Nate Maness hopes UFC circles back after 5-2 stint resulted in free agency: 'What can I do better?'
Nate Maness loves fighting for the UFC and has found success. That’s why he’s puzzled by what seems to be a parting of ways, though he says he’s not entirely sure that’s the case, either.
According to Maness (16-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC), his UFC deal expired after his win over Jimmy Flick in June. The victory put him on a two-fight streak into free agency and moved him to 5-2 overall.
Maness thought he was in a good position to re-up with the promotion. However, Maness recently told MMA Junkie it hasn’t seemed that way in the days since.
“Honestly, we haven’t really heard anything,” Maness said. “We sent out a couple of different messages. We gave them a couple of weeks after the fight and then we sent out a couple feelers, but we can’t even really get a response. Your guess is as good as mine.”
According to Maness and his manager Pat Wilson, of RISE Sports Management Group, the UFC had an exclusive period to re-sign, but that has since expired.
On June 28, Maness appeared on the algorithm-based UFC Roster Tracker account, which indicates the promotion is done with him for the time being, which has left them scratching their heads.
“I feel like I’ve done my part to earn my spot,” Maness said. “We never really got a reason why. I’m 5-2 with three finishes. I fought some pretty tough guys. I’d like to be in the UFC. If not, I’d at least like a reason why I wasn’t re-signed. Other than that, I hope to continue fighting. We’ve gotten some offers in already. So I’m just stepping back and seeing what comes around and continuing on, I guess.”
That ground and pound was vicious from Nate Maness #UFCVegas80 pic.twitter.com/AUgpNDGtYX
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 7, 2023
Maness it’s all positive feelings toward the UFC. In fact, if he could snap his fingers, Wilson and matchmaker Mick Maynard would be working on his next fight. Though other offers have come in, Maness plans to hold out a little longer to see if the UFC changes course.
“Maybe they cut me to make room for Contender Series guys,” Maness said. “But yeah, we’re going to kind of wait this matching period out. We don’t want to be fighting the best guys in the world for a small amount of money. So we’re going to wait that out and look at our offers and make the best choice to support my family. … I’d love a top 15 guy. I feel like I’m right there on that point. Charles Johnson just got a big win against Van. Me and him have talked in the past. I’d love that fight.
“Anybody in the top 15, man. I feel like I can compete with anybody – and they can beat me, as well. But I feel like they’ll all be exciting fights. That would be amazing for me.”
Maness, 33, said offers have already come in from elsewhere, though he declined to name which promotions specifically. The money offered is sufficient enough, but Maness hopes the UFC will just give him sort some answer first.
“I’d just like a reason,” Maness said. “I feel like that’s just good business. There was nothing on our part where we ever said anything bad about the UFC. We didn’t post anything that we weren’t supposed to. We took everything they threw at us. I’d just like a reason. What can I do better? Is it who I’m fighting? Is it who I am? Just anything like that. So I hope they hear us and I hope they reach out, even if they don’t want me. That would just bring a little ease to the situation. That would probably be the only thing.”