Jeff Creighton placed on a successful efficiency on The Final Fighter 33, one made all of the extra memorable by a singular pre-fight negotiation.
His opponent, Andreeas Binder, a part of coach Chael Sonnen’s crew, did not make weight for his or her quarterfinal bout, coming in at 176 kilos, 5 kilos over the restrict even with a one-pound allowance for a non-title contest. This put Binder, Sonnen, and the present in a dilemma: What would occur to that week’s struggle?
Sonnen known as opposing coach Daniel Cormier’s crew with a suggestion to pay Creighton $1,000 per pound over to make the struggle occur. Cormier and Creighton countered with $2,500 per pound, Sonnen agreed, and the bout proceeded as scheduled.
From what viewers noticed, Creighton got here off as a chilly, calculated negotiator, however the fighter informed MMA Preventing it didn’t precisely play it out like that.
“The best way they shot it made it appear to be I had the quantity in my head, like I made the decision,” Creighton mentioned, “Actually, that’s not the way it went. After I obtained the decision and we’re sitting there they usually supplied $1,000 [per pound], I put the telephone all the way down to my leg in order that Chael couldn’t hear and I used to be trying up at everyone and [Cormier’s boxing coach Rosendo Sanchez] was the primary one to talk up. He’s like, ‘F*ck that. Ask for $2,500 a pound as a result of Chael works for ESPN now. He can afford it.’
“So I simply went out on a limb on what he mentioned they usually took it hook, line, and sinker, so I used to be like, ‘That is nice.’ I wish to give Rosendo the credit score, as a result of within the episode they made it appear to be I had that quantity proper on prime of my head and I used to be the final word negotiator, which, I’m a fairly good negotiator however I don’t know if I’d be that good. So I’m glad Rosendo spoke up and mentioned one thing.”
Fighters have missed weight on TUF earlier than and nonetheless gone on to compete, however Binder’s egregious miss and the following penalty is extraordinary for the long-running actuality TV present program that debuted premiered in 2005 (TUF 33 marks the present’s twentieth anniversary).
So far as protocol went, Creighton—who confirmed the $12,500 got here out of Sonnen’s personal pocket—mentioned the fee was solely involved with Binder being at an inexpensive weight on struggle day (something greater than 10 kilos and the bout would probably have been known as off). When Creighton spoke to UFC CEO Dana White, he acquired nothing however reward from his potential boss.
“I believe Dana knew this was a good suggestion,” Creighton mentioned. “The present’s by no means seen something like this. So he was, like, thumbs up, let’s make it occur.”
From there, it was only a matter of Creighton caring for enterprise within the cage. After a tough first spherical by which Binder caught Creighton with a number of onerous punches, Creighton and his nook have been assured that Binder’s weight-cutting struggles would catch as much as him in Spherical 2. Positive sufficient, Creighton’s fixed strain overwhelmed Binder and he ended up pummeling and bloodying Binder for almost all of that spherical. Judges awarded Creighton a 10-8, giving him the win within the two-round contest.
With the win, the 29-year-old Creighton (11-2-1) is one step nearer to fulfilling his dream of combating within the UFC. The trail has been something however linear as Creighton’s administration had basically informed him to be on standby for a UFC alternative previous to signing up for TUF.
“There was no deal that was actually offered, it was sort of like, ‘Hey, you would possibly get on Contender [Series] or it may be quick discover, so that you simply want to remain prepared,’” Creighton mentioned. “That’s all I used to be informed for 2 years. So I simply skilled continuous, saved doing what I used to be doing, and the chance by no means actually got here. So I used to be positively annoyed with the place I used to be at as a result of I’m getting older. I’ve obtained a spouse. We wished to have youngsters and be in a home, so I simply obtained fed up with the method.”
“[My manager] reached out and was like, ‘Hey, they’re doing 170 for The Final Fighter and would you have an interest and I used to be like, ‘Hell yeah, I’d have an interest,’” he continued. “It was simply the chance you don’t actually see coming.”
Creighton was Group Cormier’s third welterweight choose and the fifth welterweight choose total. He takes accountability for his late choice, admitting he didn’t carry out at his greatest within the pre-selection exercises. However as soon as he was picked, Creighton was totally assured he may win the present.
What he didn’t anticipate was the roller-coaster of feelings that will accompany his first struggle within the TUF home.
“It was tremendous thrilling,” Creighton mentioned of the pre-fight negotiation. “To stay it was simply wild. Clearly, you have got cutting-weight mind, you’re going by means of all these items, there’s all these elements going by means of your head on what determination to make and I believe we made the suitable one. It couldn’t have gone any higher than that.”
