UFC’s Brad Scott was initially set to face off against Jack Marshman at UFC Fight Night 127 over the weekend. However, the fight would never come to be.
Marshman had complications during his weight cut, forcing the fight off of the night’s card. Speaking to MMA Junkie, Brad Scott explained that he was not financially compensated in full for the scrapped bout.
“Obviously I’m very disappointed. But people seem to be getting the wrong end of the stick when they think I’m blaming the UFC for not paying me. I’m not blaming the UFC. I’m blaming Jack. It’s Jack’s job to make weight. It’s Jack’s job to turn up and fight. It’s not the UFC’s fault.”
“It would be really nice if the UFC looked after me and gave me my Reebok money for this week. I’ve worn their gear every day this week, and I’ll be wearing Reebok to the fights tomorrow. Even though I can’t compete, I’ll still be there, and I’ll still be wearing Reebok. It’d be nice to get the $5,000, which to a company like Reebok, is (expletive) all, by the way.
“And it’d be nice if they gave me my turn-up bonus (show money). I don’t expect a win bonus, but I expect enough money to pay for the camp I’ve just done so I can get ready for the next one.”
Scott then broke down some of the costs that he is forced to make in preparation for his fights.
“Just going over there (to the U.S.) – not paying for the training and all of that – is £5,000 (roughly $7,000 USD) for the food, the accommodation and the flights. Then I have to give my training camp 10%. I have to give my manager money. Then I have to pay my boxing coaches the fees for all the one-on-one training I get.
“I’ve actually ended up £2,000 in debt. That’s $2,600. That’s how much I’ve been left in debt from this fight. Now I’ve got to go and find a job to make up the shortfall and help make ends meet before I can fight again.”
Scott then explained that he plans to work for one of his largest sponsors.
“I’m going to work for a company called Bristol Waste Clearance, who are my biggest sponsor. They go into properties where tenants have been evicted and clear out the property and put it into storage, or scrap it. We have to remove heroin needles and drugs and stuff.
“It’s run by a guy called Scott ‘The Lion’ Cowles, who was also a fighter. He offered me a job straight away, and he offered to pay towards my next camp because I’ve been left in a (expletive) position. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be able to fight for the UFC.”
Scott also explained that he would have been willing to fight his opponent at a catchweight, had he been made aware of the situation.
“I was walking around at (182 pounds), and I turned up on the morning (of the weigh-ins) at 171. I said I’d make the weight, and if any of the welterweights didn’t make the weight in the morning I’d be a stand-in. I said I’d even fight a middleweight if a middleweight dropped out.
“But when I got down there my name had been scribbled off the list. Jeff (Novitzky) and Sean (Shelby) were really polite to me. They said it doesn’t matter, so I didn’t make weight.
“Now, looking back at it, I wish I’d got on the (expletive) scale – just barged in and got on it – so they had no say in the fact. But I think because they called the fight off before I ever had the chance to make weight, that was the issue.”
