After a winning debut, C. Smith shoots against the amounts paid by the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/ YouTube Cageside Press
After a victory in his debut for the organization, bantamweight (up to 61,2kg) Cole Smith gave a somewhat curious interview. The athlete expressed discomfort with the amounts paid for Ultimate and suggested that all the effort to prepare for the fights is not rewarded as it should be. The statement was recorded by the website 'MMAJunkie', after UFC Ottawa, last Saturday (4) in Canada. Smith fought Mitch Gagnon in the first fight on the preliminary card.
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“This sport sucks, man. Cut weight, do a lot of things you don't want to do and I want to get paid accordingly. It's like fighting for peanuts all your life. I have depended on others for rides, for food; my brothers have to give me clothes. It's over. I want to get paid,” Cole confessed.
Smith also made a comparison between the salary that fighters receive, against the amounts acquired by players in the NBA.
“It's absurd that an NBA player who doesn't even touch the court is earning US$600 (around R$2 million) and I'm here fighting to earn US$10 (around R$39,6).
After the complaints, Cole, however, tried to alleviate the situation and emphasized that he is happy to work for the new organization, even though he does not receive the amount he would like.
“I'm super happy to be here. 100%! My first experiences here were incredible. They treated me very well. So I just wanted to vent. I love the UFC and I'm very proud to be here”, concluded the athlete.
Following his points victory over Mitch Gagnon last weekend, Cole recorded his 7th straight career win. The UFC newcomer is undefeated and is awaiting new opportunities to play for the organization.
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