Mired in the center of controversy for several months, former EliteXC lightweight champion recently told MMAjunkie.com (
www.mmajunkie.com) he could have saved the organization substantial time and trouble.
After all, Noons offered to give his title back.
"I gave (EliteXC) five days notice, before I was stripped, that I wanted to give the belt back and be released from my contract," Noons said. "Then they stripped me without even (telling me) -- I found out on the internet. That was I guess (EliteXC) trying to prove a point, I guess you could say."
After refusing to accept a September bout with lightweight contender Nick Diaz -- citing financial concerns and a desire to fight a more-deserving competitor -- Noons was stripped of his title by way of an EliteXC press release. Noons said he has remained quiet about the saga while trying to continue negotiations for his EliteXC return.
"We were talking," Noons said. "I was hoping the Nov. 8 bout was going to happen. We were going to redo contracts or whatever, and hopefully I could fight Nick. But they're already moving forward with that. Once I found out Saturday night that [EliteXC] was moving forward with [a Diaz vs. Alvarez fight], I'm moving forward over here."
Noons said EliteXC's decision to strip him of the title, rather than considering his offer to return the belt, effectively made him a free agent.
"To tell you the truth, I don't think [EliteXC] knew the consequences of stripping me," Noons said. "They just kind of reacted off of me saying I would give them back the belt if we could work things out. I think maybe out of ego, or for whatever reason they wanted to make a point, they stripped me. That's a breach of contract.
"You can say however much you want that I owe you fights. I can go fight somewhere else. I'm not going to fight those fights if I owe them or not. It doesn't matter. It's supposed to be title fights, and I'm not the champ."
It would seem that Noons could soon find himself in the center of a courtroom rather than a cage. EliteXC would certainly want to prohibit Noons from simply walking away from any obligated duties he may still owe. Noons said he and manager Mark Dion have done their homework, and are sure of his free-agent status.
"I'm very confident," Noons said of the termination of his contract. "I'm sure you know by now, once something is done to me -- like being stripped of my belt -- I don't just come out and immediately react off of emotion. I want to make sure all my ducks are lined up correctly, and I say the educated, right thing.
"Let's say legally, or for whatever reason, I do owe them two fights. You can wait for a lifetime before I fight those two fights. I'll go fight 50 other fights before I fight those two."
Despite the obvious clash between Noons and EliteXC, the former champion said he's not opposed to returning to the organization -- under a new contract.
"They've got to sign me under a new contract," Noons said. "I'm a free agent."
Noons' immediate plans call for a six-round boxing match on Nov. 13. After that, Noons just wants to continue compete with the world's best.
"I'm just going to move forward and go on with my life," Noons said. "Hopefully they'll want to bring me back, but if not I'm real interested in a (Takanori) Gomi fight. Or hopefully some other organization will think I'm a pretty good fighter and want to put me on.
"I just want to be happy."
