Top ranked UFC featherweight fighter Cub Swanson is a free agent, having fought out his UFC contract with his latest fight against Brian Ortega.
The Ortega fight was a loss for Swanson, who was riding high on a four fight win streak, prior to that night.
Now, as a free agent, Cub is welcomed to receive offers from the world’s largest Mixed Martial Arts promotions, and that’s exactly what he’s doing.
With ABC, KSW and Bellator MMA all paying top dollar for UFC imports, the stage for free agency has never looked better.
In a recent sit down with the Desert Sun, Cub Swanson revealed that he’s met with a UFC rival promoter as recently as last Thursday, and is all about going with whoever shows him the most money.
Swanson stated, “The negotiations, it’s not about having fancy cars or anything. It’s about having financial stability for my family’s future. That’s it.”
We have seen several fighters leave the UFC in the open market as of late, often getting picked up by Bellator MMA, who are paying staggering amounts for UFC talent.
Rory MacDonald most notably is making $500,000.00 per appearance, as is “Big Country” Roy Nelson.
By comparison the two were both making less than $100,000.00 under their UFC deals.
Swanson though, has not committed to any promotion as of yet, stating, “I can’t make a decision until I know what the other offers are… Not many big players stay around all that long.”
Following his final contracted UFC bout, Dana White made it clear that he wants to resign the top ranked talent. However, he has some stiff competition to making that a reality.
Stay tuned.
