Michael McDonald not interested in returning under current

[Edge Guerrero]

contract

By David St. Martin  @SaintMMA on Oct 9, 2015, 8:00a

Just where the hell has Michael McDonald been?

After a busy 2013 that included losses to former UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao and former WEC champ Urijah Faber, McDonald has been shelved.

Spending two years rehabbing hand and wrist injuries, McDonald may be healthy but he's not exactly rushing back into action.

As it turns out, McDonald isn't thrilled about how much he's earning fighting in MMA's premier organization.

"I think everyone has expectations of being a professional athlete, and it's just not exactly what you expect," McDonald told ESPN's Brett Okamoto. "It wasn't very fun after a while. I didn't feel any passion for fighting or the people around me. I'd say things started to get complicated after the Miguel Torres fight. Money was something I've never wanted to focus on, but when I look around and see people who I'm beating making a lot more than me, I started to feel angry and resentful."

McDonald scored a marquee knockout against former WEC champion Miguel Torres in 2012 at UFC 145, but only earned $8,000 to show and another $8,000 to win. Torres reportedly earned twice that.

"I knocked out Torres and I barely made any money. That's when that frustration started and it just makes you not enjoy your job. You feel underappreciated and cheated. You don't want to go out and fight the best fighters in the world, then go home and wonder if you can pay your bills. You start to say, 'Something's not right now. I'm angry.'"

McDonald jumped at the chance to face Barao for the interim title in 2013, but now sounds like he regrets taking the bout set to show for $15,000 and to win for another $15,000. Including a $50,000 "Submission of the Night," Barao reportedly earned $186,000 with a fourth-round arm triangle choke.

"It's a problem I made by not getting paid well and fighting the best in the world," said McDonald. "It's a difficult situation but I think we're going to get through it. There's no way I'm going to fight top guys for the pay I'm getting, especially when they're getting so much more than me."

McDonald scored both "Fight of the night" and "Submission of the Night" bonuses in his rebound fight with Brad Pickett at UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen in August 2013, taking home an additional $100,000 to the $30,000 he earned with the win.

Later that December, McDonald earned $17,000 in his second round submission loss to Faber, who earned a disclosed purse of $200,000.

"If the UFC wants me to fight these great guys like Faber, it's not like I'm looking to play hardball," said McDonald. "But yeah, I wouldn't want to fight him with the pay I'm getting now. So, maybe it turns into a contract renegotiation. Maybe it's, 'Let's hold off and not take this fight right now.' Maybe it's, 'Well, can we get a little more guaranteed money for this fight but keep the same contract?" I don't know what it's exactly going to be, but I have to be taken care of."

Source:http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/10/9/9484343/morning-report-ufc-michael-mcdonald-faber-dillashaw-mcgregor-ronda-rousey-mma-news