Anderson Silva: Fighters chasing money and not honor will end up frustrated

"Money was never a big motivation for me, except as a way to keep score. The real excitement is playing the game."
     -Donald Trump from his book "Trump: Art of the Deal."

Do you wanna be a f-ing millionaire?

If so, you might end up disappointed. That's according to UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, who's trying to keep it real during his media rounds to promote his "Like Water" documentary playing at the Tribeca Film Festival.

"The Spider" thinks a majority of today's up-and-coming fighters are chasing money, not the thrill of the fight, and he points to his combat brethren back in his native Brazil and their struggle to make ends meet.

From Silva (via Fighters Only):

"When I began there was that hierarchy in martial arts, money was secondary. Nowadays the youngsters want to be fighters only for money. They forget the martial art tradition. I’m an old-school guy, we only just began to earn money now. I’m from the era when we fought for honor, because we liked to do it. Many youngsters today end up frustrated because of this. They get in the sport thinking they will make money because it is evolving but they forget not all the fighters are highly successful. Many talented fighters in Brazil can’t make a living from the sport and need another job. They work as bodyguards, security… to sum it up, one out of twenty fighters is financially successful."

Blame Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for making millionaires out of mixed martial artists. Well, some of them anyway. The rest will have to work their way up as the sport continues to expand.

But will the salaries expand with it?

And does an influx of young fighters with dreams of combat riches make the sport a more dangerous place? Will the regional market become diluted with inexperienced fighters chasing a dream?

And how long before someone gets seriously hurt?

Let's hear your take on Silva's comments. Any old-time MMA fans think his statements are on the money? Or did he short-change the next generation of cage fighters?

Opinions, please.