Shane Burgos will officially be leaving the UFC to sign with the PFL. Burgos' UFC contract ran out after his last win against Charles Jourdain, and after testing the market, PFL reportedly made him an offer he couldn't refuse.
Burgos made the announcement on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. The MMA journalist mentioned how the PFL format offers a unique opportunity for mid-tier or former UFC fighters to make a massive amount of money compared to other promotions. 'Hurricane' responded by saying:
"One thing I like about [PFL is] the structure. You win these fights, there's your bag. It's right there, you can see it. With the UFC, you don't know exactly when you're gonna get a title shot. You don't know exactly when you're gonna get these opportunities, but this one, it's like laid out right in front of you."
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"You win those two out-of-season fights, rack up the points, and then three fights to win the million. It's right there for you to see."
PFL has shown this logic to be accurate. Antonio Carlos Junior, a former UFC fighter, won $1 million in the championship last year and was on track for another before getting injured. Transparency in potential earnings continues to drive more high-level fighters, such as Burgos, to the PFL.
Watch Shane Burgos' interview and more on The MMA Hour below:
Shane Burgos claims move to PFL was 'not an easy decision'
'Hurricane' mentioned his desire in the past to test the market, and ultimately he made a decision. Burgos didn't go into specifics but told Helwani the UFC couldn't match the deal from PFL. During the same episode, the Bronx native had this to say about deciding to leave the UFC:
"It's still not an easy decision because money isn't everything, but just that financial security means a lot."
More MMA promotions finding success could be a massive contribution to improved fighter pay across the sport. UFC fighters out of title contention may continue to leave and pursue more money, forcing all promotions to increase their fighter pay to secure their superstars. With more fighters like Burgos, who reportedly provided a better future for his family by jumping ship to join the PFL, popping up every month, the change could happen sooner rather than later.