Legacy FC owner Mick Maynard ‘happy and proud’ to groom UFC talent – for now

Legacy FC owner Mick Maynard is all about opening doors for his fighters. If the UFC happens to be on the other side of one of them, then Maynard will encourage people to step through, even if it means losing high-level talent.

“Right now we are definitely happy and proud to be sending people to the UFC,” Maynard told MMAjunkie. “Down the road that may change. It may get to the point where we can hang on to these guys and gals and pay them the type of money where they can make a living.”

The Texas-based Legacy FC has flourished in 2013. The promotion, which airs its event on AXS TV, held 10 events this year, developed a number of intriguing prospects, and also groomed prospects, a number of whom have signed UFC contracts.

From legitimate prospects like Holly Holm and Henry Cejudo, who fans eventually expect to see in the octagon, to veterans looking to work their way back to the octagon, including Leonard Garcia, Legacy FC has a knack for streamlining talent to the top.

As the promotion jockeys for position in an increasingly crowded MMA landscape, Maynard said it would be fantastic to keep everyone under his organization’s umbrella. But he also knows that isn’t a realistic proposition.

He’s aware the UFC is much more financially viable and can pay fighters better, which is why he’ll never step in the way of anyone heading to the world’s most prominent MMA promotion.

“If we were able to hang on to all of that talent, we would be pretty amazing,” he said. “But I think for right now, that’s who we are. I can’t prevent these guys and gals from furthering their career and having the opportunity to get life-changing financial rewards. I wouldn’t do that.”

Maynard points to current UFC flyweight Ryan Benoit as a perfect example.
Benoit won four fights under the Legacy FC banner from 2012 to 2013, and just this past month, he made his UFC debut on The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale card in Las Vegas.

While Benoit was a sellable, exciting fighter who earned four first-round finishes under the Legacy FC banner, Maynard saw the opportunity presented to the youngster. Maynard said he had no choice but to let him out of his contract and move on to greener pastures.

The result? Benoit earned $100,000 for his “Fight of the Night” performance against Josh Sampo (another Legacy FC veteran). That’s a dramatic sum of money the fighter wouldn’t have made elsewhere.

Maynard’s aware of that fact, and though he would one day like to award similar bonuses to his fighters, he knows only one organization is capable of doing that at this time.

“Ryan Benoit lost, but he got a ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus,” he said. “That’s life-changing for someone who is 24 years old. We are not providing the $100,000 bonuses right now. Our goal is to one day be able to do that, but right now we are happy to sit back and be where we’re at and make constant progression.”

Along with Benoit, the likes of Andrew Craig, Jared Rosholt, Sean Spencer, Robert Drysdale, Brian Melancon, Daniel Pineda and many others have parlayed their Legacy FC careers into UFC contracts.

As an up-and-coming organization, Maynard has a practical outlook on Legacy’s place in the frequently evolving MMA space. The company has already struck a deal to broadcast events multiple events a year on AXS TV in the U.S. and is gaining momentum as a place to watch tomorrow’s UFC superstars.

Maynard is content with feeding fighters into the UFC, but that’s where he draws the line. The Legacy boss feels his organization is as successful and credible as any other non-UFC entity out there, and that’s why he’s satisfied with the model of his current operations.

“As it currently stands, the only organization that we do send our fighters or allow out clauses to go to is the UFC,” Maynard said. “I think we are on par with absolutely everyone else from a talent standpoint, the way that we pay, all of that. I feel like we are on par with everybody except the UFC.”

For the latest on Legacy FC’s schedule, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Mick Maynard via mikethetruth.com)