Jeff Creighton delivered a winning performance on The Ultimate Fighter 33, but his victory was perhaps overshadowed by a truly unique negotiation that preceded the fight.
The Weight Miss Dilemma
Creighton`s scheduled opponent, Andreeas Binder from coach Chael Sonnen’s team, failed to make weight for their quarterfinal bout. Binder tipped the scales at 176 pounds, a significant five pounds over the allowed limit, even with the one-pound allowance common for non-title contests. This put Binder, coach Sonnen, and the show`s production team in a difficult situation: what would happen to the planned fight?
The Unfolding Negotiation
To try and save the matchup, Sonnen contacted the opposing team, coached by Daniel Cormier, proposing to pay Creighton $1,000 for each pound Binder was over the weight limit. Cormier and Creighton countered with a demand for $2,500 per pound. Sonnen ultimately agreed to the higher figure, allowing the bout to proceed as planned.
Creighton`s True Perspective
While viewers saw Creighton portrayed as a cold, calculated negotiator during the episode, the fighter later clarified that the reality behind the scenes was slightly different from how it was edited.
“The way they shot it made it seem like I had the number in my head, like I made the call,” Creighton explained. “Really, that’s not how it went.” He revealed that when they received Sonnen`s initial $1,000 offer, he consulted with his team. It was actually Cormier’s boxing coach, Rosendo Sanchez, who immediately suggested asking for $2,500, reasoning that Sonnen could afford it given his work with ESPN. Creighton simply relayed that counter-offer, and Sonnen quickly accepted.
Creighton was keen to give credit to Sanchez, noting that the televised version made him appear like the ultimate negotiator, which he felt wasn`t entirely accurate, although he acknowledged being “a pretty good negotiator” himself. He was grateful Sanchez spoke up.
An Unprecedented TUF Situation
While fighters have missed weight on TUF before and still competed, a miss as significant as Binder`s combined with such a substantial financial penalty negotiated on the fly is highly unusual for the reality show, which premiered in 2005 and is now celebrating its 20th anniversary with TUF 33.
Creighton confirmed that the resulting $12,500 payment did indeed come directly out of Chael Sonnen`s pocket. He added that the athletic commission`s main concern was simply ensuring Binder was at a safe weight to compete on fight day; a weight difference exceeding 10 pounds would likely have led to the fight being cancelled.
Dana White`s Reaction
When Creighton spoke with UFC CEO Dana White about the unique pre-fight situation, he received nothing but positive feedback from the boss.
Creighton recounted White`s reaction: “I think Dana knew this was a good idea. The show’s never seen anything like this. So he was, like, thumbs up, let’s make it happen.”
The Fight and the Victory
With the financial agreement secured, Creighton focused on the task at hand: competing in the cage. The first round proved challenging, with Binder landing several hard punches. However, Creighton and his corner were confident that Binder`s strenuous weight cut would catch up to him in the second round. Their prediction was accurate. Creighton`s relentless pressure overwhelmed Binder in Round 2, leading to Creighton dominating and bloodying his opponent for the majority of the frame. The judges awarded Creighton a dominant 10-8 score for the second round, securing him the decision victory in the two-round contest.
The Long Road to the UFC Dream
This win moves the 29-year-old Creighton (professional record 11-2-1) one step closer to achieving his dream of fighting in the UFC. His journey has been anything but straightforward. For two years prior to signing up for TUF, Creighton`s management had kept him on standby for potential UFC opportunities like the Contender Series or short-notice fights, without any concrete offers.
Creighton described the frustrating waiting period: “There was no deal that was really presented… you just need to stay ready. That’s all I was told for two years.” He trained constantly but became increasingly frustrated with the lack of opportunity as he got older, looking to start a family and buy a house.
His manager eventually reached out about The Ultimate Fighter specifically looking for welterweights (170 pounds). Creighton immediately said yes, viewing it as an unexpected but crucial opportunity.
Reflecting on the Experience
Creighton was Team Cormier’s third pick at welterweight and the fifth overall welterweight selected. He took responsibility for being chosen later, admitting he didn`t perform at his peak during the initial tryout workouts. However, once picked, he felt fully confident he could win the show.
Despite his confidence in the competition, he wasn`t fully prepared for the emotional “roller-coaster” surrounding his first fight in the TUF house, particularly the unusual negotiation.
Reflecting on that pre-fight moment, Creighton called it “super exciting” and “just wild” to live through. He acknowledged the difficulty of making critical decisions while dealing with the physical and mental effects of weight cutting and other pressures, but ultimately felt they made the “right one,” concluding, “It couldn`t have gone any better than that.”
Marcus Blakely