FightUK.com

… is simply because UFC President Dana White doesn’t like him, according to John Hackleman — “The Pit” boss and long-time trainer of Chuck Liddell — in a recent interview with FightHype.com.

Here’s a snip:

“It's just one thing, Dana doesn't like him. If Dana doesn't like you he's like a kid, ‘it's my playground you can't play anymore.’ It's not about business because he doesn't need business. He's got like billionaire best friends that gives him all of the money he needs, so it's not about that it's just about personality.”

“The Law” — who is in the midst of a heated race for the Oregon House of Representatives in District 52 as a Republican — has not competed inside the Octagon since 2005. He was released from his contract after wearing and “unapproved” t-shirt at the weigh-ins prior to that bout against Joe Doerksen at UFC 54: “Boiling Point.”

However, it is widely speculated that the promotion used it as an excuse to cut him loose. He was deemed (if you ask Lindland) too much of a threat to up-and-coming poster boy and eventual 185-pound champion, Rich Franklin.

“Ace” was pretty and marketable … Lindland not so much.

Regardless, Lindland remains one of the top middleweight mixed martial artists in the world and will next take on Fabio Negao at Affliction: “Banned” from the Honda Center in Sacramento, Calif., on July 19.

Read more at: http://mmamania.com/2008/05/14/reason-matt-lindland-is-not-in-the-ufc/.