UFC middleweight fighter Jared Cannonier understands why Brazilian Paulo Costa pulled out of their scheduled fight.
Jared Cannonier and Paulo Costa were supposed to fight at APEX in Las Vegas in August. The winner would place him very close to a shot at middleweight gold. However, Costa dropped out of the fight, arguing that he needed to be paid better.
Jared Cannonier supports Paulo Costa’s stance against UFC
The next day, Dana White responded to Costa, asking him to terminate his contract and leave the UFC.
While Costa dropped out of the fight due to financial concerns, on the other end of the equation Jared Cannonier found himself adrift with no opponent at the door. Fortunately for Cannonier, Kelvin Gastelum has agreed to be his opponent on August 21.
And contrary to what many might think, Jared says he can’t hate Costa for dropping out of the fight. In fact, he confesses to respect him a lot for sticking to his convictions. In an interview for ‘Submission Radio’, Cannonier gave his opinion about UFC pay-per-view.
“Well, I don’t know how much they’re paying him per fight. But, it’s a common argument. UFC fighters, MMA fighters in general don’t get paid that much compared to organizations or promoters. So, yes, I understand the argument. I can’t hate him, bash him or punish him for defending his stance. It’s a very bold stance to say, ‘I’m not going to fight unless you guys pay me a little more money.’ But, yes, somebody has to fight for us fighters to get paid more.”
“And I’m not going to turn down a fatter check either. So, it is what it is. It’s his decision. That said, he has to deal with the consequences of not fighting and even losing his position. He’s ranked #2 right now. Plus he just fought for the title, he’s right there. He can get back in there with some wins. But, once you got a title fight, that’s when you start getting paid pay-per-view points. That’s when you start hearing the money coming in. I wouldn’t know, I’m not there yet.”
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