Eduard Vartanyan's career choices, what's next ? (26-4)

[Ara tech]

Many experts labelled Edward Vartyan as one of the best lightweight outside the UFC, who now started fighting at welterweight.
With an impressive record, of 26 wins and only 4 loses, and notorious wins against Yusuf Raisov, and Artem Reznikov, Edward Vartyan remains a beast to be reckon with.

Edward Vartyan turned down one million dollars for three fights for ACA, the biggest russian MMA organization. For what ? In order to join the UFC, what he described as his "Dream".
The negotiation with the UFC were quickly foiled, as Vartyan turned down a DWCS contract of 12K/20K $. He said that it was not acceptable to fight for a fighter of his pedigree for so much little money.

What happened afterward ? Edward Vartyan by leaving ACA, became a free agent. According to an insider, ACA was upset and was hostile to him, for having turned them down. Beggars cannot be choosers.

To avoid being inactive, Vartyan competed in a kickboxing bout against an MMA fighter called Damir Ismagulov which he won. Then, the same organization offered another MMA bout to Vartyan against a certain Aleksandr Grozin (26-5), where he also won. Vartyan dominated him with an impressive improved wrestling game.

The question i, Is it a fall from grace ? The only organization capable of providing Vartyan worthy fights in Russia appears to be Nash Delo (Meaning in english : Our business), but for how long ?
Would not have it been better for Vartyan to have stayed in ACA like many others elite russian fighters, or would have it been better if he took the risk to join the UFC, paving his way in the top 5 and getting a seat in a co-main event later on.

It is interesting to see how choices and opportunites in a tough world are set, and that nothing is to be taken for granted.
What's next for the 33 years old fighter, certainly in his prime ?

 

[STAY GOLD]

It sucks the UFC tried to lowball him. He's legit one of the best LW currently in the world and could've become a top 5 LW in the UFC. There was an article on the ACA website a while back that they wanted him to rematch Reznikov at WW for their event in December, but it didn't pan out. I saw on IG he's been training at ATT so there's that at least. Not sure why PFL hasn't tried to sign him up since the move to the UFC hasn't happened.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

He seems to be just waiting in Nashe Delo for UFC to make an offer at some point. Nashe Delo seem to pay pretty well so he hasn't had to go back to ACA yet.

 

[Ara tech]

He seems to be just waiting in Nashe Delo for UFC to make an offer at some point. Nashe Delo seem to pay pretty well so he hasn't had to go back to ACA yet.

The UFC was not willing to pay heavy money for Parnasse, as much as they are not willing to do the same for Vartyan.
Vartyan is probably going to remain isolated for a while, PFL could step up, One has nothing interesting to offer at welterweight, we will see.

But he's 33 years old, it's a bit old. Clock is ticking against him, I'm not very optimistic about a better career opportunity than Nash Delo cash prize....

 

[Hellowhosthat]

The UFC was not willing to pay heavy money for Parnasse, as much as they are not willing to do the same for Vartyan.
Vartyan is probably going to remain isolated for a while, PFL could step up, One has nothing interesting to offer at welterweight, we will see.

But he's 33 years old, it's a bit old. Clock is ticking against him, I'm not very optimistic about a better career opportunity than Nash Delo cash prize....

He isn't making the same kind of money as Parnasse is making so there's not that kind of gap to bridge.

 

[Ara tech]

He isn't making the same kind of money as Parnasse is making so there's not that kind of gap to bridge.

ACA offered Vartyan 333 333 dollars per fight. Vartyan refused.
KSW offered Parnasse 600 000 per fight. Parnasse accepted.

UFC both offered them DWCS, they both refused. They have a family to feed, a future to build, glory doesn't pay the bills.

I'm just not very optimistic about Edward Vartyan future unless he signs with a bigger organization than Nash Delo. The only thing there is a lesser cash prize than what he could have made by re-signing with ACA or what he could had made by becoming a UFC top 5 leading co-main events.

33 years old, he had a good run and a good career. He's more closer to the end than to the beginning. The wiser move would be to try to retire as rich as possible. I'm sure if he could go back in time he would have done things differently.

We will see...

 

[Hellowhosthat]

ACA offered Vartyan 333 333 dollars per fight. Vartyan refused.
KSW offered Parnasse 600 000 per fight. Parnasse accepted.

UFC both offered them DWCS, they both refused. They have a family to feed, a future to build, glory doesn't pay the bills.

I'm just not very optimistic about Edward Vartyan future unless he signs with a bigger organization than Nash Delo. The only thing there is a lesser cash prize than what he could have made by re-signing with ACA or what he could had made by becoming a UFC top 5 leading co-main events.

33 years old, he had a good run and a good career. He's more closer to the end than to the beginning. The wiser move would be to try to retire as rich as possible. I'm sure if he could go back in time he would have done things differently.

We will see...

They didn't offer Parnasse DWCS, they just didn't come close to the KSW offer.

Varts seems okay at the moment. Maybe he'll give up and go back to ACA one day but he seems happy enough to wait for now.

 

[EndlessCritic]

Fighters refusing to accept the UFC's lowball numbers is ultimately good for the sport as a whole.

 

[Thesnake101]

Fighters refusing to accept the UFC's lowball numbers is ultimately good for the sport as a whole.

Only if other orgs become financially viable. KSW and ACA guys are fine because those are very stable orgs with strong financial backing, but the rest?

If PFL goes out then there won't be anything stopping the UFC from lowballing guys from the US or Britain, they won't have anywhere else to go for a better offer.

Frankly, I don't think anything's different than it was a decade ago. KSW guys stick with them because they make more money there, barring an exception or two (Jan and Gamrot). Russia has a hard cap in terms of fighters and many talented ones don't ever make it into the UFC (many M-1 champs, ACB or Fight Nights guys back in the day). But now there's a key difference for the American based guys, Bellator is dead and PFL is losing face everyday.

UFC lowballs elite foreign talent because they don't need them.