Mitrione: I could easily walk away
Matt Mitrione: “I’ve got a life set up enough. I’m not thinking about it, but if Travis smokes me, or if I don’t get the money that I want after Travis, then I could easily walk away.”
At a press event for the UFC Fight Night 81, Matt Mitrione talked about his current contract status and his plans for what’s next win or lose:
Mitrione said he talked to UFC Chairman Lorenzo Fertitta about getting more money. He didn’t say when, but the conversation probably took place not long after he publicly criticized the promotion over its pay scale. The takeaway was not an immediate boost. He would have to earn it if he wanted bigger paydays.
That makes his fight with Browne significant in that it could send him down a very different path from the one he’s walked since the reality show. He spoke of obtaining certifications that would allow him to become a firefighter with the fire department in Purdue, Ind., not far from his Indianapolis home before he moved to South Florida to train with the Blackzilians.
A job that paid $65,000 with good benefits and plenty of time off sounds pretty attractive to the heavyweight, who once played pro football for the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings.
Of course, Mitrione expects to fight to his potential and defeat Browne. He is still invested in what he admits is the pipe dream of the one fight that puts his MMA career in high gear. It’s just that he’s got other things in mind, as too.
I’m not afraid to walk away, Mitrione said. I’ve got a life set up enough. I’m not thinking about it, but if Travis smokes me, or if I don’t get the money that I want after Travis, then I could easily walk away.
