Why would I take that chance? - John McCarthy and Josh Thomson on why UFC is opposed to cross-promotion bouts
John McCarthy and Josh Thomson believe cross-promotion bouts involving the UFC are far from being a reality as of now. According to McCarthy, a promotion like the UFC has no incentive to put their fighters at risk in cross-promotion bouts.
'Big John' believes that the UFC doesn't want to risk their fighters losing a bout when people already seem to have accepted their superiority over their counterparts from other promotions.
The 59-year old told The Schmo at the Bellator 277 weigh-ins:
"The thing with cross-promotion is, when you are the biggest promotion, which the UFC is, they are looking at it, 'What do we gain from this? We're saying already that our fighter's the best. So since people believe it, it doesn't help me if I do put my fighter in there and they end up losing. It doesn't do any good for me. Why am I gonna take that chance? Why am I gonna put myself in that situation?' So I understand why they don't do it."
Watch McCarthy and Thomson's interview with The Schmo below:
According to Thomson, crossover superfights are unfeasable as certain promotions seem to harbor the notion that their fighters are superior. Countering this, 'The Punk' argued that the UFC wouldn't have traded Demetrious Johnson to ONE Championship if that was the case.
Patricio Pitbull believes Dana White is afraid of cross-promotion bouts
Bellator and RIZIN have recently been trying to restore the glory days of cross-promotion bouts. Bellator CEO Scott Coker has made multiple propositions to Dana White regarding a crossover superfight between UFC and Bellator featherweight champion's Alexander Volkanovski and A.J. McKee, respectively.
Chatri Sityodtong was also keen to get on board. The ONE Championship CEO issued an official tweet, expressing his interest in working with the UFC on a "ONE vs. UFC MEGA event"
Check out the tweet below:
@yodchatri @danawhite @ufc #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship #ONEVsUFC
Who wants it? 🏆 @yodchatri @danawhite @ufc #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship #ONEVsUFC https://t.co/ruI6uclUbW
However, the UFC has not been game for the idea since 2003 when they sent former light-heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell to PRIDE in Japan. Former two-division Bellator champion, Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire recently weighed in on White's aversion to cross-promotion bouts.
According to 'Pitbull', the UFC boss is scared of his fighters losing credibility if the bout doesn't go their way. The 34-year old told Trocação Franca:
“When Pride was the MMA giant, [White] risked his fighters to fight there and do a cross promotion. Now that he has this monopoly of the bigger promotion, he’s afraid that his champion will go there for a superfight like this and end up losing and taking away that credibility and name they have.” h/t MMA Fighting