Tommy McMillen features on the main card of this weekend’s Noche UFC 4 card
in Phoenix, Arizona. Edgar Chairez, who fights on the prelims, doesn’t like that one bit.Chairez, who has Tim Elliott to deal with on Saturday, spoke toMMA Junkie’s Spanish language podcast Hablemos MMAwhere he discussed McMillen and their respective places on the card (which, you know, is branded to be a celebration of Mexican MMA and its fighters).
“They put Tommy McMillen on the main card, and he’s a rookie. He’s only there
because he said something about Mexicans and posts his rockstar lifestyle – smoking weed, women, and that’s what the market wants,” remarked Chairez.
Chairez was partly referring to when McMillen, fresh off of finishing Alberto Montes in July, told the UFC to “send” him a “Motherf**king Mexican” for the forthcoming Noche UFC event. McMillen also stated that he would be “coming home” for that event, since he trains and lives in Arizona.
McMillen has become notable in UFC for his style both inside and outside the cage. Chairez, though, is just not into it.
“I live like an athlete,” he said. “And I want to give a good example for the youth. Yeah, I might curse a lot, but I’m an elite athlete who only shows my athletic life. That’s it. I’m not going to make up a role and play a false character. I feel what I do is not appreciated, so I don’t care anymore as long as I keep getting paid well. If I get a good fight next, good, I’ll take it. If they put me against a debutante so I can be a test, then I’ll do that. I’m nobody to call the shots.”
Chairez is coming off an impressivesubmission win over Bruno Silvain June. That fight took place on the prelims. Prior to that he made two main card appearances, taking a split decision over Felipe Bunes and getting a submission over CJ Vergara.
The Mexican fighter couldn’t hide his bemusement at being on the prelims for Noche UFC. McMillen making the main card seems to have added some salt into that wound.
“[McMillen is] a debutant basically. He’s got one fight, and I have seven,” Chairez said. “I’m Mexican. I’m mentioning him, but in other events I’ve also been on the prelims. There were two events where last minute I was promoted. I sell a ton of tickets. My family is from Mexicali and Phoenix. It’s going to get packed. They know how many tickets I sell because they use my link. They know statistically I pull numbers. But whatever, I’m going in there to fight and win and see what happens. It does bother me a lot. I feel very underappreciated by the company.”
Despite not being pleased with his place on the card, Chairez must be happy with the opponent he’s drawn. Elliott is a former title challenger and he’s currently ranked 12 on the media panel UFC rankings. Chairez is currently unranked (on both media and meta rankings).
A big win in Phoenix will likely go a long way to making sure he’s on the main card the next time the UFC goes south of, or close to, the border.
