John Alessio of X-treme Couture gives the 411 on "Zuffa" contracts and what's in store for the UFC and WEC in terms of working together. Notable quote:
JA: My contract is with Zuffa. I am considered a WEC fighter and they don't like to cross paths like that, they are trying to build it up. What I was told is eventually the idea is build them up to where they are even with each other and have title unifications and stuff like that. We are still a year, maybe two years away.
I tend to think it's a little more than two years, but that's neither here nor there. What's interesting are the planned unifications down the road. I can't exactly see how that's the best of all possible outcomes given that the UFC isn't likely to relinquish enough top talent to the WEC to ever make unification competitive. Yes, Paul Filho went to the WEC, but he's the exception. Moreover, if they unify the two organizational titles, where does that leave the UFC is their champion loses? Even though the WEC and UFC are under the same banner, you have to wonder if the business model White's running makes the potential upset there worth the trouble.
Clearly Zuffa has vested interest in building the WEC brand, but I doubt White will ever truly risk tarnishing the UFC name or prestige.
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