Kickboxing legend Tyrone Spong recalls rejecting UFC contract: ‘Maybe I made the wrong decision’

Tyrone Spong is a legend of the kickboxing ring. If things had gone a little differently, he might have made some waves in the UFC Octagon too.

As a kickboxer, Spong won multiple notable titles. The knockout artist also had some commendable success as a boxer, notably winning the the WBC and WBO Latino heavyweight titles in 2018, and nearly fighting current unified champ Oleksandr Usyk the following year.

He didn’t compete quite as extensively in MMA, but did go 2-1 in the sport. He won his first two fights, beating Travis Bartlett against Travis Bartlett and Angel DeAnda, but was knocked out by Sergei Kharitonov in his last MMA appearance in 2022. None of those fights occurred in the UFC, but he was in talks with the organization at one point.

He was even offered a contract, but turned it down because he had so many other options in other sports at the time.

Tyrone Spong explains why he didn’t accept UFC offer

“At that time, I had a good contact and meetings with the UFC, with Dana White,” Spong told MMA Fighting. “I love what Dana’s doing. I think by far he’s the best promoter in combat sports. But at that time I was the man in town, and I had many options, which is a blessing and a curse at the same time because it makes you indecisive.

“I was fighting MMA, boxing, kickboxing, all together,” Spong added. “I think if you want to go into the UFC, you have to solely focus on that. One, because the level of competition. And two, I didn’t want that at that time because I had these other great options, goals and achievements. And when you sign there, you’re stuck on that contract. At that time, the money and being stuck there was not worth it for me. But like I said, if it makes dollars, it makes sense, and the challenge is right, why not?”

Apparently, it wasn’t a typical beginner contract Spong was offered either — but he still said no.

He doesn’t regret it, necessarily. However, he understandably wonders what might have been.

“It was not a bulls**t offer,” Spong said. “I won’t go into details, but it was not a bad offer. Not at all. It was not bad, but like I said, I had so many options where I could do more and had more challenges and cement my legacy in combat sports in general that I opted not to take it at that time.

“Do I regret it? What ifs don’t count. It happened. I didn’t do it at that time. If you go and think, what if I had done it? If you look at certain guys, and the successes that they have while I know that, as a fighter you’re confident, where I know that I could beat those guys. Maybe I made the wrong decision, maybe not. Who knows? We’ll never know.”

Tyrone Spong, now 39, will challenge Sam Alvey for the Karate Combat heavyweight belt on May 2.