UFC middleweight C.B. Dollaway isn’t yet at the pay grade he would like, but he’s very close.

The good news is, the numbers are getting better.

This past month, Dollaway told MMAjunkie he was losing money by taking a fight against Francis Carmont less than at UFC Fight Night 41 in Berlin. But his investment turned out to be a wise one.

“Things are moving in the right direction,” he today told MMAjunkie. “I took a gamble by going there, and it paid off. It looks like I’ll be getting a pretty good raise, and things are moving in the right direction.

“I’m going to be fighting more of the top echelon guys, too. With that money comes tougher opponents and bigger fights.”

Dollaway (15-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) previously said he would be in the red making his contracted minimum of $30,000 to fight Carmont and aimed at earning a minimum of between $50,000 and $60,000 a fight when he returned to the negotiating table.

Although he didn’t go into specific figures, he said today that while he isn’t quite at the $50,000 mark, initial figures are better than his previous deal.

“Some of the numbers that I’ve heard sound pretty good, so obviously not exactly where I want to be, but it’s better than the situation I’m in,” Dollaway said. “Win a couple more fights, and I can be right there.

“That’s another thing, you set up how you move up the ladder. It’s all negotiation, so I’m lucky I have a good agent.”

As it turned out, the 30-year-old veteran and alumnus of “The Ultimate Fighter 7” did pretty well for himself by beating Carmont in the May 31 co-headliner. He doubled his pay with a win, taking home $60,000, and also took home a $50,000 bonus for “Performance of the Night.”

Not only that, but Dollaway now resides at the No. 9 spot in the UFC’s official rankings, which undoubtedly helped him in negotiations. (He’s No. 11 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA middleweight rankings.)

Dollaway, though, is looking to break into the top five and eventually win a title shot. Although he is still on the mend from a hard-fought win at the UFC Fight Pass-streamed event, which took place at Berlin’s O2 Arena, he already is targeting his next opponent.

“I think Tim Kennedy is probably going to need a fight,” said Dollaway. “I think I match up with him well; I think strategically, it would be a good fight for me to move toward that title. At this point, you have to pick the right fights and maneuver yourself in the position to get a shot.”

Kennedy, meanwhile, appears to be doing some maneuvering of his own. Asked whether he would consider a fight with Dollaway, he responded via text, “He is ranked behind me. I want Vitor Belfort, Lyoto Machida, Chris Weidman. …”

Kennedy also recently called for a bout with Gegard Mousasi, who submitted Mark Munoz in UFC Fight Night 41’s headliner.

Dollaway said he asked UFC President Dana White online for a fight with Kennedy, a former Strikeforce title challenger, and received no response. Of course, it’s not the first time he’s gotten snubbed. Following his win over Carmont, White sent a snarky tweet about his in-cage interview skills.

Nevertheless, Dollaway thinks Kennedy might be available.

“I originally thought the matchup that was going to be made was Tim vs. Gegard, but I’ve heard Gegard may be fighting someone else now,” Dollaway said. “I’m not sure who, but it’s probably not going to be Tim Kennedy.”

Dollaway said he likes the Kennedy fight because it would put two well-rounded MMA fighters on display.

“Tim likes to take guys down – it’s no secret,” he said. “I think I’m one of those guys that he’s not going to be able to just take down. He’s not going to control where the fight’s at. He’s got good standup, and I’ve been improving mine, and I think I can hang with him on the feet and make it an exciting fight.”

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