Jared Cannonier is preparing for another high-profile fight, but the longtime UFC contender believes fighter compensation still has a long way to go.
Ahead of his UFC Oklahoma City co-main event against Christian Leroy Duncan, Cannonier shared his thoughts on fighter pay and why he feels established veterans should be earning significantly more.
Cannonier Wants Pay Comparable to Other Elite Athletes
The former middleweight title challenger has spent years competing against the best fighters in the division and he told Full Send MMA that he believes that level of consistency should be rewarded.
“I would like to get paid the way that other major, the highest performing athletes in any sport get paid”
“We’re on TV’s around the world. We go through a lot just to make it to fight week.”
Cannonier also pointed to changes in the sport’s business model, including the loss of individual sponsorship opportunities for fighters.
Veteran Contender Believes He Has Earned More
Despite understanding how UFC contracts work, Cannonier feels fighters near the top of the rankings deserve larger deals.
“The changing of the landscape changed that for us and it didn’t leave us with much of anything at the end.”
“I mean I think I should be getting paid, I should have million dollar contracts.”
“I’ve been top five, top ten, for about what, seven, eight years I think. Again, I’m not complaining, but this is definitely how I feel.”
The 42-year-old Cannonier returns to action Saturday night when he faces rising middleweight contender Christian Leroy Duncan at UFC Oklahoma City.