Misha Cirkunov recently re-signed a new multiple fight contract with the UFC.
While some fighters find contract negotiations with the UFC to be easy, that cannot be said for the top-15 ranked Cirkunov.
“It was a rough couple weeks in terms of re-signing and all that,” Cirkunov told TSN. “There were no hard feelings; it was business. I was dealing with it as a manager and not a fighter. … It’s a little bit nerve-racking in terms of you don’t know what to expect. It was my first time dealing with Dana White and (UFC matchmaker) Mick Maynard, and they’ve been in the game for a really long time. I’ve been in the game a long time, but as an athlete. I’ve never really seen the managing side. I still had an idea what to expect because I did have deals before. I used to own my own gym, I’m running a couple gyms now myself. I knew what to expect a little bit, but it was a nervous couple weeks because I didn’t have a job.”
Cirkunov has won all four of his previous fights under the UFC banner. The one thing that Cirkunov has learned from everything is that UFC President Dana White is a powerful man.
“Dana is a very powerful man,” Cirkunov said. “Sometimes if he says something that might be it. He might stick with his word, and that’s it. Being friends with Dana is the same thing. One day you can be friends, then something goes wrong and you’re enemies. I would rather not be best friends, not enemies. … I just want to deal with Mick Maynard. I think we get along really, really well.”
A return fight has yet to be announced by Cirkunov or the UFC.
