If you’ve been paying attention to the MMA headlines over the last few days you’ve probably seen that former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold and UFC President Dana White have been having a difference of opinions.
This conflict began when Rockhold went off on the UFC for awarding the next crack at Michael Bisping’s middleweight throne to former welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre – though this plan has since been nixed.
“Our division is hot right now, they’ve got good matchups, but they’re just not putting the champion to work,” Rockhold said on The MMA Hour. “It’s ridiculous. Are they really going to wait until October to make the Georges St-Pierre fight?”
“The company is kind of losing it these days,” he continued. “I don’t know what happened to the old company where the best fought the best. That’s what built this company, now it’s just a spectator sport. They’re just putting freak shows together.”
These comments then prompted a response from Dana White, who spoke to the media post UFC 211. White’s comments then initiated a back-and-forth with Rockhold on Twitter.
“There’s a lot of guys talking about ‘deserve’ — nobody deserves anything,” White said. “You’ve got to earn it here. You’ve got [Luke] Rockhold screaming right now ‘I deserve this’. You just got knocked out in the first round. You’ve got to come back and earn it.”
@danawhite "You have to earn your way in this company"? Tell me how did GSP earn a middleweight title shot? Think before you run your mouth
— Luke Rockhold (@LukeRockhold) May 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/LukeRockhold/status/864537592603308033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fstaging.tcpcharms.com%2Fbjpenn%2Fmma-news%2Fdana-white%2Fluke-rockhold-dana-white-trade-barbs%2F
https://twitter.com/danawhite/status/864579023413719040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fstaging.tcpcharms.com%2Fbjpenn%2Fmma-news%2Fdana-white%2Fluke-rockhold-dana-white-trade-barbs%2F
Now, frustrated featherweight star has joined the fray, backing Rockhold and questioning Dana White’s handling of the UFC’s two-person featherweight division.
I've waiting for my title shot @LukeRockhold but they are looking for opponents who are coming off a loss instead of signing #3 @MeganA_mma https://t.co/FpNWDIxx3k
— @CrisCyborg.Com (@criscyborg) May 16, 2017
I've been wanting to fight 10 months
— @CrisCyborg.Com (@criscyborg) May 16, 2017
I haven't lost in 10 years and have never lost my belt. No reason to be giving me girls who haven't won in years when ranked fw want 2 fight
— @CrisCyborg.Com (@criscyborg) May 17, 2017
In her Tweets, Cyborg points out that, contrary to White’s statements, she still can’t seem to get a title shot despite never losing her Invicta or Strikeforce titles, and going 10 years without a loss.
What do you think of fighters like Rockhold and Cyborg voicing their concerns with Dana White and the UFC?
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 5/17/2017.