Kennedy won’t be silenced on fighter pay despite scolding from Dana White

Tim Kennedy says he was ordered to keep his opinions on fighter pay to himself by Dana White, but will continue to speak out on the issue whenever he gets the chance.

It’s almost been two two years since Tim Kennedy stepped into the Octagon against Yoel Romero at UFC 178. Yet, despite that, the proud US marine has kept himself in the headlines with his outspoken opinions on fighter pay and steroid users.

Kennedy, who lost in a highly controversial bout against “Soldier of God” in 2014 — Romero had extra time on his stool in between rounds — highlighted those issues again in a recent interview with Jonathan Shrager of The Underground.

The 36-year-old says he’d like to compete in the Octagon again but says the financial incentive isn’t there. According to Kennedy, he makes three-to-four times more money outside of the UFC.

“No. I like fighting. I love fighting. I make, like, three or four-times more when I don’t fight than when I do fight. And, I’m one of the higher-paid guys in the UFC, which is remarkably tragic and pathetic. So, the work that I do on a normal, day-to-day basis is way more exciting than stepping into the Octagon,” Kennedy said (h/t Elias Cepeda of FOX Sports).

Kennedy, who has been prohibited from wearing his own apparel in the UFC due to the sponsorship deal with Reebok, says he was scolded by Dana White for criticizing the drop in pay since the partnership.

“I got my hand slapped for talking about fighter pay. That was a big one. I had Dana White yell at me in front of, like, 20 other fighters. And, I’m sure you see how quiet I got about fighter pay,” he said sarcastically. “No. Still the same. Same thing about Reebok. Then, they ultimately tried to affect me in different ways – maybe not letting me fight. While they may not be able to shut me up, and maybe I’m not smart enough to shut up, myself, I’m still going to say what I’m going to say, and maybe that’s why I’m still on the shelf.”

Although Kennedy has no urgency to return to fighting, the former Strikeforce middleweight title challenger called out Dan Henderson on Twitter yesterday following Lyoto Machida’s removal from UFC 199.

I will fly and fight @danhendo right now. My mouth piece is in my pocket. I don’t need anything else.

— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) April 14, 2016

However, it’s been reported that Dana White and co. are looking pit Henderson against Hector Lombard on the pay-per-view instead. UFC 199 will take place at The Forum in Inglewood, California on June 4th.

Tim Kennedy says he was ordered to keep his opinions on fighter pay to himself by Dana White, but will continue to speak out on the issue whenever he gets the chance.

It’s almost been two two years since Tim Kennedy stepped into the Octagon against Yoel Romero at UFC 178. Yet, despite that, the proud US marine has kept himself in the headlines with his outspoken opinions on fighter pay and steroid users.

Kennedy, who lost in a highly controversial bout against “Soldier of God” in 2014 — Romero had extra time on his stool in between rounds — highlighted those issues again in a recent interview with Jonathan Shrager of The Underground.

The 36-year-old says he’d like to compete in the Octagon again but says the financial incentive isn’t there. According to Kennedy, he makes three-to-four times more money outside of the UFC.

“No. I like fighting. I love fighting. I make, like, three or four-times more when I don’t fight than when I do fight. And, I’m one of the higher-paid guys in the UFC, which is remarkably tragic and pathetic. So, the work that I do on a normal, day-to-day basis is way more exciting than stepping into the Octagon,” Kennedy said (h/t Elias Cepeda of FOX Sports).

Kennedy, who has been prohibited from wearing his own apparel in the UFC due to the sponsorship deal with Reebok, says he was scolded by Dana White for criticizing the drop in pay since the partnership.

“I got my hand slapped for talking about fighter pay. That was a big one. I had Dana White yell at me in front of, like, 20 other fighters. And, I’m sure you see how quiet I got about fighter pay,” he said sarcastically. “No. Still the same. Same thing about Reebok. Then, they ultimately tried to affect me in different ways – maybe not letting me fight. While they may not be able to shut me up, and maybe I’m not smart enough to shut up, myself, I’m still going to say what I’m going to say, and maybe that’s why I’m still on the shelf.”

Although Kennedy has no urgency to return to fighting, the former Strikeforce middleweight title challenger called out Dan Henderson on Twitter yesterday following Lyoto Machida’s removal from UFC 199.

However, it’s been reported that Dana White and co. are looking pit Henderson against Hector Lombard on the pay-per-view instead. UFC 199 will take place at The Forum in Inglewood, California on June 4th.