Jeff Creighton delivered a winning performance on The Ultimate Fighter 33, a bout made particularly unforgettable by a distinctive negotiation that took place before the fight.
His opponent, Andreeas Binder from coach Chael Sonnen’s team, missed weight significantly for their quarterfinal matchup, weighing in at 176 pounds – five pounds above the 170-pound limit, even accounting for the one-pound allowance in non-title fights. This situation created a problem for Binder, Sonnen, and the production: how would this week`s fight proceed?
Sonnen contacted the opposing coach, Daniel Cormier`s team, proposing to pay Creighton $1,000 for each pound his fighter was overweight to ensure the fight could still happen. Cormier and Creighton responded with a counter-offer of $2,500 per pound. Sonnen accepted this higher amount, allowing the fight to go ahead as planned.
Based on the broadcast, viewers might have seen Creighton as a cool, calculated negotiator. However, Creighton revealed that the actual events unfolded a little differently.
Creighton explained, “The editing made it look like I had that specific number ready and initiated the counter-offer. That’s not exactly what happened. When I received the call and we heard the $1,000 per pound offer, I lowered the phone so Chael couldn’t hear our discussion. I looked around at everyone, and [Cormier’s boxing coach] Rosendo Sanchez was the first to react. He said, ‘Forget that. Demand $2,500 a pound; Chael works for ESPN now, he can afford it.’”
Creighton continued, “So I just took a chance based on his suggestion, and they accepted it immediately. I thought, ‘This is fantastic.’ I want to make sure Rosendo gets the credit, as the episode portrayed me as having that number on the tip of my tongue and being this master negotiator. While I’m decent at negotiating, I’m not sure I’m that good. So I’m grateful Rosendo spoke up.”
Although fighters have missed weight on TUF in the past and still competed, Binder`s significant weight miss and the resulting financial penalty were unprecedented for the long-running reality show, which first aired in 2005 and is now in its 20th year (TUF 33).
Regarding the official procedures, Creighton, who confirmed that Sonnen paid the full $12,500 penalty personally, noted that the commission`s primary concern was simply ensuring Binder was at a safe weight on fight day (a difference of over 10 pounds would likely have led to the fight being cancelled). Later, when Creighton spoke with UFC CEO Dana White, he was met with only positive feedback from the potential future boss.
Creighton quoted White: “I think Dana understood this was beneficial,” adding, “The show had never featured anything like this before. So his reaction was essentially, ‘Thumbs up, let`s do it.’”
With the negotiation settled, the focus shifted to the fight itself. After a challenging first round where Binder landed some solid punches, Creighton and his corner felt confident that Binder`s difficult weight cut would impact him in Round 2. Their prediction proved correct; Creighton`s relentless pressure wore Binder down, leading to Creighton dominating and bloodying Binder for most of the round. The judges scored the round 10-8 for Creighton, securing him the victory in the two-round bout.
This victory moves the 29-year-old Creighton (11-2-1) closer to achieving his goal of competing in the UFC. His path hasn`t been straightforward; before joining TUF, his management had basically instructed him to remain ready for a potential UFC opportunity at any time.
Creighton shared, “There wasn`t a concrete offer; it was more like, `Hey, you might get on Contender [Series] or get a short-notice call, so just be prepared.` That was the message for two years. I kept training constantly, doing everything I could, but the chance never materialized. I became quite frustrated with my situation. I`m getting older, I`m married, and we wanted to start a family and buy a home. I was just tired of waiting.”
He added, “[My manager] contacted me saying, `They`re looking for 170-pounders for The Ultimate Fighter, would you be interested?` and I immediately said, `Absolutely!` It felt like an unexpected opportunity.”
Creighton was the third welterweight chosen for Team Cormier and the fifth welterweight selected overall. He accepted responsibility for being picked relatively late, acknowledging his performance wasn`t stellar during the initial tryouts. However, once chosen, Creighton was completely confident in his ability to win the entire season.
What he hadn`t anticipated was the emotional whirlwind his first fight inside the TUF house would bring.
Reflecting on the pre-fight negotiation, Creighton stated, “It was incredibly exciting. Experiencing it firsthand was just crazy. Of course, you`re dealing with the effects of weight cutting and managing all these different pressures and considerations while trying to make the right choice. I believe we made the correct decision; it truly couldn`t have turned out any better.”
