The UFC Exodus Begins.......

When the initial signs of Pride FC's demise began to surface, Mirko Cro Cop was the 1st major super-star to leave the company. As Pride FC was purchased by Zuffa (UFC) and the realization that them continuing the brand was a purchasing illusion, fighters began to scramble with their contracts mostly void, to find work in the emerging MMA world. Some did land contracts in the UFC such as Antonio Nogueira, Akihiro Gono, Ryo Chonan, Dan Henderson, Dokonjonosuke Mishima, Kazuhiro Nakamura, Rameau Sokoudjou, & Wanderlei Silva all found a new home with varying degrees of success (*Quinton Jackson & Lyoto Machida came from WFA, Heath Herring from K-1, & Anderson Silva from ICON & Cage Rage*). Many great fighters such as Takanori Gomi, Hidehiko Yoshida, Josh Barnett, Ricardo Arona, Mark Hunt, Joachim Hansen, Kazuyuki Fujita, still have yet to resurface. The fighters had lost their bargaining strengths when the UFC began to become the untoppable monopoly that dominated 2007. I am starting to see some cracks in the UFC armor as some major stars are looking elsewhere and beginning a possible mass exodus of the unyeilding company.

Randy Couture, the comeback story of the year, and hero to millions re-gained the UFC Heavyweight Title only to lose interest in potential opponents when the UFC could not sign reigning Heavyweight Ruler Fedor Emelianenko to a strict and unrealistic contract. He also felt as if the money aspect of the Zuffa ran business was getting out of hand. Fight "bonuses" were meant to make up small dollar contracts for fighters but were not mandatory. Couture found this out when he defeated Gabriel Gonzaga and was never given his "promised" $250,000 fight bonus. The legendary Hall Of Famer simply "resigned" from the UFC and has given up the title he worked so hard to retrieve. He will sit out the remainder of his contract until it becomes void in October and he can sign with upstart M-1 Global to make the dream fight with Fedor a reality. The UFC has responded with a lawsuit and a sudden bad mouthing of the man they once heralded as the greatest fighter of all time.

Andrei Arlovski, another fan favorite and former Heavyweight Champion, has been sitting on the UFC bench simply because he is refusing to talk contract extension until his final fight is up. The UFC seems to have finally relented giving him a fight in March which will be 11 months since his last fight and victory! Arlovski's management has been very verbal in their disgust with the UFC's handling of their fighter and Andrei will most likely find his way to M-1 Global, Bodog Fight, Elite XC, or K-1, all which are willing to pay big money with "open contracts" (fighters can fight for other promotions while under contract with the companies permission).

As another UFC Top 10 Heavyweight exits, Fabricio Werdum, whom Andrei Arlovski defeated in his last bout, has been named the #1 contender after defeating Gabe Gonzaga at UFC 80! The 10-3-1 fighter will face the winner of Tim Sylvia vs Antonio Nogueira. Werdum has rarely defeated top talent like the aforementioned Gonzaga, while already losing to Antonio Nogueira and is 2-2 in his last 4 fights. That is your #1 contender?

Now the always bitchy and unhappy Tito Ortiz has stated that he has accepted a fight with Lyoto Machida and stated "I’m just looking to get my final fight over with the UFC.” after being told by the UFC brass he wasn't worth the money ($210,000 a fight) and no longer a "commodity" to them. Ouch. I've never like the ass but you can't deny people want to watch the guy fight (he had the 2 highest PPV buys for the company before last year) and he is a skilled fighter (I just threw up a little). Now he is leaving as well.

Renato "Babalu" Sobral was bounced for holding a choke hold too long on a fighter while BJ Penn did the exact same thing and earned a title shot that would eventually win him the Lightweight Title. Denis Kang had similar reservations as Fedor about UFC contracts and signed with K-1. Matt Lindland still refuses to sign with the UFC which has earned him much money all over the world. But these men are just free agents that were allowed to slip through the UFC's hands.

T.U.F 5, UFC fighter and former Sportfight Champ, Brandon Melendez has asked for and was granted his release from the UFC so that he may pursue other options, and have a regularly active fight schedule. Paul Buentello, Shonie "Mr. International" Carter, Edwin Dewees, Nick Diaz, Robbie Lawler ICON & Elite XC Champion, Frank Trigg, Jeff Monson, Trevor Prangley BodogFight Champion, Nick Thompson BodogFight Champion, Jay Hieron IFL Champion, Alex Schoenauer, Josh Neer, Scott Smith, Phil Baroni, Bang Ludwig, and many more have walked away from the UFC in recent years due to mistreatment and contract disputes.

My point is options have grown for MMA fighters and the UFC does not have the stranglehold they once possessed over talent, and the participants know it. I expect to see more and more fighters exit the UFC and their strict contract and money practices for freedom and new life. They are still the "big dog" in MMA, but if they don't relax a little and begin respecting their fighters, more Randy Couture's and Andrei Arlovski's will be heading for the exits while the current roster begins to weigh their options more carefully. It only takes one, but Randy Couture is not alone anymore as voices are beginning to raise and support for independance and fairness grows.