James Vick sounds off on UFC-Austin headliner snub, getting turned down by ranked peers

That James Vick isn’t exactly happy at the moment we knew already.

That much Vick made clear right after the “BS” main event for the UFC’s next trip to Austin, Texas, was made official. On Twitter, the angered lightweight explained that he’d offered to take the spot against Donald Cerrone in his home state, even if it involved moving up to 170 pounds. But the promotion went with Yancy Medeiros instead for UFC Fight Nnight 126.

Vick had had some time to cool off before speaking to MMAjunkie Radio earlier this week. But, as it turns out, he wasn’t any less peeved. We recommend you take the time to listen to his fired-up rant to get the full picture, but here’s a summary.

Texas’ own Vick said he started asking to headline UFC Fight Night 126 after his last octagon outing – a knockout win over Joe Duffy at UFC 217 on Nov. 4. Then, a month ago, he heard Cerrone say he was considering going back down to lightweight. So out went a text to UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby.

“I said, ‘I’ll fight him,'” Vick told MMAjunkie Radio. “Then I get a text back from Sean saying, ‘Well I’m not sure where you heard that from, but we’re negotiating a deal for him at 170.'”

Cut to last week, when Vick says he heard from Shelby that he was doing his best to find an opponent but that, apparently, “None of these guys want no part of me.” When Vick asked whether the main-event slot would be his, he said he was told another headliner was already in the works.

Up until that point, though, Vick thought fellow Texan Derrick Lewis would be the one to to take the spot. Which, he added, he wouldn’t have a problem with. Cerrone’s name, though, wasn’t mentioned.

“(Shelby) knew that if I knew it was Donald Cerrone, that I would have begged for that fight,” Vick said.

Then a few days ago, Vick was tagged in a post in which Cerrone said a tentative opponent was unable to make a fight with him. Vick, then weighing 190 pounds, said he reached out to Shelby that day to accept the fight at either division (via Instagram):

Saturday night working on my new @bmfranch sauna ??????? Really I’m looking and waiting for a fight the guy who begged for the fight, said the date we agreed on won’t work for him ???????so he out. So if your a 155/170 and looking for a fight go ahead and let your manager know! And let’s dance.

A post shared by Donald Cerrone (@cowboycerrone) on Dec 23, 2017 at 5:51pm PST

“The next thing I know, a couple of days later, all of a sudden that fight gets announced,” Vick said. “Which means either two things: Either the UFC doesn’t want Cerrone to take another loss, and they didn’t even offer him to fight me. Or he didn’t really want to fight me.”

Here’s the thing: Vick (12-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) actually wants to fight a higher-ranked lightweight opponent to further advance his career. A welterweight meeting with Cerrone (32-10 MMA, 19-7 UFC), who’s lost his past three fights, wouldn’t exactly qualify.

But considering the contenders of his division don’t seem willing to say yes, Vick figured a big name with no ranking would be better than someone who doesn’t have either.

“I’m not a 2-2 guy asking to fight a top contender,” Vick said. “I’m a (expletive) 8-1 guy asking to fight a top contender. But the UFC can’t put a gun to these people’s heads and make them fight me, so I was going for the next best option. And I just wanted to be the main event in my home state.”

Vick does have a bit of a point there.

Currently riding a three-fight winning streak, all finishes, he hasn’t lost since Beneil Dariush tainted his then-unblemished record in June 2016. Still, Vick only recently has made an appearance in the UFC’s official rankings – where he now sits at No. 15.

All things considered, Vick thinks he’s earned the right to want more – whether it’s better card placement, publicity or even post-fight bonuses. But that involves getting a bigger window and, of course, competition that helps him move closer to the belt.

Vick said he was basically promised by Shelby last week that he would be on the main card in Austin. Whether that’s a co-headliner, though, would depend on the opponent. While he won’t fault the matchmaker for not being able to force others into fighting him, he does think some of it is within the UFC’s control.

“It is his and the UFC’s fault if I’m not getting top positions on the card,” Vick said. “Well, congratulations, I’m on the (expletive) main card of a (UFC Fight Night event). With the record I have, what – I’m supposed to thank him for that?”

With the headliner opposite Cerrone off the table, Vick is now trying to figure out a way to meet a higher-ranked opponent. And judging by the feedback he said he got from Shelby, that’s proving to be tricky.

Al Iaquinta, in theory, would fit the profile of opponent he is looking for – but the two, who were both on “The Ultimate Fighter 15,” are still friends and would rather avoid fighting each other unless it’s for a big opportunity such as a crack at the top five.

There’s Michael Chiesa, whom Vick lost to on “The Ultimate Fighter 15” and, according to him, is a matchup that the UFC was also interested in.

“I’ve been trolling this guy on Twitter; he wants no part of me,” Vick said. “I’ve been begging to fight this guy for five-and-a-half years. He wants no part of me.”

What about Kevin Lee, who’s just coming off an interim title-bout loss to Tony Ferguson? Vick would love it but said he was told by Shelby that Lee probably wouldn’t accept. And then there’s Evan Dunham, fresh off a win over Dariush, whom Vick said has already opted to sit it out when the matchup was offered in August.

Vick also likes the ring of Paul Felder’s name but thinks that the matchup would run into Felder’s smart manager. Which leaves Vick with the last guy to beat Felder: the ever-reliable Francisco Trinaldo.

Trinaldo, who once put together a seven-fight streak in the octagon, has recently recovered from a loss to Lee with a unanimous-decision win over Jim Miller. Unless an even higher-ranked opponent comes along, then that one sits just fine with Vick.

“So right now I’m looking at fighting Trinaldo,” Vick said. “Which isn’t a step down for me. At least he’s ranked one above me. I told Sean, ‘If that’s what you’ve got, I’ll take it.’ So we’ll see if that’s what happens.”

To hear more from Vick, check out the video above.

And for more on UFC Fight Night 126, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Dan Tom. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.