Tim Kennedy Apologizes To UFC For Statement On Fighter Pay
Tim Kennedy made some waves yesterday with his brash criticism of UFC fighter pay, going so far as to state that he could make more money emptying trashcans. While his choice of words may have been questionable, especially for a man yet to make his UFC debut, his words continued the trend of speaking out for higher wages in the UFC.
Tonight, Kennedy made a precise clarification on his Facebook page, apologizing for his actions and showing great respect for Zuffa. His words were a far cry from the outspoken crticism of yesterday:
I recently made comments regarding fighter pay. The intent of these statements was to highlight that professional fighters incur significant expense associated with their preparations to fight and that fighter compensation is still not on par with other major sports. While I am fortunate to have various revenue streams associated with my business interests, most fighters do not have that luxury. When you spend training camps with great guys with amazing talents and you see them barely making ends meet, while simultaneously seeing athletes in other sports with far less character and a far smaller work ethic making exponentially more, you can get frustrated.
Unfortunately, I made statements that alluded to how the UFC in particular pays its athletes. This was particularly offensive as Zuffa has taken better care of me than any other organization, even giving me a bonus for being amusing on Twitter. My choice of words was poor, not properly informed, and did not match my intent. Additionally, my comments were taken out of context. I can tell you that I have been fighting longer than most people and I remember all too well the days when there was no regulation or standard for an MMA promotion. I fought many times in Mexico where the rules were negligible, there were no physicals, and being paid was a luxury we didn’t expect. Our sport was shunned and was considered “human cockfighting”. Today, we are on Fox. We have doctors and insurance. We make more money than the average American. And we get these things by playing a sport we love. The only reason this is possible is because of Zuffa. They have legitimized the sport and taken better care of the athletes than any other organization, and the trend is only improving, with athletes making three times what they made on average five years ago.
My comments were hurtful and inappropriate. I accept full responsibility for the statements and apologize to the UFC, Dana White, Lorenzo Fertita, & Joe Silva as well as anyone I might have offended with my comments. Fighting for the UFC is an honor and a privilege. I look forward to putting this situation behind me and focusing on my upcoming fight with Roger Gracie.
It looks like Kennedy is taking the complete opposite stance as his previous interview had portrayed yesterday. Perhaps his words were taken in a misleading light, but once the story broke he may have thought the better of running afoul of the world’s biggest promotion before his first fight even took place.
Regardless, his emotional viewpoint of talented fighters barely making ends meet is a valid point to make. The debate over fighter pay will rage on, but it looks like Tim Kennedy, at least for the time being, had a short involvement with it.
