UFC President and CEO Dana White has grated increased bonuses at recent events, including $300,000 post-fight bonuses at UFC 300, and $100,000 bonuses at Saturday’s UFC 304.
Many of the bonus bumps have come during press conferences, with White peppered with requests to reward the fighters. UFC 304 was the latest example, and that’s where the increases will end. White addressed the matter following the event, speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press. It all comes down to the lack of action, with White less than impressed with seven straight decisions on the card.
Asked whether higher bonuses should become a mainstay, White responded with the opposite take.
“I think tonight showed that we should not. Upping [the bonuses] doesn’t change anything,” exclaimed White. “It doesn’t make anybody fight any harder. It doesn’t change anything.”
With that in mind, White went on to add that “I’m not doing this again, ever. Today was the last, the last day that I’m doing that. Not saying that in the future the bonuses couldn’t get upped, but I’m not going to be at a press conference saying ‘200, 300!’ F*cking never again. Never again. You can thank everybody on this card for that. Nobody fought any harder, there was no sense of urgency, ‘holy sh*t I want the hundred thousand.'”
The timing of UFC 304, where the main event kicked off at about 5:30AM to cater to North American PPV sales, was suggested to White as a possible culprit for the lack of action. White was dismissive of that notion.
“Who gives a f*ck, it’s f*cking seven o’clock in Vegas. So whatever. Never again. Seven straight f*cking decisions. The hundred thousand was a real big f*cking ‘woo-hoo, let’s get it boys.’ F*ck that sh*t. Never again.”
Watch the full UFC 304 post-fight press conference with Dana White above.
