5 UFC fighters who spoke out against matchmaking
Matchmaking in the UFC has come under some criticism over the last few years, with the promotion seemingly placing emphasis on money fights rather than giving deserving fighters their share of the pie.
As fighters in the UFC struggle for better pay and more health benefits, several high-profile fights have fallen through. Fighters like Jon Jones and Paulo Costa have spent a considerable amount of time on the sidelines, while others like Charles Oliveira and Jared Cannonier have opened up about their financial situation.
But even outside fighters being unwilling to step inside the octagon, matchmaking has been suspect. Here are five UFC stars who spoke out against the promotion's decisions.
#5 Former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic
Stipe Miocic isn't happy, and he has made his feelings about his current UFC situation abundantly clear. The former heavyweight champion believes he should've been given an immediate rematch against Francis Ngannou after 'The Predator' viciously knocked him out to wrest the strap away from him.
Now in limbo as Ciryl Gane gears up to face Ngannou in a heavyweight title unification bout, Miocic has added another chapter to his book of displeasure with the UFC. The Cleveland native has had a sketchy history with UFC president Dana White and is of the opinion that he hasn't been shown enough respect for his accomplishments in the octagon.
Voicing his disappointment with the UFC's decision to make an interim title without consulting him, Miocic said he would "be a matchmaker" if he knew how to make head or tail of the promotion's decisions.
"It does bother me, because I just wish they would have at least came to me. Even if I wasn't able do it, I would have just loved to be given the opportunity. I think I deserved it. But I'm not gonna bitch and moan about it. I've seen it for years. If I knew, I wouldn't be a fighter; I would be a matchmaker. ... We'll have a sit-down come September with Dana and figure everything out."
It remains to be seen what Miocic's UFC future holds. A shot against the winner of Ngannou vs Gane could be in order, assuming Jon Jones doesn't enter the picture by then.