Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight Todd Duffee returned to the UFC in late 2012. The American Top Team fighter had a previous UFC run that surprisingly ended after his upset knockout loss to Mike Russow at UFC 114. In his current run, Duffee is 2-1 with both wins coming by way of knockout.
Following his knockout loss to Frank Mir in July 2015, Duffee had a decision to make. He could either complete his contract with one fight remaining to test free agency, or re-sign with the UFC. Duffee decided to stick with his current home.
The heavyweight’s decision to stay was down to money and safety. He told ESPN that he isn’t one to play around with fire:
“Business-wise, you’re paying to play at that point. I was making [$12,000 to show, $12,000 to win]. You’ve got to take time off work to focus on the task at hand, because you’re going to fight another man in a cage. You’re not going to take that lightly. You’re not going to play with that. That could have long-term effects on your life.”
Duffee will be facing Mark Godbeer in his first fight under the new contract. The U.S. Anti Doping Agency (USADA) has made a profound impact on the UFC. Whether you praise what the agency is doing, or criticize it for inconsistencies, its presence can’t be denied.
For Duffee, this system being in place is another aspect of the UFC that makes the promotion legit. He also praised the UFC for its simplicity and the way they handled the knockout loss he suffered in his last bout.
“And this might sound crazy, but USADA — you don’t have that anywhere else. This is a real league. Top to bottom, it’s an organization that makes things easy. They took great care of me after my fight with Mir.”
