The man who gave Demetrious Johnson his toughest ever flyweight test could be about to walk away from the sport for good.
Ian McCall, who Irish fans will remember for his dominant decision victory over Brad Pickett at UFC Dublin in 2014, is set to open a legal medical marijuana dispensary.
He told MMA Junkie that he and his partners won a lottery in February that granted them one of 20 permits to sell the drug in Santa Ana, California, five years after the county banned storefront marijuana shops. Uncle Creepy admitted he’s going to do things completely by the book with his new business venture.
“We’re totally legal; we cannot be shut down. The feds can’t come in and f-ck with us. The state, we’re going to be paying them a lot of taxes. And we’re going to be very by the book because we’re going to be watched by the government.”
McCall’s road to a flyweight title shot was halted in January after he came out on the wrong side of unanimous decision to John Lineker, who has since been forced to compete at bantamweight after coming in 5 lbs over for the McCall bout.
Uncle Creepy revealed that he dislikes the current landscape of MMA, in particular the financial aspect of the sport. If his legal marijuana dispensary takes off, he admitted that it might encourage him to leave MMA for good.
“Our sport’s in ruin, financially. Our sport sucks. It’s not what it used to be. It’s not what it was five years ago. It’s not even what it is when I first got to the UFC. It’s horrible, as far as finances. So I’ve got to get another job, just like many other fighters. This one could take me away from MMA.”
He made a point of bringing up that the promotion had always treated him well and these comments aren’t him firing back at Zuffa over anything in particular. He declared his desire to keep fighting, but only if injuries don’t become a persistent problem.
“Nothing in this world is for sure. (The dispensary) might work out, and even if it works out and I’m making a buttload of money, I still want to fight. I’m just being realistic.”
“But on the other side, I really like beating people up for a living. So there will be more fights, unless there’s the injury thing. But a healthy me is going to fight and do other stuff. The first of the year, I’ll know more about my life.”
