T.J. Grant has gotten a taste of the financial rewards associated with being a UFC fighter. He hopes there’s more where that came from.
The 26-year-old Cole Harbour native heads into UFC 113 in Montreal on Saturday on the heels of a big win in December that saw him pocket a hefty bonus of $65,000 US.
Grant (15-3) won the “knockout of the night” when his right punch to the jaw of Kevin Burns earned him a victory at UFC 107 on Dec. 12.
“It was a nice little bonus,” said Grant, who used the money to pay off some bills and buy a Nissan Maxima.
“It opens your eyes to the opportunities that are in front of you in this sport and shows you there’s some green at the end of the tunnel.”
With a 2-1 record in three UFC bouts, Grant signed a new four-fight contract after the Burns victory and can further establish himself as an up-and-comer with a win on Saturday against Johny Hendricks in a welterweight matchup on the undercard.
Hendricks, undefeated with a 7-0 record, won two NCAA wrestling titles at Oklahoma State and has relied on that ability as a mixed-martial artist.
“I obviously don’t want to end up on my back against such a high-level wrestler — it’s going to be tough to get out from underneath that,” Grant said. “I want to keep it where I’m comfortable, and that’s pretty much everywhere else.
“I’ve got to get out there, move around, beat him up and take the fight to him.”
Grant is no stranger to Montreal, having won four of five fights in the city. He called it a “great place to fight” and actually requested being part of UFC 113 when he found out it would be in Canada.
With three UFC fights under his belt, Grant is starting to get more and more comfortable on his sport’s biggest stage.
“I’m pretty realistic with where my skills are and where I want them to be,” he said.
“I’m just going to keep on working at it.”
Other fights
A rematch between Lyoto Machida and Mauricio Rua headlines UFC 113 at Bell Centre in Montreal on Saturday. The light heavyweights met in UFC 104 in October, with Machida winning in a controversial unanimous decision. Jason MacDonald, a native of Merigomish, Pictou Co., who lives in Red Deer, Alta., and has a 24-13 record, will face John Salter (4-1) on the preliminary card.
