AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - JUNE 28: Neil Magny of USA celebrates after winning the UFC Welterweight bout between Neil Magny of USA and Rodrigo De Lima of Brazil on June 28, 2014 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Neil Magny: “I’m donating $1,500 from my fight purse to help a little girl and her family”
UFC welterweight Neil Magny was interviewed on The Fightlete Report by Host Sean Lennon. Magny fights Craig White at UFC Fight Night 130 in Liverpool, England, May 27 on FS1.
Magny is coming off a decision win over Carlos Condit, a fight he was considered a huge underdog for. He trains at Elevation Fight Team in Colorado and holds a professional MMA record of 20-6. Neil talks about welcoming the change in opponent, fighting in the UK, accepting the fight with Jorge Masvidal, RDA/Covington at UFC 225, and donating a portion of his fight purse to help a little girl and her family to get the help she needs.
Sean Lennon – After you found out that Gunner Nelson was out of the fight what made you want to stay ready, apparently we heard you were also linked to catchweight fight with Jorge Masvidal for that event too, was that true?
Neil Magny – “When the Gunner Nelson fight fell through the thing that stood out for me was there were too many Welterweight fights going on right now. I couldn’t afford not to be ready if my name was called so that kept me motivated and kept me in the gym. But Jorge Masvidals’s name came up he called me out on social media wanting to make a big fight and I accepted the fight on social media but at the end of the day the people responsible for making the fight is the UFC and they turned the fight down.”
Sean – So there’s no validity of what he’s saying on Twitter that UFC wanted to make the fight happen and you’re ducking him right?
Neil – “No not even close. I didn’t beat round the bush. I didn’t go fishing for something that wasn’t going to happen. I went right to the sourceAt the end of the day the biggest deterences for the fight now happening was the UFC had no interest in having the fight happen at one-eighty. To me having the fight at one-eighty would’ve been such a big break for me. I wouldn’t have had to cut weight, I wouldve just shown up and on fight day ready to go. At the end of the day the UFC wasn’t interested in having a catchweight fight at one-eighty and they shot the idea down.”
Sean – You’re fighting Craig White, he’s a Cage Warriors veteran out of his last four fights, three have been finished by submission. The last one coming by a real slick triangle, he was expected to fight for the Cage Warriors Title next what do you expect from him?
Neil – “When it comes to fighting Craig White he’s a very game opponent, I mean Cage Warriors has proven time and time again that they produce some pretty tough fighter so I have nothing but respect for Craig White. In addition to that he’s a guy making his UFC debut against a top ten guy in the UFC? I feel like he’s going to come out and take full advantage of this opportunity so I’m expecting a great fight out of Craig White. He’s not a guy who’s going to be easy and he’s definitely a guy who’s coming for what he wants and that’s the kind of fight that excites me. To know that we both have a lot to lose going in this fight, I expect the best out of him and he expects the best out of me.
“If everyone can do me a favor go to my Instagram and Facebook page there’s a little girl who I’m donating a portion of my fight purse in order to help her to get the help that she needs. If you guys tune into my Facebook/Instagram page you guys can find out what she’s struggling with and find out ways to help her. I encourage everyone who is listening to this interview to follow me for just that for me please.”
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