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The UFC is a cutthroat promotion that does not allow any fighter, even Conor McGregor, to have any illusions about being bigger than the organization. It prioritizes itself above all else, promoting the brand more than it promotes its fighters. So it should come as no surprise that certain fighters have spoken up.
Throughout its history, there have been countless fighters who have expressed their frustrations with how the organization has handled their careers. Whether its due to the promotion not paying them what they think they're worth or barring them from a dream fight in another combat sport, several fighters come to mind.
In other cases, some UFC fighters have even accused the promotion of unethical conduct, taking them to court for a legal battle. Whatever the issues between the promotion and these fighters, this list goes over five of them.
#5 Cris Cyborg, former UFC women's featherweight
Cris Cyborg and the UFC have never had a good relationship. Before she signed with the promotion, she was Ronda Rousey's most heated rival, with the organization's upper brass siding with 'Rowdy.' It led to tasteless moments like Dana White comparing the Brazilian's physical appearance to Wanderlei Silva.
Some semblance of peace seemed to be established after Cyborg signed with the promotion, and she even became the champion of it's women's featherweight division. Unfortunately, a stunning knockout loss to future WMMA GOAT Amanda Nunes heralded her downfall.
While campaigning for a rematch, Cyborg uploaded doctored footage of an alleged backstage confrontation between her and Dana White, where the promotion's president seemingly admitted to lying for the purpose of business. This did not sit well with the promotion and they opted against re-signing her.
She has since hit out at the promotion several times, accusing them of bullying, while claiming to feel more at home at Bellator.
#4 Conor McGregor, UFC lightweight
Given his status as MMA's golden goose, Conor McGregor's wishes are typically accommodated by the promotion, at least within reason. Furthermore, he has a good relationship with the promotion's president, Dana White. However, there have been moments when both sides engaged in a Cold War of sorts.
Ahead of the Irishman's rematch with Nate Diaz, which was initially scheduled for UFC 200, McGregor sought to forgo his media obligations in favor of focusing more on his fight preparation. The promotion, however, insisted that he take part in the media obligations like all fighters.
This led to a tussle that saw the promotion remove him from the card, while McGregor announced the first of several faux retirements. The other instance where both sides butted heads was during the initial stages of his attempt to secure a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The UFC was not keen on the idea, causing McGregor to publicly express his frustrations in a back-and-forth that eventually culminated in the bout taking place.
#3 Mark Hunt, former UFC heavyweight
Mark Hunt was once one of the highest-paid heavyweights on the roster. The power-punching master of the walk-off knockout made his name as one of the most exciting strikers in the division. At UFC 200, he faced former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar in the co-headliner.
He initially lost the bout via unanimous decision, but the official result was overturned into a no-contest after Lesnar was found to have twice tested positive for clomifene, a testosterone-replacement therapy alternative and estrogen blocker, in pre-fight and in-competition drug tests.
Due to the promotion's decision to waive its required four-month drug testing window for a fighter coming out of retirement for Lesnar, Hunt accused the promotion of knowingly allowing 'The Beast' to compete while enhanced by steroids.
This led Hunt to file a lawsuit against the promotion, citing fraud, unjust enrichment, breach of contract, and several other alleged wrongdoings. In addition to his lawsuit, 'The Super Samoan' has also frequently insulted the promotion online in various tweets and Instagram posts since leaving it.
#2 Francis Ngannou, former UFC heavyweight
The enmity between Francis Ngannou and the UFC may take some time to die down. He was once its heavyweight champion, but relinquished the title after the promotion failed to meet his demands during their contract negotiations. Ngannou wanted to box, but the promotion wasn't keen on it.
Furthermore, 'The Predator' alleges a lack of respect on the UFC's part. And given Dana White's past statements about Francis Ngannou allegedly having an uncontrollable ego, it isn't difficult to see why things between both sides eventually collapsed.
He even sought a bout with Jon Jones, which never materialized. At the time, Dana White, who acts as the public face of the promotion, accused 'Bones' of avoiding a matchup with Ngannou. But after Ngannou exited the promotion, White's tune changed into Ngannou being the one who avoided Jones.
Worse still, the promotion recently tried scrubbing him from its history, which it has done to other fighters several times, by falsely claiming that Tafon Nchukwi was the first Cameroonian fighter to compete in the promotion.
#1 Nate Diaz, former UFC welterweight/lightweight
Nate Diaz is not the easiest fighter to deal with, he never has been. Whether he's complaining about the types of matchups he's being offered or the amount of money he's being paid, he has always had something to say about how the promotion treated him.
After achieving an unprecedented level of stardom due to his rivalry with Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz came into a tremendous amount of negotiating power. Unfortunately, he still wasn't being given the matchups he felt he deserved, like his long sought-after bout with Dustin Poirier.
Furthermore, his desire to explore other combat sports options beyond the UFC caused him to clash with the promotion, with the Stockton cult icon even being pictured urinating outside of the UFC Performance Institute. While he was eventually granted his release from the promotion, it did not come easily.
