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James Toney walked into the riskiest fight of his career unsure of whether he would be paid for it.
Toney's trainer and manager, John Arthur, told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the Internal Revenue Service placed a lien on the boxer's purse the night prior to his fight with Randy Couture.
The bout co-headlined UFC 118, which took place Aug. 28 at Boston's TD Garden.
Toney's camp currently is in litigation with the government agency to recover a reported $500,000 payout.
Toney was not scheduled to receive a win bonus, nor a cut of the event's pay-per-view profits, said Arthur.
In a fight widely characterized as "boxing vs. mixed martial arts," Couture (19-10 MMA, 16-7 UFC) submitted Toney (0-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) with an arm-triangle choke in the first round of the Aug. 28 event.
In an earlier interview with MMAjunkie.com, Arthur said Toney was enraged by an incident just prior to the contest and "just wanted to hit [Randy]."
Today, the trainer and manager said he was first notified of the lien the night prior to the event by a fellow member of Toney's staff. The fighter's tax attorney confirmed the judgement as the camp members, including Toney, were preparing to make their way to the TD Garden on fight day.
The attorney claimed the IRS put a hold on Toney's purse to examine several past tax returns, Arthur said.
After initially considering the idea of pulling his fighter from the event, Arthur informed Toney of the news.
"I could see his face change from one extreme to the other extreme," Arthur said of Toney.
Arthur said he was shocked that he wasn't notified of the lien by UFC officials, and he did not speak with any representatives after the fight.
"If this would have been (boxing promoter) Dan Goossen, I would have known about it the minute he got it," he said. "I've been with Dan with many years, so I can't compare him with the UFC."
Arthur disputes the $500,000 purse reported as Toney's payout by the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission and said the actual amount is lower. Per its statutes, the MSAC distributes checks cut from the promoter to fighters following an event, provided the fighter has not committed any rules violations punishable by fine and/or suspension.
Ronnie Drimer, a representative for the MSAC, did not confirm or deny the alleged lien, though she said the office's legal team is preparing a comment on the matter.
A representative for the IRS could not be reached for comment.
UFC officials released Toney, who long campaigned for a contract, after the Couture loss.
Arthur said he's currently trying to get Toney another boxing fight before the end of the year and plans to revisit MMA in the first quarter of 2011.
"He's doing OK," Arthur said of his fighter. "He was down in spirits, but he's the type of guy that tries not to let things show. Life goes on. You have obstacles and difficulties in life, and you just have to move on."
Toney's trainer and manager, John Arthur, told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the Internal Revenue Service placed a lien on the boxer's purse the night prior to his fight with Randy Couture.
The bout co-headlined UFC 118, which took place Aug. 28 at Boston's TD Garden.
Toney's camp currently is in litigation with the government agency to recover a reported $500,000 payout.
Toney was not scheduled to receive a win bonus, nor a cut of the event's pay-per-view profits, said Arthur.
In a fight widely characterized as "boxing vs. mixed martial arts," Couture (19-10 MMA, 16-7 UFC) submitted Toney (0-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) with an arm-triangle choke in the first round of the Aug. 28 event.
In an earlier interview with MMAjunkie.com, Arthur said Toney was enraged by an incident just prior to the contest and "just wanted to hit [Randy]."
Today, the trainer and manager said he was first notified of the lien the night prior to the event by a fellow member of Toney's staff. The fighter's tax attorney confirmed the judgement as the camp members, including Toney, were preparing to make their way to the TD Garden on fight day.
The attorney claimed the IRS put a hold on Toney's purse to examine several past tax returns, Arthur said.
After initially considering the idea of pulling his fighter from the event, Arthur informed Toney of the news.
"I could see his face change from one extreme to the other extreme," Arthur said of Toney.
Arthur said he was shocked that he wasn't notified of the lien by UFC officials, and he did not speak with any representatives after the fight.
"If this would have been (boxing promoter) Dan Goossen, I would have known about it the minute he got it," he said. "I've been with Dan with many years, so I can't compare him with the UFC."
Arthur disputes the $500,000 purse reported as Toney's payout by the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission and said the actual amount is lower. Per its statutes, the MSAC distributes checks cut from the promoter to fighters following an event, provided the fighter has not committed any rules violations punishable by fine and/or suspension.
Ronnie Drimer, a representative for the MSAC, did not confirm or deny the alleged lien, though she said the office's legal team is preparing a comment on the matter.
A representative for the IRS could not be reached for comment.
UFC officials released Toney, who long campaigned for a contract, after the Couture loss.
Arthur said he's currently trying to get Toney another boxing fight before the end of the year and plans to revisit MMA in the first quarter of 2011.
"He's doing OK," Arthur said of his fighter. "He was down in spirits, but he's the type of guy that tries not to let things show. Life goes on. You have obstacles and difficulties in life, and you just have to move on."
