Having most recently defeated former UFC contender Che Mills, Cage Warriors welterweight champion Cathal Pendred (13-2) has turned down an offer from American MMA promotion World Series of Fighting.
Pendred explained in an interview with Ireland’s SevereMMA.com:
“Shortly after the Mills fight (see video below) the WSOF offered me a contract,” said the Dubliner. “It was a deal that was worth nearly 20 times what I’m on at the moment, but the contract I signed with Cage Warriors only allows me to leave if the UFC make an offer.”
Following the rise of UFC featherweight standout and former dual-weight Cage Warriors champion Conor McGregor, Irish fans and media have continuously urged UFC president Dana White to also bring the Boston born Pendred to the world’s leading MMA promotion.
“It’s a little frustrating. That was a deal that would allow me to live quite comfortably. The WSOF have a really good welterweight division too with some guys that are still considered some of the best in the world at 170.
“There could’ve been some great matchups for me there, but the UFC is where I want to be,” he said.
Pendred continued, stating that a UFC deal is close, and that it may come prior to the end of his current Cage Warriors deal, “I don’t think it will take until March,” he explained. “Obviously if nothing has happened by then I’ll have to weigh things up, but I know I’m close to the UFC deal.”
With UFC cuts and roster rotation becoming more frequent as of late, it’s seems a fresh reshuffle bringing Pendred into the fold is only a matter of time.
“Basically it came down to numbers. It was explained to me that the UFC have 80 fighters in the division at the moment, and I have to wait while they made some space for me.
“It’s annoying because I know I can beat at least 70 out of that 80 and I’d be ready to go with the other 10 at the drop of hat. I’m just wondering why they (UFC) didn’t bring me in and let me clear it out for them.
“It was hard to take because I had been told that a victory over Mills would secure my spot, but I’ve got to keep moving forward.”
With aspirations for the UFC, ‘The Punisher’ now eyes a more specific cut of opponents, “I don’t want to be picky,” he said. “But I only want to take on people that will get me closer to getting Joe Silva to think ‘we have to get him.’
“Wins over tough opponents are the only things that will get me there, so I just want to keep putting pressure on them to bring me into the fold.”
LATEST: Having explained in his interview with SevereMMA.com that a Bellator clash with top British welterweight Paul Daley (33-12-2) sounds great, but is not likely to happen, Pendred hinted via Twitter:
“So Paul Daley just got released from Bellator…….”
With the Irishman lobbying for big bouts, Pendred vs Daley has become a significant possibility in the last 24 hours, due to Bellator having released Daley, allowing ‘Semtex’ to compete elsewhere, see HERE.
A former UFC contender himself, Daley made his Cage Warriors return last weekend on July 20, decimating Poland’s Lukasz Chlewicki, and forcing a doctor stoppage at the end of round one.
Read the full interview at SevereMMA.com
Photo credit: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors
