UFC Awards Cathal Pendred $50,000 For Released Fighter Mike King’s UFC Fight Night 46 Bonus
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 19 contestant Mike King was unsuccessful in his official Octagon debut, losing a hard-fought decision to Irish fight Cathal Pendred in a “Fight of the Night”-winning affair at July 19’s UFC Fight Night 46 from Dublin, Ireland.
The $50,000 bonus King earned for his part in the bout softened the sting of defeat for him a bit; however, things only got worse from there. It was found yesterday that King had failed a drug test for Nandrolone, a banned performance-enhancing drug (PED), and was released from the promotion.
Today, news comes from MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani that Pendred will receive King’s post-fight bonus in addition to his own:
Mr. @PendredMMA has confirmed that the UFC informed him he will get Mike King’s 50k bonus after King failed the post-fight drug test.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) August 14, 2014
Pendred hopped on social media to convey his thanks to his employers. Noting that he would donate a sum of money to Temple St. Children’s Hospital:
Thank you @danawhite @lorenzofertitta & J.Silva for rewardeding me for being PED free. I will donate a sum to Temple St. children’s hospital
— Cathal Pendred (@PendredMMA) August 14, 2014
PEDs have cost yet another fighter dearly in the UFC, and this time they caused a fighter to lose his job. Pendred showed a ton of heart in weathering the early storm from a synthetically enhanced King, and now he’s been doubly rewarded for his efforts.
Even if King would have won, it would have been all for naught. Will professional fighters ever learn that PEDs are going to ruin their careers, or is the allure of an artificial edge simply too good to pass up?
