Jared
Cannonier claims he has earned the right to get paid much more
than the
Ultimate Fighting Championship is currently paying him.
Cannonier is scheduled to fight at
UFC Oklahoma City against Christian
Leroy Duncan (14-2) in the co-main event. It will mark his 21st
Octagon outing, having competed in the UFC since 2015, across three
different divisions. Considering how many fights he has in the
premier MMA promotion, he believes his compensation is below
par.
Advertisement
Jared Cannonier discusses UFC fighter pay, sponsorship changes
and his middleweight career
Cannonier would love all MMA fighters to earn more in general.
However, „The Killa Gorilla“ believes there are varying levels of
skill sets even in the UFC. Considering his own pedigree, Cannonier
believes he deserves a much better contract with the UFC.
“I would love to get paid more,” Cannonier told Full Send MMA. “I
would love all of us MMA fighters to get paid more. But there is
big differentiation in skill level, even in the UFC. I think the
UFC pays based on merit, how you perform, A, how you market
yourself, B. I would like to get paid as much as the
highest-performing athletes in any sport get paid.”
Cannonier also notes that sponsorships have declined since the
UFC’s policy change over a decade ago, further limiting financial
prospects for fighters. The 42-year-old believes he deserves much
more than his current pay, considering he has been a perennial
middleweight contender for years now. While Cannonier says he isn’t
complaining, he refuses to be silent when his opinion is
sought.
“We used to get a bunch of sponsors; we still get sponsors, but the
changing of the landscape changed that for us,” the former title
challenger added. “And it didn’t leave us with much of anything at
the end. Fighters are definitely at the sh*t end of the stick of
this whole business. I think I should have million-dollar
contracts, not $100,000 contracts and stuff — at the stage that
I’m in. I’ve been top five, top ten for about seven to eight years.
I’m not complaining, but this is definitely how I feel. I’m not
gonna hold back my voice and my opinion.”
Jared
Cannonier gives an honest take on UFC fighter pay“I would like to get paid the same way the highest level athletes
in any sport get paid. I should have million dollar contacts at the
stage I’m in, I’ve been top 10 for 7-8 years. I’m not complaining
but it’s how I feel” pic.twitter.com/6CwX9xq6pO— FULL SEND MMA (@full_send_mma)
July 16, 2026