Martin de Jong on Zuffa antics: “For me, it doesn’t make sense. I was just thinking, ‘Is this the future of MMA?’”

Head trainer at Golden Glory, Martin de Jong has been giving his reaction to the news that Zuffa have cut loose another three of their fighters today following what seems to be a falling out with the gym, asking the question, “Is this the future of MMA?’”

Speaking via MMAJunkie.com, de Jong said:

“This is a big blow for us. I feel it’s kind of unfair to the fighters. They train hard. They put on exciting performances. You tell me. I have no idea, but it doesn’t look good. Of course, for us, it’s really bad. I’m very disappointed. What can I say?”

“Of course, they can cut them because they lost, but do you cut Alistair Overeem, who was very eager to fight in the (Strikeforce heavyweight) grand prix, and who got major injuries? Einemo just received a ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus in his last UFC appearance. Coenen … two times (has) been the Strikeforce champion. And before Miesha beat her, I think they were even (on the scorecards) or [favoring] Marloes.”

“The only thing I can say is I feel disappointed for the fighters, and now we have to go back and see what we’re going to do (and) where we’re going to go. For me, I hope the management can still work something out with Zuffa. I think Alistair needs to fight the best fighters in the world, and I think right now there’s only two people ranked above him: Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos. Alistair only wants to be the best. It’s a pity.”

“For me, it doesn’t make sense. I was just thinking, ‘Is this the future of MMA?’”

Rumour has it that the split was caused by Golden Glory’s intention to star promotion MMA events in the United States, something that clearly raised a few eyebrows at Zuffa headquarters. Was it a smart move to hand a promotion looking to get a foothold in the market a handful of recognisable names?