Ian McCall: WMMA gets more exposure, yet we are twice as good

mma_g_mccall_gb1_600

Women’s mixed martial arts has exploded in popularity over the last two years thanks in large part to UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and the UFC’s push towards the new strawweight division.

While most MMA fighters are ecstatic to see the women finally get their shot in the spotlight, one UFC flyweight is bitter about the exposure the women are getting in comparison to his division.

Former No. 1 Flyweight contender Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall went on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Hour earlier this week, and had some interesting things to say about WMMA:

I mean, look at the numbers. We don’t get paid the same, and I’m not hating on the UFC, the UFC treats me amazing. If you want to make more money, you fight more, you win more. But it’s just an overall consensus from everybody that (flyweights) just kinda get swept under the rug and no one seems to really care.

The women get a lot more exposure than we do, and let’s be honest, we’re twice the fighters they are. I don’t want to cause too much trouble. But it’s like, I don’t know, it sucks. It’s kinda depressing at some point because we’re never going to get the love that everybody else gets, and that translates to money, that translates to fame, that translates to everything that you strive for when you’re an athlete.”

It will be interesting to hear what Rousey, Miesha Tate, and Cat Zingano have to say regarding McCall’s notion that men are twice the fighters women are.

Does McCall sound bitter to you, or does he have a reputable qualm? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

[h/t MMAFighting]