Shane Burgos has opted to leave the UFC in favor of a lucrative new deal with the PFL promotion.
Burgos’ contract with the UFC came to an end last month after a majority decision victory over Charles Jourdain, and at the time Dana White had signalled his interest in re-signing him, describing the 31-year-old as “a savage.”
However, Burgos wanted to test his worth as a free agent, and after seeing the deal that PFL were willing to offer him he felt obliged to take it and secure his future financially.
““It was not an easy decision,” Burgos said of his decision to leave the UFC in an interview on the MMA Hour show. “It was an offer—I couldn’t turn it up. I’ve got two daughters; I’ve got to go back home, I’ve got to look at them in the face when it’s all said and done in this sport. With this deal I feel like that will secure that. Not taking anything away from my UFC career. Eleven fights in the UFC, that was a dream when I was 14 years old. I saw it for the first time on TV when I was 12 and was like, ‘That’s what I want to do.’ When I was 14 I made the decision, I started training at 15, and the UFC gave me the platform to be able to be in this position right now and then secure the deal that I just secured with the PFL. [Sean Shelby, Dana White, Hunter Campbell, Mick Maynard], all the guys at the UFC, I can’t thank you guys enough.”
Burgos went on reveal that PFL had actually come close to signing him a few years ago, but they upped the ante on their offer this time around to seal the deal.
“Last time [I negotiated with the PFL] it was relatively close. That’s why I was like, ‘It’s not that big of a difference.’
“It was a bigger difference [this time]. It was a six-figure difference back then—what I was going to get paid from the PFL—and I turned that down to stay with the UFC. Now, it’s obviously bigger than that.”
“When it’s all said and done after the first season—obviously, I plan on winning—I’ll be a multi-millionaire.”
Burgos bows out of the UFC with an overall 8-3 record in the Octagon, including four ‘Fight Of The Night’ awards.
