They're no longer the killers the UFC signed them to be - 'Cowboy' Donald Cerrone weighs in on rookie fighters complaining about fighter pay

UFC welterweight Donald Cerrone recently offered his take on the hotly debated topic of fighter pay. Talking about the demands that up-and-coming fighters make, Cerrone admitted that their desire to earn more money affects their output inside the cage.

While in conversation with the press during the pre-fight media obligations, 'Cowboy' admitted that fighters often take their foot off the gas after reaching a particular stage in their respective careers.

Cerrone further admitted that fighters behaving this way cost the UFC heavily as their complacency makes it impossible for them to meet the goal that the promotion signed them to achieve:

"It's like, listen, you just fought on a regional show for $2,000. Now the UFC's giving you whatever the 12 and 12 or whatever that is, so that's clearly more than what you're earning now... They work so hard, they put their whole life on hold to get in the UFC. And then they get in the UFC and they're like, 'Oh, I'm here.' And they kind of just back off the training. They're no longer the killers and doing what they need to do to become the entertainers and the person that the UFC signed them to be."

Check out Donald Cerrone's full interaction with the media right here:

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Donald Cerrone reveals what he's fighting for at 39

In the same interaction with the media, Donald Cerrone offered fans some insight into what motivates him to perform at the grandest stage in international MMA. He admitted that he was past the point in his career where he was looking to impress people and set records.

The remainder of his tenure in the UFC, Cerrone claims, is all about the legacy that he will leave behind. He asserted that he is now indifferent to the opinions of critics and detractors, and is more focused on meeting his own expectations from himself:

"I'm here for legacy now. This is just for me which is f***ing even cooler. I don't have to worry about impressing anybody anymore. That's done. Nor do I care. I'm at the age where it's like, 'You like me, you don't, I don't give a f**k.'"

Donald Cerrone is currently on a collision course with Joe Lauzon. He is scheduled to lock horns with 'J-Lau' in a lightweight bout at UFC 274. The action is set to unfold at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.