With Reebok in mind, Todd Duffee likes Matt Mitrione or Alistair Overeem next

Todd Duffee

Todd Duffee sees a very simple reason for facing higher-ranked fighters moving forward: Reebok.

The UFC’s long-term deal with the apparel maker promises a guaranteed larger endorsement check to fighters as they move up the promotion’s best-of list, which, for now, is decided by the MMA media. So Duffee’s only request is that he fights opponents who can put him in a position to make better money.

“With the time off that I’ve had, a lot of of these guys are 35, 36; these guys are getting older,” he told MMAjunkie Radio. “You don’t know how long they plan on continuing to compete, so I definitely need to get up there quick and make sure I get a piece of them, too, before they quit.”

Duffee (9-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC), 29, announced with authority his return to the octagon after a two-year layoff when he knocked out Anthony Hamilton (13-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) at UFC 181 earlier this month. It was his third straight win, though he’s been off for so long that he needs to rebuild himself as a serious contender.

After this past Saturday’s UFC on FOX 13 event, where some of his fellow heavyweights were in action, Duffee has a good idea of whom he’ll next fight, though he said any opponent the promotion suggests will be fine. Two of three heavyweights who earned victories on the event’s main card were Alistair Overeem (38-14 MMA, 3-3 UFC) and Matt Mitrione (9-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC), who respectively knocked out Stefan Struve (25-7 MMA, 9-5 UFC) and Gabriel Gonzaga (16-9 MMA, 11-8 UFC).

Duffee has history with Overeem, who knocked him out in a short-notice fight in 2010 under the now-defunct DREAM banner.

“I’m not going to pick my fight at this point because I just came back; it’s been two years,” he said. “I’d definitely run that fight back (with Overeem), but I also wouldn’t question Matt. He’s a little higher up in the rankings right now. Anyone of those guys that are above me in the rankings, I’ll be very happy to fight.”

In fact, Overeem sits higher on the UFC’s official rankings, at No. 11, while Mitrione sits No. 14. That would, in theory, put them in the same grade of guaranteed sponsorship pay, according to the compensation tiers expected for the deal.

Of course, the rankings could change in the next round of voting, and Duffee’s preference could be justified. Either way, he’s of the mindset that asking for what you want is never a bad thing, even if you’re up for any fight.

Duffee said before he ever got into the UFC, he was emailing UFC matchmaker Joe Silva to get fights.

“I think it was (Cheick) Kongo or Gonzaga were the fights I was trying to get,” he said. “Before I ever got a fight in the UFC, I was very adamant about justifying it.”

Could the UFC justify Duffee vs. Overeem II or Duffee vs. Mitrione? We’ll see.

For complete coverage of UFC on FOX 13, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

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