Recently we’ve seen a lot more fighters voicing their displeasure with the UFC. As the sport has become more mainstream, so has its problems, of which there appears to be many. Lawsuits and smear campaigns have been launched by disgruntled former employees, and unions are attempting to fight the promotion. Many years ago fighters had far less power than today, and were relegated to being sacked and/or blasted publicly by Dana White if they had a problem. Obviously that wasn’t always the case, but for guys like Frank Shamrock, Randy Couture and many others, it was.
Many liken the current state of the UFC to that of boxing, or at least a junior state of it. Boxing, for all the classic fights and iconic champions, is and always has been quite a dirty sport. That’s not to talk down about boxers, but in general boxing’s best days are long gone, and sadly they were the worst and most corrupt. Even if the UFC is as bad as these three fighters are making out, would a career in boxing be any better?
McGregor, Diaz & Aldo
Conor McGregor, Jose Aldo and Nate Diaz are not exactly over the moon with the UFC right now. Although the highest paid athlete in UFC history, McGregor is now taking a stance against his employers. Citing restrictions to only fight under their banner, and also not being paid what he’s worth, ‘The Notorious’ recently blasted the UFC. His in-depth interview with Ariel Helwani was as revealing as it was explicit, so how about Nate Diaz?
Diaz, although sharing similar reasons, also has a very different slant on his complaints. Claiming the UFC is protecting McGregor by ‘putting him on the shelf,’ Diaz’s beef with the promotion is directly related to them giving the Irishman too much control. As we saw McGregor essentially calling the shots in 2016, does Diaz have a point. Both the Diaz brothers have spoken frequently about poor treatment by the UFC, long before McGregor’s rise to fame. Another question raised by Diaz’s current complaint; how much more control does Conor McGregor want? Further to this, what is beckoning these MMA fighters to the world of boxing?
Aldo’s Complaints
Again involving Conor McGregor, but also spanning further, Aldo growing increasingly frustrated. After reigning as undisputed champion for over four years, ‘Scarface’ lost the belt to McGregor in late 2015. As ‘The Notorious’ went up and down the weight scale, Aldo’s demands for a rematch were squashed. The Reebok deal has also left Aldo irked, and he’s accused Dana White of throwing him under the bus, even while he was champ. After defeating Frankie Edgar for the interim belt, Aldo was promoted and McGregor stripped, as the UFC made an unnecessary interim belt for UFC 206.
Being completely frank, it might just be money and freedom that these three and many others crave. Although Aldo said his dream was to be a boxing champion, its strange timing given the fact he is currently a UFC champion. All three have threatened retirement, but certainly Diaz and McGregor made good money last year, at least by the current standard. Will they find the big paydays they want in the world of boxing? Perhaps in the case of McGregor, but how much better is the squared circle than the octagon from a fighter’s perspective?
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