Footage has emerged of UFC president, Dana White, gifting a Nelk Boys content creator a cash gift of $250,000 – resulting in major backlash across social media amid the ongoing fighter pay issue in the promotion, and calls for fighters to form a long-awaited, union.
Dana White, the promotional head honcho, has received mass criticizm across social media amid the ongoing issue of fighter pay and unfair compensation issued from the organization from a total revenue earned.
Footage emerged on Monday night from the Twitter account of content creator and Nelk Boys members, Kyle Forgeard, in which he opens a parcel issue by White – before receiving a bag containing $250,000 as a birthday gift as Dana White smiles in joy.
Receiving mass criticizm as a result – White was criticized for his decision to gift Forgeard $250,000 in cash, while fighters under the promotion’s banner continue to struggle to make ends meet, with many in recent months opening GoFundMe pages in order to fundraise payments for camp, travel, and other expenses in order to just compete under the promotion’s scrutiny.
Dana White has been widely blasted for the rising issue of UFC fighter pay
Rarely pressed significantly on the issue of fighter pay, the opportunity to address the rising and notorious issue in person was unavailable over the course of this month, with White failing to attend UFC 276 during International Fight Week and its pre-fight press conference, as well as the promotion’s ceremonial weigh-ins.
Taking umbrage with White’s decision to gift Forgeard, UFC alum and professional flyweight, Louis Smolka urged combatants to form a fighters union.
“When we starting the union bois (sic),” Louis Smolka tweeted.
White’s recent gift comes off the back of calls from UFC bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling, for an increase in revenue received by fighters, as well as an increase in his fight purse before a targeted title fight against T.J. Dillashaw.
Sterling also questioned one-time lightweight title challenger, Michael Chandler for undermining the issue of fighter pay, when the Kill Cliff FC staple claimed that White had numerous sleepless nights in order to help the UFC succeed, while fighters just needed to train and fight.