Dana White has honoured fighters’ calls for £300,000 bonuses at UFC 300, sending athletes wild at this week’s press conference for the event.
The UFC typically hands out $50,000 bonuses to the athletes who produce the ‘Fight of the Night’ and any who secure standout finishes.
At UFC 100 in 2009, the UFC increased bonuses to $100,000, leading some fighters on the UFC 300 card to call for $300,000 incentives on Saturday (13 April).
And UFC president White acquiesced at Thursday’s press conference, as fighters on the stage behind him showed visible excitement.
“$300,000, it’s done!” White said, when the topic was raised by a reporter.
Prelim fighter Sodif Yusuff attempted to get White to agree to further bonuses, but the UFC president dismissed the suggestion.
In the main event at Las Vegas’s T-Mobile Arena, Alex Pereira will defend the light-heavyweight title against former champion Jamahal Hill, yet most fans’ pick for fight of the night is Justin Gaethje vs Max Holloway.
Gaethje defends the ‘Baddest M********er’ title against the featherweight great at 155lbs, with fans expecting a violent affair. And acknowledging the increased bonuses this weekend, Holloway said: “It’s gonna be violent; now that there’s 300K on the line, it’s gonna be even more violent, so I can’t wait for it.”
Cody Garbrandt, when asked whether his fight with Deiveson Figueiredo will go the distance, said: “You heard Dana, it’s a $300,000 extra bonus, so you know I’m knocking his ass out.”
The UFC has faced prolonged criticism regarding fighter remuneration, and its parent company TKO Holdings was recently embroiled in a class-action lawsuit concerning the issue.
In March, TKO achieved a settlement of $335 million in two antitrust lawsuits brought forth by fighters aiming for enhanced pay. The claimants had accused the UFC of operating as an unlawful monopsony, suppressing fighter salaries and hindering other promotions through anti-competitive tactics. Initially, the claimants had sought damages of up to $1.6 billion.