EXCLUSIVE | Phil Baroni wanted to fight for PFL’s $1M prize, feels they missed out by not signing him

When fan favorite MMA veteran Phil Baroni heard that the Professional Fighters League would award the winners of its inaugural season $1 million apiece, he wanted in. Unfortunately, Baroni and the PFL never came an agreement.

At present, Baroni is scheduled for an October 20 bareknuckle fight with fellow veteran Chris Leben. While this is a challenge he’s very excited about, he does still think bout that potential $1 million payday in the PFL cage.

“I wanted to be that motherfucker,” Baroni said on the latest episode of BJPENN.COM Radio. “I know I can win that shit, and I deserve a million bucks.”

“I mean, just think if me and Chris Leben were in that motherfucker, what would be a better story than me and Leben winning a million bucks? Finally…Finally, after all the fucking trials and tribulations we’ve been through. All the fucking ups and downs, fighting all over the world. Pride, ONE FC, I’ve fought all over the fucking world. I’ve fought the best for the last fucking 20 years. How nice would it be to fucking walk off into the sunset with a million dollar check? Fucking really nice.”

“Who would appreciate it more? Me or some 24-year-old fucking jerk-off from Brazil? Me. Me, I would appreciate it more. Motherfucker.”

While Phil Baroni would have appreciated the chance to fight for $1 million, he also feels the PFL would have benefited greatly from signing him for their debut season.

“Why is the PFL tanking right now?” he said. “I mean, that’s what I heard. Why is it tanking? Because me and Chris Leben aren’t the main event.”

Baroni feels that, even if he wasn’t competing in the PFL season proper, the promotion would have been wise to sign him and Leben to headline one of their cards.

“Even if you didn’t want us on teams or whatever the bullshit is that they have on there, even if you didn’t want to do that, if you just promoted us as the main event and showed the rest of the guys under that, it would be a draw.”

“Don’t tell me if the PFL, two weeks from now, had me versus Leben, everyone wouldn’t watch it. Would you watch it? I mean, everybody would watch it. Nobody knows these motherfuckers [that fight for PFL]. I don’t want to watch Tuesday Night Fights or Thursday Night Fights. The boxers, you don’t know the guys, you aren’t invested in them. We’ve had long careers, we’re great fighters. I mean, everyone’s seen our ups and downs, and I just believe that people are invested in us. They either like us or they don’t.”

“I’m sure even the motherfuckers that hated me in my whole career would fucking see me out there and be like, ‘That motherfucker never gave up, he kept fighting.'”

Will you be watching Phil Baroni and Chris Leben battle in the bareknuckle ring on October 20? Would you like to see the two veterans in the PFL cage next season?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 7/26/2018.