Lorenz Larkin is coming off of a huge victory over Neil Magny at UFC 202 this past August, but now he's a free agent in the world of MMA If a company wants the Strikeforce and UFC vet, they have ot meet a few requirements.
"It’s just two things I’m looking for, and it’s not like I have a vendetta against [the UFC], it’s just whoever can meet my two needs. It’s pretty much me getting the money I deserve, and the marketing. I feel like I’m an exciting fighter. Fans like to see me fight, and I’m not boring. I feel like I have personality. You can put me around people and I’m not like a Cro-Magnon or anything. So my thing is, they just never use me. I want to work. And that’s my thing. I’m not just being selfish, being like I want this and that’s it,” Larkin said to MMA Fighting.
Being a marketable fighter is something that is important to Larkin, because he feels that the UFC never really marketed him in the right light.
"It’s like, you guys could have made me work for this stuff," he says. "But you guys never used me. I see all these other guys you’re using, but you don’t use me for anything — to meet fans, to do appearances, or just anything. I’m willing to. I don’t just want to fight. I love to fight, but some things between fights I don’t mind doing some stuff for the company. But they never can use me. It’s crazy because, when I fight, I look at social media and things like that," he says. "I guess you can call me a lurker, because I look and I don’t say anything. I see so many people like, who is that? What fight is that? What guy is fighting against Magny? Who is that? And I like, what the f*ck? Don’t get me wrong, I know I’m not no household name, but it’s just like, what the hell? It’s like, seriously, it’s only straight MMA fans that know who I am. At the end of the day it all boils down to marketing, and the only marketing I get — and I get the same thing that every other fighter gets — it’s the week of the fight. The little PR that we do and stuff like that. But other than that, just nothing. Only diehard fans know who I am and look for my fights."
Larkin, who is not able to negotiate as a free agent until November 20, which is exactly three months after his last UFC bout, does not necessarily have a promotion in mind he would like to fight for, a UFC return is not out of the question either.
"Don’t get me wrong, I would love to come back to the UFC and keep it going," he says. "But, I’m just at a point where, if they can’t meet my needs, then it’s not for me. Anybody should be like that. Especially when I give you guys 110 percent. There’s no half-ass with me. If I give you all that, give me something in return. I’m not ever shying away from big fights or opportunities like that," he says. "It would just so happen to be that Magny was the first big name that got thrown at me. I had to take it on short notice and that’s the type of stuff you have to do to get an opportunity like that when you’re not even ranked. I want these fights. I would love to fight like a [Donald] Cerrone or a [Johny] Hendricks. I like exciting fights, and that’s what gets me fired up and gets me going. Not saying other guys aren’t exciting, but I guess I would say I like fan-favorite fights. Fights that get them talking like, ‘oh my god, I can’t wait to see this fight.’ Those are the fights I want."
Larkin and the UFC have yet to come to terms on a deal.
