Where in the world is Michael McDonald? That is a question I have been asking for well over a year now. “Mayday” has not seen action since a December 2013 loss via first round submission to Urijah Faber and fight fans have been wondering when he will make his Octagon return. Not anytime soon, according to the Californian. He is very displeased with his current UFC contract and refuses to return to action unless he could renogotiate a contract he deems fair. In a recent interview with ESPN’s Brett Okomoto, McDonald revealed the reason behind his absence from the Octagon. It came as a surprise to many, including myself. “I think everyone has expectations of being a professional athlete, and it’s just not exactly what you expect. It wasn’t very fun after a while,” said McDonald. “I didn’t feel any passion for fighting or the people around me. I’d say things started to get complicated after the Miguel Torres fight. It started to dawn on the four-time UFC post-fight bonus winner that the juice may not be worth the squeeze. He could no longer continue to ignore the fact that he feels he is underpaid. “Money was something I’ve never wanted to focus on, but when I look around and see people who I’m beating making a lot more than me, I started to feel angry and resentful,” said McDonald. The Californian was making waves at 135 pounds. Unfortunately for him, his bank account did not reflect that fact. “I knocked out Torres and I barely made any money. That’s when that frustration started and it just makes you not enjoy your job. You feel underappreciated and cheated. You don’t want to go out and fight the best fighters in the world, then go home and wonder if you can pay your bills. You start to say, ‘Something’s not right now. I’m angry,'” said McDonald. The 16-3 fighter does not think it makes sense to go toe to toe with the best in the world for the money he is contracted to earn. He would rather sit out than scrap for scraps. “There’s no way I’m going to fight top guys for the pay I’m getting, especially when they’re getting so much more than me.” The 24-year old who was once the youngest fighter in the UFC is injury-free and ready to book a fight, however he will continue to sit out of action until he is able to renogotiate terms for a new contract with the promotion. Valuing his health and self-worth, “Mayday” will not return to war inside the Octagon until reaching a deal that satisfies him. Let’s just hope that comes to fruition sooner rather than later.
