After criticizing UFC salaries, Tim Kennedy backtracks and apologizes

T. Kennedy (photo) was involved in a controversy before debuting for the UFC. Photo: Esther Lin/Strikeforce

Less than 24 hours after airing his criticisms of the salaries paid by the UFC, the American Tim Kennedy, opponent of Roger gracie on July 6th, he publicly apologized. The retraction was made through a long statement made to journalist Ariel Helwany – from the website MMA fighting.

“I recently made comments regarding fighter pay. The intent of these statements was to highlight that professional fighters have significant expenses associated with fight preparations and that fighter compensation is not yet on par with other major sports. While I am fortunate to have multiple sources of income associated with my business interests, most fighters do not have that luxury,” said Kennedy.

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“Unfortunately, I made statements that referenced the way the UFC, in particular, pays its athletes,” the athlete continued. “This was particularly offensive to Zuffa (company that manages Ultimate), which has taken care of me better than any other organization. My choice of words was poor, not properly informed, and did not match my intent. Furthermore, the comments were taken out of context. I can assure you that I have fought more than most people and I remember very well the days when there were no regulations or standards for an MMA promotion.”

Finally, Tim Kennedy took responsibility for the criticisms made and apologized to the organization's leaders. “My comments were foolish, hurtful and inappropriate. I fully accept responsibility for the statements and apologize to the UFC, Dana White, Lorenzo Fertitta and Joe Silva, as well as anyone I may have offended with my comments. Fighting for the UFC is an honor and a privilege. I'm looking forward to putting this situation behind me and focusing on my next fight with Roger gracie”, Finished.

Kennedy's debut in Ultimate takes place against Roger gracie, another debutant in the organization also coming from the now-defunct Strikeforce, on July 6th. The fight is part of the main card of UFC 162, which features a middleweight belt dispute between Anderson Silva e Chris Weidman as the main fight.

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