The UFC is the premier organization in all of MMA. If you have ever watched The Ultimate Fighter, you know just how much it means to a fighter to break into the organization.However, the success it takes to break into the organization pales in comparis…
The UFC is the premier organization in all of MMA. If you have ever watched The Ultimate Fighter, you know just how much it means to a fighter to break into the organization.
However, the success it takes to break into the organization pales in comparison with the consistency and success it takes for fighters to stay. The UFC has no qualms about cutting a fighter that isn’t performing or happens to do wrong by Dana White.
Even the most entrenched fighters that have spent years in the organization have been cut with a bad performance or a few incidents working against them. However, the organization has also shown that they are capable of welcoming fighters back to the octagon if they are able to prove their worth outside of the organization.
Nick Diaz and Dan Henderson are higher-profile examples of fighters that left the organization for different reasons but were able to earn their way back by being relevant with other organizations.
Most recently, former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia has tried to talk his way back into the organization. He claimed he could beat 80 percent of the UFC heavyweight roster and matches up best with No. 1 contender Alistair Overeem.
Former UFC middleweight contender Patrick Cote took exception to that route, directly calling out Sylvia on Twitter.
Cote expanded upon his hopes to return to the octagon in a recent interview with MMAWeekly.
I don’t have a lot of control about the decision who is going to put me back in the UFC. My only power I have is be in shape and win fights and that’s what I’m doing. Three wins in a row, and I’m going for a fourth one. The UFC asked us to go to somebody better than my last two opponents, and with a winning record, so that’s exactly what we’re doing,
With Cote’s point in mind, here are six former UFC fighters who need to win to make their way back to the UFC.
The bubble. For a professional mixed martial artist, it’s the worst place imaginable to be, a purgatory on the margins of the sport. It’s a place without significant endorsement opportunities. Without fame and stardom. Without life-changing money or an…
The bubble. For a professional mixed martial artist, it’s the worst place imaginable to be, a purgatory on the margins of the sport. It’s a place without significant endorsement opportunities. Without fame and stardom. Without life-changing money or an entourage. A place where you’re unlikely to encounter Ariel Helwani or Mike Straka. And there are dozens of fighters there, some seemingly forever, unable to make their way back to the UFC’s famed Octagon.
Worst of all? Once you arrive there, the exit strategy is unclear, the path back to the sport’s spotlight unmarked, and incredibly treacherous. How does a fighter who has tasted the thrill that comes only with a major UFC event, that adrenaline rush that combines a rabid crowd and a fat wallet to dizzying effect, survive on the independent scene? By scratching and clawing and waiting for that magic phone call where UFC matchmaker Joe Silva changes your life forever.
Three-time NCAA champion Jake Rosholt says he can’t survive long term on the bubble. No one can. To make a living in this sport, it’s UFC or bust.
“I would be embarrassed to tell you some of the pay days that I’ve fought for outside the UFC,” Rosholt told Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview. “Thankfully I’m in a great situation with Team Takedown where my income doesn’t come just from fighting. Other fighters? I don’t know how they do it. I wouldn’t be able to support my family where I’m fighting now. The money in the UFC is so much better.”
Rosholt, who went 1-2 in a brief UFC stint, has been on the outside looking in for two years. That’s like a blink of an eye for veteran John Alessio, who last fought in the Octagon all the way back in 2006.
“I have a wife and son. All I want to do is give them the best life possible,” Alessio said. “There’s definitely a lot more money there. I just need to get in. I need to get my foot in the door. I need them to give me another opportunity. I feel like, this time, I’ll stay there. Then I’ll be able to really provide for my family.”
Alessio is as old school as they come these days, a young fighter who started early enough that he actually competed in the UFC before the current regime took over in 2001. The 32-year-old Canadian is 8-1 in the last two years and undefeated at lightweight. But the Xtreme Couture fighter still waits for a call that never seems to come.
“I train with guys in the UFC all the time. All day,” said Alessio, who beat Ryan Healy in the Score Fighting Series last week. “I see exactly where I stand. I think I would be a definite threat. It gives me a lot of confidence.”
You’d think the problem might be on the business side—that Alessio is missing out because he has an inexperienced or out of favor agent. Nothing could be further from the case. Robert Roveta of Denaro Sports Marketing represents him as well as dozens of other fighters at all levels of the sport.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia also has a power agent, Monte Cox. But he too is relegated to waiting for a call up.
”I’m sick and tired of watching a bunch of bums fight in the UFC,” the 35-year-old Sylvia said. “Guys that I know I can beat…They told [manager Monte Cox], ‘Tim needs to keep winning. Keep putting wins together.’ I’ve done that and nothing happened. And there are guys in there I think are absolutely horrible…Yeah, I’ve got an attitude about it. I’m tired of it. I’ve got to make my own destiny.”
Sylvia and Alessio, at least, are still able to ply their trade. Rosholt, perhaps because of his wrestling pedigree, has trouble doing even that. He hasn’t fought since July of last year despite being in a constant hunt for an opponent.
“Trying to find that path that brings me back there has kind of been a bit of a struggle,” Rosholt admits. “We’ve been working our butts off to get me a fight since around Christmas time. Trying hard.”
He’s recently moved up to 205 pounds and is eying some of the bigger names on the free-agent market, including former UFC star Anthony Johnson. The problem for Rosholt, and others in his shoes, is simple: The high-profile fights that do exist would require signing a contract with Bellator or another UFC competitor, which would limit his options.
“Some of it is the promotions. They don’t want you to sign for one fight,” Rosholt said. “They want you to sign a contract for five fights or something. That’s something I don’t want to be in. The only place I want to fight long term is the UFC. That’s the cream of the crop. So going out and getting stuck in a long term contract somewhere else is out of the question for me.
“I want to fight somebody good. Somebody that’s a big name, a tough fight. You’re trying to look for other guys in a similar position, who are good enough and wanting back in the UFC. But maybe they don’t want to take that risk. Maybe I’m a bad matchup for them?”
Matchups are the name of the game in mixed martial arts. They say “styles make fights,” not just because it’s a comfortable cliche. It’s also true. To Rosholt’s chagrin, that means fighters looking to make their way into the Octagon are very careful about what fights they take. As Alessio explained, the fighters are walking a very fine tight rope with no safety net. A loss can be disastrous.
“I absolutely worry about losing,” Alessio said. “Because it gives them a way out. ‘Oh, you lost. Now you need to get back on a winning streak.’ And what’s that? Another four or five fights? That could take a whole year of your life. You start back at the beginning. So, winning is very important. I came into this last fight with the attitude that losing wasn’t an option.”
Rosholt prefers to maintain a more positive mindset. Unlike some other veterans looking for a return to glory, he doesn’t want to compare himself to middle-of-the-pack guys. He’s seen fighters he beat during his wrestling days, men like Phil Davis and Chris Weidman, have significant UFC success. And unlike his first run with the promotion, this time he thinks he’s prepared to go all the way to the top.
“If you look at it like ‘I can’t lose,’ you’re not going to do your best. I’m out there to win and do the best I can do. Hopefully that fight is entertaining and a great fight for the fans,” Rosholt said. “I don’t feel any pressure. I feel like sooner or later things are going to come together and I’m going to get my shot at the UFC.
“I know that I can be a champion. And some day it’s going to happen. I’m not just a guy who can get in the UFC and fight in the UFC. I want to be UFC champion. And I know that can happen. Sooner or later it will all work out.”
(Props: Amazon.com, via CP reader “joe sons balls,” who claims that he randomly came upon one of Phil Baroni‘s old fetish-modeling gigs while searching for XTC t-shirts. Sure, buddy. Your secret’s safe with us.)
Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere…
(Props: Amazon.com, via CP reader “joe sons balls,” who claims that he randomly came upon one of Phil Baroni‘s old fetish-modeling gigs while searching for XTC t-shirts. Sure, buddy. Your secret’s safe with us.)
Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere…
Tim Sylvia is a shadow of his former self, but that doesn’t mean that the UFC shouldn’t give him a shot. In fact, it would be great publicity if they did.Even if he failed, the company would benefit from him fighting for them by matching him against an…
Tim Sylvia is a shadow of his former self, but that doesn’t mean that the UFC shouldn’t give him a shot. In fact, it would be great publicity if they did.
Even if he failed, the company would benefit from him fighting for them by matching him against any fighter they wish. He could start at the bottom and work his way up. If he failed they could cut him. If he won a bunch of fights in a row, they could claim that he is a success story.
That is a shame, because for all of the disgraceful losses that Sylvia has had—like the one to heavyweight boxing champion Ray Mercer—he could still draw some interest.
Boxing is filled with stories of redemption, even if most of them are fictionalized on the silver screen. The precious few that do exist in reality become a big deal. Fans love to see a broken man, someone who was once on top, return to his former greatness.
Sylvia has already done his part, winning six of his last seven since being defeated by a boxer in an MMA bout. His only loss was three fights ago.
It is easy for fans and his former boss to dismiss Sylvia’s ambitions, but the fact that he is willing to start at the bottom and work his way up shouldn’t be ignored. After all, the very basis of combat sports is the fact that no matter how limited a man’s education or his ability to articulate, he can become wealthy with his own two hands.
Even felons and former convicts have become millionaires thanks to boxing, and one day the same thing will happen in MMA.
White might be trying to protect the UFC brand from becoming diluted and considered weak, but he is stopping the company from obtaining a great opportunity.
If Sylvia comes back and loses to an unknown fighter, then that fighter’s status goes up. If he wins, then he gets a chance to be the comeback kid and create a new chapter for himself.
Sylvia hasn’t made a lot of great choices in his career lately. He chose to do some pro wrestling and fought opponents that could be considered sideshows more than they could competitors. That doesn’t mean he should be barred from fighting at the top when his record and his terms to do so are reasonable.
Sylvia isn’t perfect or that exciting of a fighter, but he deserves a second chance.
That is one of the staples in fighting and it’s something that White and the UFC shouldn’t forget.
The Georges St.Pierre’s and Anderson Silva’s of the world have a place in MMA history for all eternity through their skills and accolades. However, there are less skilled men who still deserve to have their rightful place in history and are forgot…
The Georges St.Pierre’s and Anderson Silva’s of the world have a place in MMA history for all eternity through their skills and accolades.
However, there are less skilled men who still deserve to have their rightful place in history and are forgotten (or even outright insulted) through no fault of their own.
These men deserved to be respected and remembered.
The bubble. For a professional mixed martial artist, it’s the worst place imaginable to be, a purgatory on the margins of the sport. It’s a place without significant endorsement opportunities. Without fame and stardom. Without life-changing money or an entourage. A place where you’re unlikely to encounter Ariel Helwani or Mike Straka. And there are dozens of fighters there, some seemingly forever, unable to make their way back to the UFC’s famed Octagon.