"I'm a prizefighter, and that's a prize"- Shane Burgos talks about "making a stupid amount of money" for his PFL debut against Marlon Moraes
During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Shane Burgos revealed the truth behind why he left the UFC despite close to the top 5 in his division. He also discussed what led to him signing with the PFL.
'Hurricane' was considered one of the best fighters in the UFC featherweight division before departing for greener pastures, so many weren't happy with the UFC's decision to let him go. The well-rounded warrior came out on top against Charles Jourdain in his final appearance inside the octagon.
Giving insight into what encouraged him to sign with the PFL, Shane Burgos insisted that prizefighters should be paid for their services and the company did exactly that to acquire his talents:
"The money was too good for me to pass up, I couldn't say no to that money. I got two kids I gotta feed, man... I'm a little bit older now, I'm 31 years old and I'm like, I'm a prizefighter, and that's a prize, what I'm getting now, that's a prize. Then on top of that, you get the million dollar tournament... Then on top of that you got me doing the commentating gig which is setting me up for when I'm done competing in the sport, so it was a no-brainer when you lay down all the facts... I am going to be making [a] stupid amount of money."
Burgos took no time in getting lined up for his first matchup and will compete in his first PFL event when he meets fellow UFC veteran Marlon Moraes in the cage on November 25.
Check out what the the 145 pounder had to say about his departure from the UFC:
Shane Burgos' impressive career with the UFC
Beginning his career with the company back in 2016 as a 7-0 prospect, Shane Burgos quickly solidified himself as one of the standout featherweights in the UFC with a handful of stellar performances.
His start to life as a UFC fighters saw him collect three straight wins against some tough competition inside the octagon. The impressive run of form earned him a clash against Calvin Kattar on the main card of UFC 220. Sadly, the fight didn't go to plan for the New Yorker.
Following his TKO loss to Kattar, Burgos won five of his next seven bouts and was knocking on the door of the elite fighters in his division before opting to exit the UFC.