POST FIGHT INTERVIEW WITH DANTE REED

DENVER — There’s no time to rest for Union Grand Prix President Dante Reed. As soon as the fights concluded in The Lone Star State for UGP 21, Dante was ready to board a plane and take a flight straight up to The Mile High City for Boss Fight XX. Before taking off however, I was able to track him down and shoot a few questions to the prolific promoter. Here’s a recap of what I was able to squeeze out of him:

On Delaney Donovan’s Grievances:

“You know to be honest, I was a little surprised and confused by it. I was surprised that he had those feelings about his contract and felt like he was being underpaid. If you recall, we extended his contract right at the beginning of the Grand Prix tournaments last year, and we made him Union’s highest-paid fighter that had never won a championship. If that's not a vote of confidence, then I don't know what is. As far as the billing on the cards, we roll with the hot hand, and right now we have other divisions that are stronger than they've ever been with the level of competition. Whether it's that, or even this Super Fight that's been gaining steam, my door is always open to discuss these matters. At the end of the day, I think it's just a lack of communication on both ends. But we want to do right with our champions and biggest draws, so we'll have a sit down and iron out all the wrinkles.”

On Everest’s Scheduling:

”As you all have seen by now, we revealed a special two night event that will take place on the Friday and Saturday before Sunday’s Boss Fight XX. That weekend we’ll see the entire first round in all divisions be decided, and then the card for Philly will more than likely be a one night event with the semifinals taking place. The plan for now is to host these cards in the same vicinity of our UGP and Boss Fight cards, and build toward an entire weekend experience for the fans. Once we feel that this brand can be sustainable on its own, then we’ll venture out to other locations and not necessarily be tied to what Union is doing.”

On the Increase of Super Fight Talks:

”I'm always open to listen to matchmaking ideas, especially with the couple of fights that have been floating around here lately. We've got a big Super Fight coming up with Natalie King and Zari Aliyah, two former champions in different divisions. So we'll see how that goes and how things progress in the aftermath and most likely start taking a longer look at these potential dream fights. On top of that we are starting to see some fighters make some moves to new weight classes, which opens up a whole new field of competition. I'm in the business of putting on the best fights possible, and if it comes to cross-divisional matchups, I'm all for it.”

On the Main Event of Boss Fight XX:

”This is a very interesting fight with a lot of implications at stake. Aries Reed came to me before his fight with Asher Jrue and said he wanted to make a move up. I told him if he won that fight then he would more than likely be next in line for a shot at the Middleweight Title. Although a rematch with Guilliman was enticing, he was adamant about making the move to Cruiserweight regardless of the outcome, so he's shifted his entire focus on this new weight class. He's riding a four-fight win streak and a win over Santos would definitely warrant a title fight against Roscoe Robinson. But that's just it, Santos is a big guy at 225. He typically cuts about twenty pounds or so to make weight. He's coming off a second loss against Ardan Kelly, anew he’s pissed off. He needs a big signature win to put him back into title contention, and this is his opportunity right here.”

On the UGP 22 Card:

”We finalized all of the fights and we’re excited to announce it in due time. Like always, we’ll have some great undercard and prelim fights that could set someone up to enter title fight discussions. We already know Dallas Meechan will defend his Bantamweight Championship against Lena Lyons which one my mind will be a banger. Two fan favorites who each have very exciting fighting styles, it just writes itself. We’ve also got some special up our sleeve, but we’ll be keeping that in our back pocket until it’s the right time to announce it. But believe me, you all won’t be disappointed.”