Exclusive: Michael McDonald Calls UFC Negotiations “Standard American Business”

Michael McDonald is not a fan of standard American business negotiations. 

Earlier this year, Michael McDonald left UFC and signed with Bellator MMA. During the transition, he made it clear he did not appreciate how UFC did business. On Fightful MMA's podcast Holy Smokes, McDonald clarified he does not think UFC treated him unfairly but treated him like most fighters. McDonald said UFC operates like most businesses in the United States but he has never cared for how most Americans do business. 

"I learned a lot about business during that. I was dealing with Sean Shelby…It was unusual, how they were doing business with me. It's not even uncommon American business practices. It was standard American business practices and I'm not cool with standard business. You go onto Craig's list and it's the same thing. Someone will say 'hey, what's the lowest you will accept for that?' You're like 'sixty bucks' and you really will go down to fifty. It's just like that, it's dishonesty," said McDonald.

According to McDonald, he told Sean Shelby that his woodworking business was performing well enough that UFC's offer could not take him away from it. McDonald said he does not think UFC believed him. 

"I was being honest with Sean. I think he thought I was playing a normal American business game," said McDonald. "He hears that all the time 'oh, I need more money.' Managers being dishonest and saying 'we need this much or it's not worth it' when it really is worth it for them. I was being honest," he continued.

At Bellator 191, McDonald was victorious in his promotional debut. In the rest of the interview, McDonald talked about how fighters are starting to make money out of the cage and how mixed-martial-artist are poised to make more money in the near future. 

Holy Smokes airs Tuesdays at 3 pm on FightfulPods.com.