Former UFC Champ: Tony Ferguson Saga ‘Saddest Story’ Of Interim Titles
In recent years, interim titles have become a hot topic of discussion in the UFC, and not for good reason. They continue to be implemented and created at a record pace in the world’s biggest MMA promotion, and it’s wearing on both fighters and fans.
A number of top fighters have caught on to the UFC’s perceived plan of short-changing them with the dangling carrot of an interim. The most vocal among them is former UFC champ Eddie Alvarez. Calling the UFC out during a week of media appearances involving his new home of ONE Championship, Alvarez outright demolished the UFC’s current practice involving interim belts.
“The Underground King” stayed the course during a lengthy diatribe via MMAjunkie at ONE’s media event from Vegas yesterday. He opened up about how the allure of a belt clouds the minds of young fighters. They neglect to properly fight for sufficient pay as a result:
“From what I know, every situation I’ve been in, it’s a substitution to not to pay more. If I know a guy has an ego, he’s a little insecure and I don’t want to pay him, I said, ‘Hey, what do you think about a world title, buddy?’ And a young kid who
“And they, their mind gets clouded and they don’t care about money anymore. They don’t even think about money. We all need to wake up.”
Speak Up
A strong point from Alvarez, yet not the first time it’s been raised. Fighter pay is and will be at the forefront of many discussions involving MMA until it is actually fixed. That may take fighters fighting for their rights and organizing with each other, something they’ve failed to do in every sense as of today.
But it has to happen. Otherwise, the UFC can just go unchecked with their current system. The worst example of that, ‘The Underground King’ said, was the story former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson. He won the interim title, was stripped of it for getting hurt, and was offered another interim title fight two fights later. The UFC reportedly asked him to fight Max Holloway for another placeholder belt.
But “El Cucuy” declined, and Alvarez was happy because of it:
“Tony Ferguson, could you imagine? That’s the saddest story,” Alvarez said. “You got the interim belt, ‘Hey, you want another interim shot?’ After you kidding me? Are you guys kidding me? No one is talking about this. Two interim shots without a real title?
“It’s an absolute joke. It’s gone too far and something needs to be said. And I’m glad for Tony. He flipped them the bird and said, ‘Not happening, I want the real belt.’ And he deserves it. He deserves this shot. It’s good that fighters are speaking up now and saying things.”
