in the same way if he keeps down this path.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

CM Punk: Vince McMahon said a fighter would die in ‘barbaric’ UFC

It has already been reported that World Wrestling Entertainment would not let CM Punk walk out with Chael Sonnen for Sonnen’s UFC fight two years ago. Now, we know the reason WWE gave him.

Punk said this week on wrestler Colt Cabana’s podcast that WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon told him he could not appear on UFC television because it was “barbaric.”

“Oh my God, Phil,” Punk, whose real name is Phil Brooks, said McMahon told him. “No, we can’t do that. That’s barbaric. Somebody is going to die. Then I had to remind him, ‘I don’t know if you remember Owen Hart or not, because he sort of died in your ring.'”

Punk, who left WWE earlier this year, was supposed to walk out with Sonnen at UFC on FOX 2 on Jan. 28, 2012 in Punk’s hometown of Chicago. Punk said the UFC agreed to let him do it, but WWE put the kibosh on it.

“Tomorrow is the Royal Rumble so it’ll get some last-minute buys and whether Chael wins or loses, no offense to Chael, nobody is going to be talking about him,” Punk said, explaining his pitch to McMahon. “They’re going to be talking about the WWE champion walking him to the Octagon.”

McMahon didn’t stop with his criticism of the UFC there. CM Punk said he also expressed disgust at the advent of the UFC’s women’s bantamweight division. A year later, Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche competed in the UFC’s first female fight.

“Did you know that they’re going to have women fight in the Octagon soon?” Punk said McMahon told him.

Punk said he replied: “Yeah and it’s the f—ing coolest thing in the world and it’s going to be the hottest f—ing thing, you’ll see.”

Punk, who aired all his grievances with WWE on the “Art of Wrestling” podcast, said just four months after McMahon nixed him walking out with Sonnen, WWE star Triple H walked out with Floyd Mayweather for his boxing match against Miguel Cotto.

Punk was officially fired by WWE in June after departing the company in January. Brooks has trained for years in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Rener and Ryron Gracie and has expressed interest in MMA. Rener told FOXSports.com earlier this year that there would be “no limit” to Punk’s MMA potential if he trained full-time.

Just don’t expect to see him in the UFC in any respect until the middle of next year at the earliest. Not only is Punk 36 years old with no competitive experience in combat sports, but WWE installed a no-compete clause with the UFC in his termination contract, Punk said. He added that former WWE star Alberto Del Rio, an ex-MMA fighter, also had the same clause.

“Just like UFC is not WWE’s competition, but you can’t go work there for a year after they fire you on your wedding day,” Punk said.

Punk also made it clear that he would never return to WWE or professional wrestling. McMahon not letting him walk out with Sonnen was just one of many reasons.

“He was distancing himself from such a horrible, barbaric product,” Punk said. “I reminded him how horrible and barbaric pro wrestling is.”

It has already been reported that World Wrestling Entertainment would not let CM Punk walk out with Chael Sonnen for Sonnen’s UFC fight two years ago. Now, we know the reason WWE gave him.

Punk said this week on wrestler Colt Cabana’s podcast that WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon told him he could not appear on UFC television because it was “barbaric.”

“Oh my God, Phil,” Punk, whose real name is Phil Brooks, said McMahon told him. “No, we can’t do that. That’s barbaric. Somebody is going to die. Then I had to remind him, ‘I don’t know if you remember Owen Hart or not, because he sort of died in your ring.'”

Punk, who left WWE earlier this year, was supposed to walk out with Sonnen at UFC on FOX 2 on Jan. 28, 2012 in Punk’s hometown of Chicago. Punk said the UFC agreed to let him do it, but WWE put the kibosh on it.

“Tomorrow is the Royal Rumble so it’ll get some last-minute buys and whether Chael wins or loses, no offense to Chael, nobody is going to be talking about him,” Punk said, explaining his pitch to McMahon. “They’re going to be talking about the WWE champion walking him to the Octagon.”

McMahon didn’t stop with his criticism of the UFC there. CM Punk said he also expressed disgust at the advent of the UFC’s women’s bantamweight division. A year later, Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche competed in the UFC’s first female fight.

“Did you know that they’re going to have women fight in the Octagon soon?” Punk said McMahon told him.

Punk said he replied: “Yeah and it’s the f—ing coolest thing in the world and it’s going to be the hottest f—ing thing, you’ll see.”

Punk, who aired all his grievances with WWE on the “Art of Wrestling” podcast, said just four months after McMahon nixed him walking out with Sonnen, WWE star Triple H walked out with Floyd Mayweather for his boxing match against Miguel Cotto.

Punk was officially fired by WWE in June after departing the company in January. Brooks has trained for years in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Rener and Ryron Gracie and has expressed interest in MMA. Rener told FOXSports.com earlier this year that there would be “no limit” to Punk’s MMA potential if he trained full-time.

Just don’t expect to see him in the UFC in any respect until the middle of next year at the earliest. Not only is Punk 36 years old with no competitive experience in combat sports, but WWE installed a no-compete clause with the UFC in his termination contract, Punk said. He added that former WWE star Alberto Del Rio, an ex-MMA fighter, also had the same clause.

“Just like UFC is not WWE’s competition, but you can’t go work there for a year after they fire you on your wedding day,” Punk said.

Punk also made it clear that he would never return to WWE or professional wrestling. McMahon not letting him walk out with Sonnen was just one of many reasons.

“He was distancing himself from such a horrible, barbaric product,” Punk said. “I reminded him how horrible and barbaric pro wrestling is.”

Gustafsson To Put Jon Jones Behind Him

Alexander Gustafsson was devastated to miss out on a rematch with Jon Jones – but believes a homecoming in front of 30,000 fans comes a close second.
The Swede takes on Anthony Johnson in Stockholm on January 24 after injury scuppered …

Alexander Gustafsson was devastated to miss out on a rematch with Jon Jones – but believes a homecoming in front of 30,000 fans comes a close second.
The Swede takes on Anthony Johnson in Stockholm on January 24 after injury scuppered his chances a second shot at the light-heavyweight title.
And he knows he can’t underestimate a rejuvenated Johnson who has seized his second chance in the UFC with both hands.
 
Full Article on MailOnline. Read the Full Article Here

Comedian Russell Peters weighs in on MMA’s hottest topics

Russell Peters knows his combat sports. He was an amateur boxer for nine years, is a longtime fan of the UFC and a close friend of several fighters, like Cung Le.

So the well-known comedian has an informed opinion about the state of MMA. And his take isn’t too positive. In an interview with Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, Peters took the UFC to task for oversaturation, being a monopoly and underpaying fighters.

“It really is hard to follow the sport and I’m a fan,” Peters said. “I think the problem is that UFC made it about their name as opposed to the fighters. I think that worked in the beginning, the rebranding. And that really saved and created a genre.”

Peters, the third highest grossing comedian in 2013 per Forbes, was a huge PRIDE fan and became slightly disenchanted when the UFC purchased the popular Japanese MMA promotion. He also didn’t like what the UFC did after buying both PRIDE and Strikeforce.

“They shouldn’t have bought PRIDE and Strikeforce and just eliminated them,” said Peters, who has also trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu with former UFC fighter Carlos Newton. “They should have kept them and then instead of UFC Fight Night, they could have had PRIDE night or Strikeforce. It gives you some sort of scope and then puts UFC at a higher level. ‘These are our lesser ones, here’s the big one.’ But if you call everything UFC … somebody was like did you catch the fights last night? I was like, ‘What f—ing fights? I didn’t know there was fights.'”

The UFC has addressed — and denied — accusations that it is a monopoly on multiple occasions, but Peters believes the organization’s stronghold over the MMA industry is an issue.

“When UFC starts buying stuff and then getting rid of it, I’m like, well that’s just monopolizing a sport that doesn’t need to be monopolized,” he said. “There’s enough for it to go around. You don’t need to be the only guy in town. … You do want to be the only one standing. But if you own them all, does it really matter? You’re still the only man standing. It’s more for perception, really. Perception is everything.”

Peters, 44, said he always bristled when people said in the past that MMA has overtaken boxing as the most popular combat sport. Peters trained in boxing for nearly a decade and is the longtime friend of former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.

“I hated when people said that, because I was like no, that’s not the case,” Peters said. “It’s popular right now, but you have to understand boxing has been around forever and there’s far more money to be made in boxing. I think UFC or MMA could have come up if the fighters made more money. But I think everybody is underpaid.”

Peters said his MMA fighter friends have not complained to him about their purses. But he believes it’s because “they don’t really know any better.” Peters cited Floyd Mayweather’s outlandish prize money and “lesser fighters” also making millions as reasons why MMA athletes are not getting their just due financially.

He also doesn’t understand why the UFC has cut ties with big-name stars like Tito Ortiz and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Ortiz fought Stephan Bonnar at Bellator 131 on Nov. 15 and it ended up being the most watched MMA fight of 2014 so far.

“I think that’s a mistake that you’re cutting these guys,” Peters said. “What you’re doing is you’re enabling Bellator to come up more, because these are names people know. If you’re not a huge MMA fan then you’re not going to know who Johny Hendricks is or Ben Rothwell or Anthony Pettis. You’re not going to know these names. But you know the Tito Ortizs, you know the Chuck Liddells, you know the ‘Rampage’ Jacksons.”

Russell Peters knows his combat sports. He was an amateur boxer for nine years, is a longtime fan of the UFC and a close friend of several fighters, like Cung Le.

So the well-known comedian has an informed opinion about the state of MMA. And his take isn’t too positive. In an interview with Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, Peters took the UFC to task for oversaturation, being a monopoly and underpaying fighters.

“It really is hard to follow the sport and I’m a fan,” Peters said. “I think the problem is that UFC made it about their name as opposed to the fighters. I think that worked in the beginning, the rebranding. And that really saved and created a genre.”

Peters, the third highest grossing comedian in 2013 per Forbes, was a huge PRIDE fan and became slightly disenchanted when the UFC purchased the popular Japanese MMA promotion. He also didn’t like what the UFC did after buying both PRIDE and Strikeforce.

“They shouldn’t have bought PRIDE and Strikeforce and just eliminated them,” said Peters, who has also trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu with former UFC fighter Carlos Newton. “They should have kept them and then instead of UFC Fight Night, they could have had PRIDE night or Strikeforce. It gives you some sort of scope and then puts UFC at a higher level. ‘These are our lesser ones, here’s the big one.’ But if you call everything UFC … somebody was like did you catch the fights last night? I was like, ‘What f—ing fights? I didn’t know there was fights.'”

The UFC has addressed — and denied — accusations that it is a monopoly on multiple occasions, but Peters believes the organization’s stronghold over the MMA industry is an issue.

“When UFC starts buying stuff and then getting rid of it, I’m like, well that’s just monopolizing a sport that doesn’t need to be monopolized,” he said. “There’s enough for it to go around. You don’t need to be the only guy in town. … You do want to be the only one standing. But if you own them all, does it really matter? You’re still the only man standing. It’s more for perception, really. Perception is everything.”

Peters, 44, said he always bristled when people said in the past that MMA has overtaken boxing as the most popular combat sport. Peters trained in boxing for nearly a decade and is the longtime friend of former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.

“I hated when people said that, because I was like no, that’s not the case,” Peters said. “It’s popular right now, but you have to understand boxing has been around forever and there’s far more money to be made in boxing. I think UFC or MMA could have come up if the fighters made more money. But I think everybody is underpaid.”

Peters said his MMA fighter friends have not complained to him about their purses. But he believes it’s because “they don’t really know any better.” Peters cited Floyd Mayweather’s outlandish prize money and “lesser fighters” also making millions as reasons why MMA athletes are not getting their just due financially.

He also doesn’t understand why the UFC has cut ties with big-name stars like Tito Ortiz and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Ortiz fought Stephan Bonnar at Bellator 131 on Nov. 15 and it ended up being the most watched MMA fight of 2014 so far.

“I think that’s a mistake that you’re cutting these guys,” Peters said. “What you’re doing is you’re enabling Bellator to come up more, because these are names people know. If you’re not a huge MMA fan then you’re not going to know who Johny Hendricks is or Ben Rothwell or Anthony Pettis. You’re not going to know these names. But you know the Tito Ortizs, you know the Chuck Liddells, you know the ‘Rampage’ Jacksons.”