One-time UFC veteran Gilbert Smith doesn’t want his son Elijah Smith to rush his Octagon career.
Elijah shot to overnight stardom with a slam knockout of Toshiomi Kazama at UFC Vegas 109 that earned him a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus. However, Gilbert isn’t looking for high caliber matchups for his son just yet. Gilbert revealed that since this is Elijah’s first UFC contract, it is not the most lucrative financially. Gilbert doesn’t want his 22-year-old son to risk fighting lethal opponents for a meager sum.
“The fight has to match the pay,” Gilbert told MMAjunkie.