UFC champion”>Jared Cannonier is exactly where he wants to be.
Following a KO of Derek Brunson at UFC 271, Cannonier is likely primed to face Israel Adesanya for the middleweight championship and has become a fighter to invest in promotion. It’s a stark contrast to the optics that affected Cannonier six months ago after a win over Kelvin Gastelum, declaring: “I’m broke so I have to fight.”
Asked if he received any backlash for his comments during a performance the MMA lesson, Cannonier revealed that not only did his words create little drama, he has already signed a new contract with the UFC.
“Not by anyone who matters,” Cannonier said. “If anything, I got a new contract. So this is my first fight in my new contract. The Gastelum fight, I think that was the last fight on my contract, or it was the penultimate fight, but it was close to time for an extension. I had already spoken to my manager before the Gastelum fight that we might be able to extend a contract and stuff, so this was the first fight with that contract.
“Everyone goes back to it and says I complained to the UFC about my pay. I think no, I would never complain to the UFC because I’m the one who voluntarily signed the contract. They didn’t make me sign those contracts or anything like that. The only thing I said was that I feel like we’re a big organization on ESPN, UFC athletes should definitely be paid the same as NFL and NBA athletes or to some extent because of injuries, families and be compensated for all these things.
Cannonier described his pay rise as “significant,” though he couldn’t give a percentage of how much more he’s making from his new contract compared to his previous one.
He explained that he never had a big problem with how the UFC compensated him, just wanted it to be enough for him to keep fighting and training full-time. He also mentioned that his salary is in the six figures.
“I’ve always felt comfortable,” said Cannonier. “The same applies here: We only get paid if we fight. So there are other guys out there doing all sorts of things, they’re part of the rat race fighting for money. They call it a rush, but I call it you’re on a hamster wheel. So it’s all about perspective. I see things differently than most other people. The only thing I do is train and fight. That’s all I ever wanted to do. I could do other things and have plans for my future, but at this point I’m only training for combat. That’s all I want to do and that alone allows me to provide for my family.
“That’s the whole reason I quit my six-figure job in Alaska because I’m making six figures here at the UFC. I don’t want people to think, ‘He’s not getting paid.’ People hear that six digit number and start seeing dollar signs and Louis [Vuitton] Bags and stuff like that, but that’s not my point. It’s about being able to take care of myself, being able to take care of my family. I’m trying to achieve sovereignty, independence and all that good stuff. In terms of my contract and my standing with the UFC, I’m in good shape. i want to be rich I’m more famous than I’m rich. I want to be richer than I’m famous. So that’s where I want to go.”
