More fighters are spurning UFC offers
There may have been some negatives to come out of the EliteXC CBS show this weekend but make no mistake about it, that company and others are changing the business for the fighters. It may only be a short term change but for now the fighters have options.
Kimbo Slice made in excess of $500,000 and so did Andrei Arlovski. Even Seth Petruzelli, an 0-2 fighter in the UFC, banked in excess of $100,000. The situation is a little different for someone like former IFL welterweight champ Jay Hieron. He's looking for that next big payday/title shot and he also needs to fight often to make up for the lack of big paydays. He was scheduled to fight on the Affliction Oct. 11 Las Vegas card but when that was cancelled, he was facing inactivity for the remainder of 2008.
That changed when Xtreme Couture decided to put together a card this Friday, A Night of Combat II, at the Thomas & Mack in Las Vegas. Hieron is on the card against Bryson Kamaka. But that wouldn't have happened if he had signed with the UFC once the IFL went under. Hieron talks about wanting a contract where he could fight anywhere, anytime in this conversation at the studios of ESPNRadio1100.
With a 15-4 record, Hieron really shouldn't have to fight anyone outside of the top 25 at 170 lbs. He had two fights in the UFC where he lost to Georges St. Pierre and Jonathan Goulet. Now he's on a three fight win streak and should be a candidate to be part of a co-promotion where he can meet EliteXC welterweight champ Jake Shields.
