Dana White: Lyoto Machida wanted Anderson Silva's paycheck
Posted on July 14, 2011, 06:49 AM by Anton GurevichIn an exclusive interview to MMAJunkie.com, UFC President Dana White revealed why the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida turned down the offer to replace the injured Phil Davis for the fight against Rashad Evans at UFC 133. According to White, Machida's camp demanded "Anderson Silva's money" to fight Evans, something that the UFC President couldn't accept:
"Machida accepted the fight. We knew for a couple days this was going down, and Machida accepted the fight. Then when we called back and said, 'OK, we're going to make this fight,' Machida's people came back and said, 'We'll tell you what. You pay us what you pay Anderson Silva, and we'll take the fight.' This was after they had already agreed to take the fight.
I said, 'Are you [expletive] kidding me? I'll tell you what. You tell Machida he achieves what [expletive] Anderson Silva has achieved, then maybe he'll make Anderson Silva money. Have a nice day."
White also revealed that despite turning down the fight in first place, Ortiz called him back and asked if the UFC still need a replacement. White admitted that he likes "the new Tito Ortiz", expressing his delight with the positive approach of "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy":
"[Expletive] right, he gets a break. Tito stepped up to the plate. It's [expletive] weird here. It's like I'm dealing with a new person. I like it. I like the new Tito. The storyline is what's so interesting. Tito went from 'You're about to be cut,' to now, if he beats Rashad Evans, he's back in the mix. He's back in the picture."
UFC 133 will take place on August 6, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Comments
You know, Tito is an easier fight for Evans than Davis and Machida. Tito proved me wrong with Bader, if he takes Evans out, Tito will officially be my hero it will be legendary!
3weeks of pee drinking is not enough for me
i think tito has a chance probably wud have a better chance if he had more time to prepare but if rashad cant take him down it will be interesting to see who wins the stand up
He should have told him to fight Silva for his paycheck.
I think Dumping JJ was the best thing that ever happened to him. "you dont know what I've been going through" I've heard that from Tito so many times, and I think he can finally train to his potential again. Partners with mental disorders and addictions can literally rip a man to pieces.
Seriously? Rashad wins the stand up hands down. And dont count on Tito taking Rashad down either. Although Rashad has a suspect chin, he has been rocked by Machida/Thiago Silva/Rampage. All heavy heavy hitters except for Machida (Hes got some power but not in the league of Silva/Rampage) Rashad by UD or TKO in late 2nd round
Rashad would win the stand up and it is a matter of who can take down who first. Both guys also have very underrated bjj...
never thought id say this but i hope tito wins. i like his attitude, hes hungry and has a spring in his step. (plus the gravedigger celebration was hillarious)
I would do the same thing. Just think about how low he's check is gunna be if he loses to evens
Tito has already proven everything that he has set out to prove. From here on out it's all icing on the cake. I'm a fan of Tito's from way back, win or lose; and I think he's gonna take Evan's down this time around. Hopefully we'll get to see him do the stanky leg again!
If he was to lose to evens
yeah , if Tito loses he'll be making silva money for his next fight
hahahahahhaa im glad i'm not the only one that thought it was hilarious he was like a little kid again! I almost cried from laughter after he did that all the the while screaming Tito! Tito! Tito! He was soo excited and overwhelmed at that point i could not be happier for him. If you had told me 2mins before the fight ended that I'd be shouting his name like that, i woulda told you to go fly a kite... and that is one the the major appeals of this sport...u never know whats gonna happen...in a matter of seconds someone can single handedly completely change your perception of him, amp you up to the point where u jumping on his hype train all of a sudden, all the while screaming from uncontrolled excitement.
I picture it going like this. Dana calls Machida he says yes. Machida calls Ed, Ed starts foaming at the mouth and calls Dana back.
I have to agree with Dana here.
However, thIs is a huge maincard fight, and it s risky so good for you MachIda at least you tried to make it worth your while. Training for 3 weeks for Rashad is pretty tough.
Dana's right. This is weird. I haven't seen Tito this relevant in a long time.
He's coming off the Bader win, he's not in the mix yet, but if he can beat Rashad, he could easily be looking at title contention. Rashad's a lot quicker than Bader but for the most part, they both have a wrestling background with great striking.
The main difference is the BJJ. Tito's not gonna submit Rashad like he did Bader, I can almost guarantee that. However, it's no secret Rashad doesn't like getting hit and has a bit of a weak chin, and if Tito can put up the same striking he did against Bader, it could make all the difference.
The bad part for Tito is Rashad's been preparing for a strong wrestler, which is primarily Tito's style. It's not like Rashad has to switch up his camp altogether like he would if he were fighting Machida. Honestly, I'm hoping Rashad doesn't go in with the wrestling mentality, and I'd love to see a good slug fest.
In reality though, I don't think that's going to happen. I'm thinking Rashad by UD, unless Tito can shock the world again and beat him. And if he does, I'll be a Tito fan for the rest of my life.
Tito is setting himself up to become the man of UFC again.Deep down the pessimist in me says he's win against bader was somewhat of a fluke, but i loved it and i'm on his bandwagon nonetheless. I guarantee if he wins Evans though, he'll be the most marketable fighter in the UFC, its just a surreal climb into the picture for him and from the dead too.
He said he spent all his time on striking and bjj against bader, and I know that damn strategist evans will turn it into wrestlefest. Remember that Tito disclosed that info not anticipating this fight, so that wasn't a smart thing to reveal. Evans has a better calibre of wrestling than Tito, he's faster and more athletic. Tito needs exploit Evans weak chin, if he can touch it hard enough and finish it when he hits the ground either with a sub...or better yet just imagine a signature nostalgic ortiz gnp finish now wouldnt that be awesome!
wow. i like rashad (i know many don't) but how awesome of a comeback would it be if tito won this? gotta respect the guy for taking that fight on such short notice even if his last fight has "just" happened him not taking any damage due to the short duration of the match.
Machida is right. He is not in win or cut situation. He is in top 5 and he can win his next fight being better prepared and get a title shot. It is too risky for him to take that fight right now, but if he takes, at least he is compensated well.
On the other hand, for Tito it is a great opportunity to come back to the top. He just got off the fight and he is still in good shape after Bader's fight and nobody expects him to win.
For Dana it is even better because, he can make more money from Tito/Rashad figth than Machida/Rashad. He has to be grateful that Machida refused.
Funny how Ed Saores forget to mention this in his earlier repsonse, and were supposed to trust this to translete what his fighters are really saying portugese. As for Machida very surprised he turned down a fight because of money, he doesn't seem like that type of guy but it just goes to show people shouldn't buy into what they see on camera and think thats always a fighter's true personality.
He is a professional fighter of course it's about money. If he Gets hurt his family has a salary issue. Cutting weight etc in 3 weeks is tough.
What Machdia and his team did is use a negotiation tactic commonly used in boxing, make demands that you know won't be met so the fight can't be made and if they are then all the better. Promoter's in boxing always look for favorable opponents for their fighter's and only take risks if it's for a world title or if the money is way more then they would usually get.
he wont pay machida the 'anderson silva money'
but he'll still pay tito the 'tito money'.. which is probably still a lot higher for some godforsaken reason
kind of a **** move to ask for more $ after you agree but at the same time he is taking a 2-3 week notice fight against a top 5 LHW
Yeah....but once youv'e agreed to fight already....Thats not when you negotiate your fee!
machida is def top 5 in lhw, and he hadnt signed any papers, so he can ask for whatever he wants besides, dana is a douche cause he is gonnabe paying tito a whole lot more than what he couldve settled with machida,
you seem to miss the point, Machida verbally agreed to take the fight, THEN after they came back to make it official he demanded more money, are you a Dana hater or just a moron? It doesn't matter what profession you do, you don't agree to something, THEN ask for more money, you ask for the money first. That's what Dana is upset about, that he asked for the money AFTER already agreeing to take the fight, not BEFORE he agreed. if you don't get how that's a problem then you sir are a moron
It happens all the time. You are the moron here. This is absolutely common place and only a moron uses a verbal agreement these days. There is a reason for a signed contract. Besides you have no idea what went down on thOse calls.
Imagine Tito beating Evans, that would make things really interesting
Well, it's not that far-fetched. Let's not forget that in Evans vs. Ortiz I, Tito might have won if it weren't for the point penalty (though he might have lost the round if he got taken down and stayed on his back very long). It was actually pretty close and of course ended in a draw. Let's hope it doesn't turn into the another boring series of take-down attempts and not all that much else.
That's what i'm talking about.Stepping up and taking this kind of fight on short notice,Tito u rock.Win or lose.Dana is (expletive) right.lol
Machida only in it for the do,i really don't understand.If u wanna be a (expletive) champ,you take this fight and not b***h about how much money you are gonna get.I think the pay they get is already sufficient.
For the fight i think it will be a tough fight but a G&P win for Rashad round 3.
Kida
First time maybe ever that I'll be rootin for Tito. I hate Rashad and his diva-whore attitude, some self-proclaimed top fighter who doesn't realise he never earned a title shot in the first place, he knows how to hype fights and Dana just likes him for some reason. Two lacklustre decision wins in a row, in both of which he was nearly KO'd in the third, and those two coming off the famous floppy-fish. He deserves this curse, both for his not having earned the shot properly in the first place and for his diva attitude refusing fights (Couture) and wanting to wait for Rua.
Do somethin' Suga, Tito's gonna decision your ass ;)
I can't stand Sho' Boat Evans. I think the same sh*t about that poser.
Dude, you seem like such an unhappy person. I'm not even sure why you watch MMA, or even -if- you do at all. You seem to like to subject yourself to both uncomfortable situations and harsh criticism - if you ever want to talk, I'm only a PM away. Make sure you put in the header "Zuffadog :(" so I know what it pertains to.
Why do you even bother replying?
Tito is really stepping up & showing his appreciation.
Tito beating evans...wait he would have won the first one if it weren't for that point deduction. And now he's a better mor confident tito. Coming off a great performance off bader. And remember he almost finished rashad the same way if it weren't for the time running out. Plus rashad has to deal with cage rust and tito regained fame (fans support)
Hey Machida- start fighting like Silva and maybe you will see paychecks like his.....
Hey Machida: Start dancing like Silva and maybe you will see paychecks like his
I think what he means is defend a title more then once
No dumbass I think you missed what he really said. I know you didn't garaduate first in your class
Its been a while since I have cheered for Tito in a fight. I hope by some miracle he hands Evans a douchebag beat down.
Prove to everyone that the last fight wasn't one of those "punchers chance"
I'm seeing a trend or pattern going on here: people with no losses are losing back to back. Fedor lost to Werdum and Bigfoot. Carwin lost to Brock and then JDS. Bader lost to Bones and then Tito. If this keeps up, Rashad will join the two-losses "pattern".
I'll be brave and do some wishful thinking right now: Tito by uppercut KO. Rashad will have yet another shot of his face plastered all over the web.
...record wise, that is. I know Rashad lost some time ago, but this would be his second.
He deserves that kind of money,Lyoto is sooo underpaid,yet sooo talented,sit on it Dana!!!!
But he can't retain a title. You want big money, you need to get a belt, retain it and sell 55, 000 seats. Tito is cashing in on his legacy in the sport, Machida, still an infant in terms of marketability, needs to win a title again and hold it for a couple fights.
Anderson is the dominant 185lb champion, so his paycheck is warranted. GSP makes fighters look like amateurs, so his paycheck is warranted. Brock, well, that's a case of desperation: Dana knew that his heavyweight division was lacking, so he brought in a name like Brock who had the fanfare of the WWE, which would warrant his paycheck.
Machida in about 5 years will be making heaps of cash. Mark my ass.
I concur. You hit it right on the head there.
Machida was asking for "Anderson Silva" money, and Tito got paid more than twice what Silva got paid to fight Belfort just to fight Bader...
Dana is acting like Tito is doing such a great thing by not asking for more money to take a fight on short notice but when your getting paid $450,000 Tito doesn't really need the extra cash.
Machida's agent probally flipped shit when he found out that the UFC was/is going to pay Tito more than twice what they offered Machida for the same fight.
It just goes to show you that in the Fight business its more about the PPV buys your name gathers than the quality of a performance you put on because if you look at Ortiz v Evans 1 and Machida v Evans 1 its obvious who put up a better fight/ show in General.
Tito has been around much longer than Machida or most other fighters and Tito used to be the Champ in the 205 Division. Of course, he commanded that kind of money. He earned his way to where he is now and that contract was allegedly Tito's last one with the UFC. Now, if he does pull this one out and beats Evans, there will probably be another contract. Some guys only get a mere $6,000. Do everything Tito has done and those same guys now will be getting Tito money ten years from now. Machida never mentioned Tito's payday, but he sure does know what his stablemates make and that part was too hard for him to swallow. Also, Silva makes 7 figures, when all is said and done. Not just a small $200,000. The UFC only has to declare certain wages, not everything. Royalties, etc. The main thing now is Tito is no longer injured, so he can train harder. The dude had some serious conditions that no longer bother him. Dana even said he knew that was Tito's last fight, but he never expected Bader to lose, either. Every time I think about that, I laugh. Never expected that, did we?
No matter how long Tito has been around, when he hadn't won a fight in years and was fighting Bader also coming off of a loss
he was getting paid double what Machida or Anderson for the matter when they were Champions
I would be willing to bet that Tito gets a bigger take from royalties as well.
But My point is not that Tito is overpaid, its that Dana is unfairly lambasting Machida for demanding "Anderson Silva money" when he is turning around and shelling out double that to Tito, who IMHO is less deserving of the cash
It is about time Tito finally was able to fight injury-free. So we got to see Tito of old. Only by what Dana White claims is a new Tito. Well, he finally can live pain free, for one. Imagine, he can actuallly train hard now. I hope the best comes out, when he faces off with Sho' Boat Evans. In fact, anyone with common sense will be placing their money on Tito. You can't lose. 5-1 Underdog? And if Tito wins? You win. If he doesn't win, oh well. Not much lost in money. I'm banking on Tito coming through.