Burt Watson, a former UFC event coordinator, revealed details about his 2015 departure from the promotion, attributing it to a disrespectful confrontation with UFC executive Michael Mersch over a weight issue involving fighter Mark Munoz, which led to Watson quitting and feeling unsupported by the organization.
Burt Watson is finally telling his side of the story.
The former event coordinator, who spent more than a decade in a backstage role with the UFC, opened up Wednesday on The MMA Hour about his split with the promotion back in 2015. At the time he left the UFC, Watson only stated that an unnamed “person of authority” in the UFC questioned his work and how Watson handled things following confusion surrounding transportation for middleweight fighter Mark Munoz back to the fighter hotel after Munoz needed additional time to make weight for his bout.
Watson, who just recently released his autobiography Being Burt Watson, addressed the situation Wednesday and revealed the UFC executive he butted heads with before ultimately leaving the promotion.
“There was a situation with Mark Munoz, I’m mentioning names, and Mark had missed weight, and he doesn’t normally do that but he missed weight and he had an hour or so to make weight,” Watson said. “They gave me an extra half an hour, meaning the commission, for him to make weight. They gave me that, which they don’t normally do; they gave it to me. He made weight.
“At the time, the UFC had this young man who was a sponsorship manager from a legal standpoint. They were just letting guys wear patches and stuff; now they can’t because they’ve got a certain sponsor that everybody wears. That young man was not a very nice person. Mike Mersch was not a very nice person.”
Michael Mersch was the senior vice president of business, legal, and government affairs at the UFC for eight years before leaving that role to become the chief operating officer at World Series of Fighting. According to his LinkedIn profile, he now owns his own legal and consulting firm.
“He was very disrespectful to some people when he spoke to them,” Watson said. “I knew that so I tried to keep people away from him.” That night? After Mark made weight? I went back to the hotel. Stopped at the bar and got myself my typical shot of Grand Marnier—just to kind of ease me down a little bit—and I went up to my room. The next thing I know? My phone rings.”
It was after returning to his room that he received a call from Mersch which led to a heated conversation ending with him quitting his job at the UFC.
“The phone rings and somebody says, ‘Where are you?’ in a tone that I felt was disrespectful right away,” Watson said. “I’m from Philly; I kind of let that go but backed up a little bit. I said, ‘Well…I’m up in my room…why?’ He said: ‘Well…I need to see you.’” First off? You need to take that bass outta your voice and stop talking disrespectfully.’ Right now? Being nice with how I say it.” He said: ‘Well if you don’t get down here…’
“When he said that? I stopped,” Watson continued. “I went—and say this in my book—in one shot: mad Burt; Black Burt; hood rat Burt; upset Burt—all in one shot! Cursed him O-U-T! Said it got where we couldn’t function together anymore—one needed different direction!”
“He told me no one would side with me on silly stuff like this,” Watson added. “So…I went off on him! At end of convo? Told him: ‘You know what? Take this job—put it on seat of chair—sit on it!’ That’s nice way saying it! Somehow within next three or five minutes? He must’ve gone straight Dana [White] explaining everything.”
Watson said next morning went downstairs ran into members UFC staff apparently informed abruptly quit no longer working company.
Rather than argue or making scene? Changed flight plans returned home but believes Mersch ultimately told version incident UFC CEO Dana White—that nailed coffin shut!
“Dana got story—they got story—I’d just quit bad-mouthed everybody talked about everyone gone home,” Watson explained. “That’s story they got—not true!
“Yes told him take job stick rear—but never expected anyone smooth things over expected conversation—never got!”
After returning home days passed without any contact from UFC—that really ended relationship.
“Never got phone call,” Watson lamented. “Never asked why anything—but questioned integrity questioned work ethic did it disrespectfully—I went left.”