“They’re Not Doing Anybody’s Contract Outside of the Top 15”: Elijah Smith Sheds Light on UFC Renewal Policy
Undefeated UFC bantamweight Elijah Smith has alleged that the UFC may no longer be renewing contracts early for fighters outside the top 15, leaving them to fight out their current deals first.
Last Saturday, “Swift” put Davey Grant to sleep just 60 seconds into the fight at UFC Vegas 124, improving to 4-0 in the octagon and 11-1 overall. The finish also earned the 24-year-old a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus. However, the bout was also the last fight on his UFC contract.
To set the scene, Smith had been out of action since March because of a surgery on his right hand. After he was cleared, the UFC offered him a fight against Davey Grant. Smith immediately accepted, even though it meant stepping into the final fight without a new contract in hand.
Elijah Smith Says UFC Isn’t Offering Early Renewals Outside the Top 15
During a one-on-one interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, the son of former UFC fighter Gilbert Smith said that he was always told his contract would likely be renewed before his final fight. However, that did not happen, and his manager later passed on a surprising explanation. Smith said:
“I knew that this was my last fight of my contract, and I was always told that we would probably renew a contract right before the last fight. That didn’t happen. My manager got back to me. He said they’re not doing anybody’s contract that’s outside of the top 15.”
“I was surprised... I don’t know if that’s for all the weight classes or just the bantamweight weight class, but that’s what was told to me,” Smith said.
Check out Elijah Smith’s comments below:
This news caught the rising bantamweight star off guard, as he was coming off back-to-back finishes, believing that he is at his prime, marketable, and exciting to watch.
Elijah Smith also alleged that the promotion told his team that this was something it had not done before and that, as he put it, “everybody’s just fighting out of their contract” now. And as for the reason behind the policy, the second-generation fighter suggested the UFC could be looking to save money or trim its roster, though he is not sure.
Elijah Smith Wants to See Who “Values Me the Most”
Therefore, missing out on an early renewal does not mean Smith’s time in the UFC is over. A win over Grant may have handed him the leverage he wanted. After the fight, UFC CBO Hunter Campbell told him that kind of performance is what the promotion is looking for if he wants a new contract.
Hearing those words, Smith is now “100 percent confident” a deal will come and claims he would have felt the same way even if he had lost. Even so, the bantamweight wouldn’t mind hearing what other promotions have to offer first. He told Helwani:
“I’m 100% happy in the UFC, but I’d like to see what else is out there. I wanna see what people bring to the table, who values me the most.”
The unbeaten UFC prospect made it known that the promotion is still where he wants to be, and he believes his run since the Contender Series backs up his value. He also pointed to his short-notice win over Aaron Tau, the slam KO of Toshiomi Kazama, submitting a man who had never been submitted and now knocking out a man who had never been knocked out. He said:
“I’ve never turned down any fights, never missed weight. I feel like I’m the true definition of a professional fighter.”
For now, Smith hopes to sit down with the UFC once this Saturday’s UFC 334 card at Madison Square Garden wraps up.
