Jared Cannonier is preparing for a new opponent after Paulo Costa pulled out of their scheduled bout, but Cannonier holds no bad feelings.
Jared Cannonier is a middleweight fighter who has been moving up the rankings over the past few years. His upcoming bout at UFC on ESPN 26 this August was going to be the biggest of his career. He was set to face Paulo Costa, who is currently ranked number two in the division until Costa pulled himself from the fight due to negotiation problems. Costa stated that he was unhappy with his pay for the fight and would rather sit out. Although Cannonier will remain as the headliner, he will now be facing Kelvin Gastelum.
Cannonier has no ill will toward Costa for trying to get paid more for the fight. He recently spoke to Submission Radio about the matter.
“Well, I don’t know how much he’s getting paid per fight, but it’s a common argument,” Cannonier told Submission Radio (via MMA Junkie). “MMA fighters, UFC fighters, MMA in general fighters don’t get paid as much in comparison to the organizations or the promotions are getting paid. So, yeah, I mean, I understand the argument. I can’t hate on him or knock him or chastise him for having his stance. It’s a very bold stance to say, ‘I’m not gonna fight unless you guys pay me some more money.’ But, yeah, someone’s gotta fight for us fighters to get paid more.”
Fighter pay, or the lack of it, has been a hot topic in MMA lately. The increasing frequency of celebrity boxing matches involving former or current MMA fighters has shed light on the pay gap. Jake Paul was someone who has recently called out Dana White about the amount UFC fighters get paid. It seems more UFC fighters, like Costa, are beginning to take a stand.
“And I’m not gonna turn down a fatter paycheck either,” Cannonier said. “So, it is what it is. It’s his choice. With that being said, he has to be able to deal with the consequences of that, not fighting and maybe even losing his position. He’s ranked No. 2 right there. He’s just fought for the title, so he’s right there. He can get right back in there with a few wins. But once you get a title fight, that’s when you start getting pay-per-view points, that’s when I hear the money starts rolling in. I wouldn’t know. I’m not there yet.”
With a win over Gastelum on August 21, Cannonier could be putting himself into a possible title shot. The top of the division is wide open at this time, and if he can make a case for a shot at the champion Israel Adesanya, he could be ready to make the big bucks himself.
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