Eddie “Truck” Gordon: A New Chapter

Life is filled with ups and downs. There are those times where everything seems to be working perfectly, and those times where nothing seems to go your way. As a fighter, those ups and downs can come in daily training behind closed doors, or center stage under the lights for all to see. With success comes more eyes to bear witness to a fighter’s greatest triumphs, as well as the most heartbreaking defeats. How a fighter deals with theses ups and downs in their career can make or break their success and longevity in their sport.

As New York Fighting spoke to fighter Eddie “Truck” Gordon barely a week after his release from the UFC, the one thing that came across with certainty was a positive attitude. You can feel positivity emanating through the phone when Gordon speaks, and he knows there are opportunities ahead. “One door closes, another one opens. I look at this as an opportunity, you can be an optimist or a pessimist. The UFC definitely took care of me, there’s no bad blood there. I understand it’s a business, they made their decision, and it’s my job to prove them wrong and climb to the top.”

As for where he’ll end up, there are some options out there for him. A UFC veteran, who also won his season of The Ultimate Fighter, Gordon’s name will carry some weight with the other promotions vying for the top spots behind the UFC. Coming from from one of the east coast’s top MMA teams – the Serra-Longo Fight Team – surely won’t hurt either.

“Truck” did not announce which organization he’ll be signing with, but he spoke of some good potential deals out there. “We’re talking to a few different promotions, trying to see what’s the best fit for me…. With the Reebok deal, it’s a good opportunity, and it’s a good market out there right now.” The Reebok deal he speaks of is the exclusive sponsorship deal that the UFC has with Reebok for its fighters. Gone are the days of fighters hustling individually for their own personal sponsorships. The only in-cage sponsor worn by UFC fighters is Reebok, except for a select few who have been spotted with the Monster Energy logo. The sponsorship deal has been a point of constant debate since its debut, and although many fighters have shied away from speaking badly about Reebok or the UFC, those who do speak out do not speak favorably of the arrangement.

As a fighter and former business major in college, “Truck” is able to see things from both sides. “I get where the UFC and Dana White are coming from. They want to brand the UFC like a major sport, like the NFL and NBA.” Speaking of the Reebok deal, he went on to say that “the payouts are not favorable to the guys who are up and coming. Some guys like myself, we used to get $2,000 to $3,000 per sponsor for a fight, and if a guy used to have five, six, seven, or eight per fight, that’s a lot of money they’re missing out on.”

Seeing both sides also means that Gordon sees his recent release front the UFC as giving him freedom to once again acquire sponsors for his fights, potentialy with big name brands who are still “all in” on MMA and Combat Sports. As sponsors start to spread their money around other organizations like Bellator, World Series of Fighting, and TitanFC, fighters like “Truck” are poised to reap the benefits. “I’m fortunate to come from a big gym We have guys that fight for Belabor, that fight for other promotions, and some of these guys are getting more in sponsors than guys ranked in the top 15 [in the UFC] at our gym.”

Though fans might feel bad for him and reach out with words of support, as many do when someone they like is cut from the UFC, Gordon is able to keep things in perspective. “I really am truly fortunate. I started playing football, and I realized not everyone makes the NFL, so I went to a good college where I got a double major. I do this cause I truly love it. I could make 6 figures doing something else, I’ve done it in the past, but I truly love what I do.”

“Nobody should feel bad for me, this is a great thing. I’m still a young fighter. I’ve only been fighting for five years, so to be at the highest level that I was at, and to make some of those relationships is amazing. I was overwhelmed by a lot of the UFC guys that reached out to me.” He specifically mentioned UFC light heavyweight contender, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, who was released from the UFC before making his triumphant return, and “Truck” appreciated Johnson’s words of encouragement.

Prior to his UFC departure, Gordon expressed interest in moving down a weight class to 170. When New York Fighting asked if this was still in the plans, he mentioned that he has had some offers to fight in either weight class, but ultimately the decision is up to his body. “I got the health and nutrition side figured out thanks to Loutrition. He changed my life. I’m staying lighter than I ever was, I’m lighter than I was fight week when I fought at 85, so realistically, it’s my body telling me to go to 170, not promotions.”

Along with his hectic schedule as a fighter comes his life as a father, which includes his football coaching duties. Gordon says his sons, (Deangelo, 10 and Jayden, 8) and step-son (Marcus, 9) keep him busy but grounded. “For me, it works. The kids give me structure. It’s all about time management, some fighters say you have to be selfish and it’s all about you, but my kids are the reason why I fight. Being around them, it gives me motivation. Waking up every day, seeing them, is fuel to my fire.”

Something that would prove helpful to his fighter/father balancing act, would be if it was legal for him to work in his home state. As a professional MMA fighter from New York, that is not currently an option. Like most local fighters, he has strong feelings on New York dragging its feet to legalize Mixed Martial Arts. “It’s absolutely insane at this point. For New York to keep raising transit fees and keep raising our taxes, saying we need revenue, they’re throwing all that (MMA) money down the drain.” He went on to explain how New Jersey is benefiting from our state’s inability to change with the times, and he hopes that a solution is coming soon. “We have to get the politics out of the way, legalize it in New York so all our hometown guys can fight in front of their friends and families.”

One thing that quickly became apparent while speaking with Eddie Gordon is that he cares. He cares about his family, he cares about the sport of MMA, and he cares about his fans and those who support him. In keeping with his positive attitude and caring for others, he’s found a way to help motivate, inspire and care for others who may not have enough support in their lives. Gordon has started a non-profit to help youth in local communities, and you can hear him light up as he speaks about it. “I started my own non-profit, which is probably one of the things I’m most proud of besides being a father. It’s the Eddie “Truck” Gordon Foundation, we’re raising money to help kids get scholarships, we’re helping to set up programs in neighborhoods, just to show these kids that your past failures don’t affect your future successes.” He continued, “literally any goal you put your mind to, no matter what your circumstance are, if you work hard at it, and you have some positive people to look up to, that are tangible, cause everyone has heroes, and everyone has role models, a lot of these guys are TV stars or athletes that they never really touch and be a part of. If you can see tangible people from your neighborhood and your surroundings that are successful, it makes it kind of hit home, and you say, if this guy can do it, why can’t I? So I’m really proud of that.”

In the end, as this stint in the UFC comes to a close, the story of Eddie “Truck” Gordon is far from over. He has more fights to fight, more people to motivate, and more lives to change, all while raising his sons. In his words, “It’s all what you make of it,” and that is why he is excited to continue on his path and begin this “new chapter.”

Written by Matt Culley

Editor – Kyle Antonelli