Before joining Bellator, Nelson said he was experiencing the type of feeling lot of people who spend long enough in the same workplace can relate to: as if he was just time-punching. While some deterioration is to be expected in an eight-year relationship, Nelson has some specific gripes with how things were going in his former home.
“The one thing I’ve learned is I’ve gotten beat damn pretty hard with the UFC, where I learned that the belt – I used to love that belt,” Nelson said. “The belts actually meant something. But what I learned about the UFC is that UFC belts don’t mean (expletive). And I mean it doesn’t mean (expletive).
“The reason why is you can come off losses, you can move up four weights, you can be whatever. ‘Oh, we’ve got super fights’ and (expletive) like that. Or, ‘I’m a three-time champion.’ I’m a lightweight and heavyweight and whatever you want to call it and be like, they can make up titles and do whatever.”
One of the things Nelson loves about Bellator is the tournament format, which suited him quite well in his victorious “The Ultimate Fighter 10” run. Considering his candid character, who’s even gotten in trouble for his outbursts, one can see why.
“It takes the politics out,” Nelson said. “I’m just not really good with politics. Politics is really not one of my strong points, and I’ll be the first to admit that. But when it comes to fighting, I know how to fight. And that’s one thing I’m really good at: It’s a straight fight.”
Bellator's Roy Nelson got tired of UFC politics: Their title belts 'don't mean (expletive)'
