From the "Where the %&%$ Have YOU Been" Files...Heath Herring Rises From the Dead

Two years ago at UFC 87 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, UFC fighter Heath Herring faced off with the then-future and now-past UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar. What unfolded was the biggest ass-whooping this side of the Mississippi. But seriously, Herring suffered a broken orbital received early in the fight as well as broken ribs and other internal injuries and hasn't been seen in a UFC cage, or any MMA ring, since. There have been several rumors of him fighting various people and even a set-up fight with Cain Velasquez at UFC 99 in Germany, but no actual match came to fruition. Many fans assumed, based on comments from Herring, that he would be focusing on his acting career, but as Herring told Sherdog, there were other issues,

"The UFC would do things like ask me to fight overseas but then only pay for one hotel room for me and my coaching staff. If I’m having to pay for hotel rooms, and they’re making as much money as they are on pay-per-views, it’s just not financially worthwhile for me to take that fight."

And Herring makes sense here. One hotel room for 3-4 grown men? You're definitely losing money as a fighter  there. Herring also clears up the status of his UFC deal.

"I’m kind of in a weird deal with the UFC right now," said Herring. "Supposedly I’m free and clear, but the UFC is able to match any offer I get for a year. I’ve had some offers, but I’m not sure if the UFC would let me sign somewhere else."

Herring has been acting in small parts in movies as well as some unpicked up pilots. He says he'd love to fight and he has been training, but there's a difference between training to stay in shape and training to fight. Herring also says that he's been a part of training seminars with the military overseas which allows him to keep in touch with a lot of MMA fans.

Herring is one of the old guard of fighters. We're starting to see more and more of these fighters, those that were a part of the foundation of PRIDE and the UFC, start to wind down their careers. While most new fans only know him as that guy Brock Lesnar pummeled, Herring was once one of the top Heavyweight fighters in the game and a contender to the PRIDE Heavyweight Title. His exciting style endeared him to a lot of fans. My opinion is, if the guy wants to fight, let him fight. Stop just holding on to someone to hold on to them. If the UFC doesn't want to use him, he'd make a great addition to Strikeforce's Heavyweight division which is in need of depth. 

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