My decision to venture over to the States for ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ (TUF) was met with mixed reaction when I announced my plans on Twitter Sunday night. Many people expressed their excitement of potentially seeing an Irish man compete in the TUF tournament, and praised me for my determination to obtain a UFC contract by flying thousands of miles to try to enter a tournament in a weight class above my own. A tournament in which I could potentially fight as many as four times in six weeks.
However, others reacted in shock and confusion to the announcement, due to the fact that I have done everything that is needed of me to be signed with the UFC and that of any fighter in Europe I am mostly likely next in line. They believe I will be signed any day now, or some believe I am just one more win away from getting the contract and that there is no need for me to go through the rigorous ordeal that is TUF (Chael Sonnen famously said that TUF is “tougher than any other tournament in sports”).
As usual, it fills me with great pride that so many people are behind what I am doing and are supporting me with my decision. As for the others that are a little shocked and confused, I completely see where they’re coming from, and up until Saturday night, I would have absolutely agreed with them.
Saturday night I was at my cousin’s wedding when I got a call from my coach, John Kavanagh. John was calling me from Boston (as he’s there with my team mate Conor McGregor who is fighting on the UFC card in the city this Saturday) and filled me in on the tryouts for the up-and-coming season of TUF which will feature middleweights and light heavyweights.
He told me I should go for it and that I was sure to get on the show based on my experience, the calibre of opponents I have beaten, and the fact that I would likely be the most high profile fighter that would be at the try outs.
To be honest, I wasn’t too interested when I first heard about it. The ‘TUF’ tournament was something I did always want to do – I love challenges, and you can’t really get a tougher challenge compacted into six weeks. However, about a year and a half ago, I decided that I was getting so close to getting signed to the UFC that there was no need for me to go through this hell. I was knocking on their door already, and I constantly felt like I was just one win away from a contract. But that was the problem, after every win, it seemed like it would have to be one more.
After my last fight with Che Mills in June, I was sure my contract was in the post… but it never came.
After every win, I want to keep progressing, keep going forward. To do this I want to fight a fighter who is better than the last guy I fought; more high profile and basically a guy who a win over would further improve my reputation as one of the best welterweight fighters in the world.
The problem after my last fight was that (outside of the UFC) there were no fighters around Europe that I could look to fight and consider myself still moving forward. Well, there was one…. Paul Daley. I expressed the reasons why I wanted to fight him in my last blog. However, he has gone running scared and since signed up with another promotion.
So, since my last fight I’ve been somewhat in limbo. I’ve done everything needed of me to get my UFC contract. Unfortunately for me, my weight class in the UFC is the most crowded weight class and at present there isn’t any room to sign new talent.
It’s very frustrating because I know the majority of the guys that are in the UFC already aren’t even at my level. There are no big fights for me left outside of the UFC and I’m sick of waiting around. I should be in the UFC already, but life isn’t fair, I’ve learned that in my 25 years. If you really want something in life you have to chase after it with everything you have.
I’m going over to these tryouts and I will be picked by the UFC for this season of TUF. I’m going to go to Vegas for the tournament and there is no man on this planet that will have what it takes to stop my will and determination to do what I want to do.
I will win; I will become the season champion of The Ultimate Fighter.
