Nate Quarry claims he is still bound by UFC contract 10 years after his last fight

MMA veteran Nate Quarry claims that he still under contract with the UFC—10 years after his last fight with the promotion.

Quarry is a pioneer of mixed martial arts, having made his MMA debut back in 2001 in Extreme Challenge. He fought six fights on the regional scene before being signed by the UFC to compete on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, though he was injured on the show and replaced by his Team Quest teammate Chris Leben. However, he was signed by the UFC afterward and quickly knocked out Lodune Sincaid, Shonie Carter, and Pete Sell.

The UFC then gave Quarry a middleweight title shot against Rich Franklin at UFC 56 but he was on the wrong end of a highlight-reel KO. Quarry continued to fight in the Octagon until 2010 when he decided to announce his retirement following a knockout loss to Jorge Rivera. Overall, “The Rock” went 7-3 in the UFC and finished his career with a 12-4 record.

Since retiring from MMA, Quarry has been an outspoken supporter of fighters’ rights, and he has been someone who has pushed the Ali Expansion Act to give MMA fighters the right to shop their services to other promotions. This came up this week when it was revealed that Nick Diaz is making a return to the Octagon in 2021, six years after his last fight in the UFC. While some were surprised that Diaz is still under contract with the UFC, Quarry isn’t.

According to the veteran in a post shared on his social media, he’s also still locked under a UFC contract 10 years after retiring. Check out what Quarry wrote on his Twitter below.

As am I. Ten years after my last fight.
Ali Expansion Act. https://t.co/bvMKutMTUj

— Nathan Quarry (@NateRockQuarry) September 8, 2020

As am I. Ten years after my last fight. Ali Expansion Act.

A few days after my announcement I got a form email from the UFC.
“We see you’ve retired. Should you choose to come out of retirement you’re still under contract with the UFC.”
That was it.
A form email digitally signed by Dana White.
What’s my advice to every fighter?

— Nathan Quarry (@NateRockQuarry) September 8, 2020

A few days after my announcement I got a form email from the UFC. “We see you’ve retired. Should you choose to come out of retirement you’re still under contract with the UFC.” That was it. A form email digitally signed by Dana White. What’s my advice to every fighter?

It’s definitely an interesting anecdote here from Quarry, and certainly relevant in the wake of the news that Diaz is returning to the sport. It is certainly worth wondering at what point should the UFC lose its exclusive contract rights with its talent, and what can be done to give UFC fighters more rights and flexibility as far as their iron-clad contracts go.

Do you think Nate Quarry is right and that the UFC needs the Ali Expansion Act?