Jared Cannonier is the latest of many fighters who believe the UFC should pay them more. Recently, fighter pay has become a hot-button topic with some of the sport’s most elite stars.
Cannonier Speaks on Fighter Pay
Cannonier shined brightly after his huge decision victory over Kelvin Gastelum at UFC Vegas 34. Appearing on Ariel Helwani’s revamped “MMA Hour” interview show, Jared opened up about his financial situation after the fight. Like Miesha Tate, Cannioner explained that regardless of the show and win money that he’s earned, the majority of the cash disappears after spending the necessary expenses to fight at an elite level.
“Of course coming off the injury, I’m not balling out of control or anything like that, and a lot of people don’t understand that when we have these fights that we owe people money after these fights. After this win, 60 percent of my money is already gone. Between the gym, between management, between taxes, on top of that I’ve got bills, credit cards, I got kids, I’ve got a house up in Alaska, I’ve got a house here, I’ve got car payments. That money goes. Money don’t last forever.”
“Right now fighting is our only revenue,” he continued. “I don’t have sponsors or anything like that. Fighting is my only focus. I’m not out here doing commercials or anything like that. Nobody’s asking me to be in the next Marvel movie. Not being able to fight for the last 10 months put a strain on our pockets. So I’m glad to have gotten back in there. I’m glad that I get two checks plus that main event bonus. I’m glad I’m not injured so I can do it again.”
Fixing the Issues
The issue of fighter pay is a constant in the world of MMA. Each time a fighter shares a story of financial woes, the conversation always turns back to unionizing. However, it seems like a conglomerate of fighters coming together for a good cause seems like a distant future.
