Jared Cannonier wants million-dollar UFC contracts after years on top

Jared Cannonier thinks the UFC owes him seven figures per fight.

The 42-year-old middleweight, who faces Christian Leroy Duncan at UFC Oklahoma City this weekend, told Full Send MMA that his compensation does not match his resume. Cannonier has logged 20 Octagon appearances since 2015 across three weight classes and has held a spot in the middleweight top ten for the better part of a decade. "I think I should have million-dollar contracts, not $100,000 contracts and stuff — at the stage that I'm in," he said, according to Sherdog. "I've been top five, top ten for about seven to eight years."

Sponsorship changes hit fighter earnings

Cannonier acknowledged that the UFC's sponsorship policy shift over ten years ago cut off a revenue stream fighters once relied on. "We used to get a bunch of sponsors," he said. "The changing of the landscape changed that for us. And it didn't leave us with much of anything at the end. Fighters are definitely at the unfortunate end of the stick of this whole business." The former title challenger said he supports higher pay across the board for mixed martial arts competitors but noted skill level varies even inside the UFC.

Cannonier said he was not lodging a formal grievance but refused to muzzle his opinion when asked. "I'm not complaining, but this is definitely how I feel. I'm not gonna hold back my voice," he told the outlet. His co-main event slot Saturday marks his 21st promotional bout. Duncan carries a 14-2 record into the matchup. Cannonier weighed in at 186 pounds Friday morning ahead of the middleweight contest.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Jared Cannonier wants million-dollar UFC contracts after years on top