Tag: Dana White

UFC boss Dana White denies promotion is a ‘monopoly’ amid criticism: ‘We’re just the best’

Dana White insists that the UFC is not a monopoly: 'We're just the best'Dana White doesn’t see the UFC as a monopoly, it’s just the best game in town. For years, fighters…

Dana White insists that the UFC is not a monopoly: 'We're just the best'

Dana White doesn’t see the UFC as a monopoly, it’s just the best game in town.

For years, fighters within the organization and those on the outside looking in have criticized White and Co. for creating what they believe is a monopoly in the world of mixed martial arts.

Dominating the global MMA scene for the last two decades, or at least since PRIDE FC collapsed, the UFC has grown exponentially on the back of fighters who have been subject to restrictive non-compete clauses and a ridiculously low revenue share when compared to that of other major sports leagues like the MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL.

Dana White UFC

White has routinely defended the subject of fighter pay on countless occasions, suggesting that anyone who doesn’t like it is welcome to start their own promotion. He offered a similar sentiment during a recent interview with FOX News, telling Brian Kilmeade that the UFC is not a monopoly and anyone is free to start their own company to try and take a piece of the MMA pie.

“People have called us a monopoly and all this stuff for years,” White said. “We’re just the best. We’re the best at what we do. There’s no barrier to entry. Anybody can get into this. You could start a league tomorrow and pay the guys whatever you want.

“A lot of smart, talented, big business moguls have gotten into this sport and tried to compete with me and they couldn’t do it. You have to have that competitive spirit. You have to want to compete.”

Dana White UFC

Former UFC fighter calls the promotion’s $335 million class-action settlement a ‘huge win’

Earlier this year, TKO Group, the promotion’s parent company, settled a courtroom conflict originating from five interconnected class-action lawsuits by paying out a whopping $335 million to former fighters including Cung Le, Nate Quarry, Jon Fitch, and more than 1,200 others who claimed that the promotion violated antitrust laws intended to promote competition and avoid monopolies.

The group argued that the UFC had used “improper strategies to dominate the market for MMA fighter services” which led to a decrease in fighter pay. If found guilty, the UFC could have been on the hook for anywhere from $800 million to $1.6 billion. Instead, the promotion settled for less than half of the lowest asking price.

Dana White UFC

Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub called the settlement a big win for the promotion and placed much of the blame on the fighters for failing to change anything in the industry.

“UFC settled the antitrust lawsuit. HUGE win for the UFC. Bad for every other organization for so many reasons,” Schaub wrote. “UFC remains the king. Until the fighters unionize like MLB, NBA, and NFL nothing will ever change. You can be mad at @danawhite all you want but it’s not his fault or job.

“His Job is to build the UFC as big as possible and make the most profit. Period. Which he’s doing at a historic level. This unfortunately is on the fighters.”

UFC boss Dana White denies promotion is a ‘monopoly’ amid criticism: ‘We’re just the best’

Dana White insists that the UFC is not a monopoly: 'We're just the best'Dana White doesn’t see the UFC as a monopoly, it’s just the best game in town. For years, fighters…

Dana White insists that the UFC is not a monopoly: 'We're just the best'

Dana White doesn’t see the UFC as a monopoly, it’s just the best game in town.

For years, fighters within the organization and those on the outside looking in have criticized White and Co. for creating what they believe is a monopoly in the world of mixed martial arts.

Dominating the global MMA scene for the last two decades, or at least since PRIDE FC collapsed, the UFC has grown exponentially on the back of fighters who have been subject to restrictive non-compete clauses and a ridiculously low revenue share when compared to that of other major sports leagues like the MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL.

Dana White UFC

White has routinely defended the subject of fighter pay on countless occasions, suggesting that anyone who doesn’t like it is welcome to start their own promotion. He offered a similar sentiment during a recent interview with FOX News, telling Brian Kilmeade that the UFC is not a monopoly and anyone is free to start their own company to try and take a piece of the MMA pie.

“People have called us a monopoly and all this stuff for years,” White said. “We’re just the best. We’re the best at what we do. There’s no barrier to entry. Anybody can get into this. You could start a league tomorrow and pay the guys whatever you want.

“A lot of smart, talented, big business moguls have gotten into this sport and tried to compete with me and they couldn’t do it. You have to have that competitive spirit. You have to want to compete.”

Dana White UFC

Former UFC fighter calls the promotion’s $335 million class-action settlement a ‘huge win’

Earlier this year, TKO Group, the promotion’s parent company, settled a courtroom conflict originating from five interconnected class-action lawsuits by paying out a whopping $335 million to former fighters including Cung Le, Nate Quarry, Jon Fitch, and more than 1,200 others who claimed that the promotion violated antitrust laws intended to promote competition and avoid monopolies.

The group argued that the UFC had used “improper strategies to dominate the market for MMA fighter services” which led to a decrease in fighter pay. If found guilty, the UFC could have been on the hook for anywhere from $800 million to $1.6 billion. Instead, the promotion settled for less than half of the lowest asking price.

Dana White UFC

Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub called the settlement a big win for the promotion and placed much of the blame on the fighters for failing to change anything in the industry.

“UFC settled the antitrust lawsuit. HUGE win for the UFC. Bad for every other organization for so many reasons,” Schaub wrote. “UFC remains the king. Until the fighters unionize like MLB, NBA, and NFL nothing will ever change. You can be mad at @danawhite all you want but it’s not his fault or job.

“His Job is to build the UFC as big as possible and make the most profit. Period. Which he’s doing at a historic level. This unfortunately is on the fighters.”

MMA News Today: Jon Jones Teases Date For Potential Stipe Miocic Fight, Dan Ige Calls In His Favor With Dana White After Saving UFC 303, & More

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 4, 2024, we’re taking a look at: Jon Jones Says His Return Will Be On November 9 At Madison Square Garden In a post on social media, UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones teased a potential […]

Continue Reading MMA News Today: Jon Jones Teases Date For Potential Stipe Miocic Fight, Dan Ige Calls In His Favor With Dana White After Saving UFC 303, & More at MMA News.

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 4, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

  • Jones says he will return at MSG in November
  • Ige calls to face Garcia
  • 303 winner makes quick turnaround to face Drew Dober

Jon Jones Says His Return Will Be On November 9 At Madison Square Garden

In a post on social media, UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones teased a potential date and location for the first defense of his title.

“Bones” was set to face off with former champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 in November of last year until an injury forced him to withdraw and postpone the fight.

Jones appears to now be targeting the rescheduled fight for the same month in the originally planned venue, Madison Square Garden in New York.

He replied to a comment on Instagram where he named November 9 at the iconic venue as the target that he is working towards right now.

Dan Ige Wants To Fight Ryan Garcia At UFC 306 With No Takedowns Or Weigh-In

After he stepped up on the day of the fight to save the co-main event of UFC 303, Dana White said that he will try to make it up to Dan Ige.

Ige didn’t get his hand raised against Diego Lopes this past weekend but his efforts to be a company man didn’t go unnoticed or without reward.

The featherweight contender posted on social media where he made his request for his next outing with a very bold idea.

Ige posted that he wants to face the controversial boxing star Ryan Garcia at UFC 306 inside the Sphere with a few extra rules being put in place.

Garcia responded on social media, so clearly the call out at least caught his attention, that he’s down to compete.

Jean Silva Set To Make Two-Week Turnaround To Fight Drew Dober In Denver

Jean Silva delivered one of the stand-out performances at UFC 303 as he stopped Charles Jourdain in the second round.

Despite missing weight for the fight, the Brazilian is now set to make a remarkable two-week turn-around in order to take on Drew Dober up at lightweight.

Dober was originally set to face Mike Davis in a significant bout for the 155-pound fan favorite due to him training out of Denver, Colorado where the card will be hosted.

Brazilian outlet Ag. Fight reported the news that Silva will be looking to pick up his third consecutive win in the UFC after debuting on the first card of 2024.

Read more on the story here.

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Continue Reading MMA News Today: Jon Jones Teases Date For Potential Stipe Miocic Fight, Dan Ige Calls In His Favor With Dana White After Saving UFC 303, & More at MMA News.

Alex Pereira banks $303k performance bonus for his sick head-kick KO of Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303

Alex Pereira banks $303,000 performance bonus for his sick head-kick KO of Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303Alex Pereira banked some extra coin for saving the day and delivering another highlight-reel performance during Saturday’s massive headliner…

Alex Pereira banks $303,000 performance bonus for his sick head-kick KO of Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303

Alex Pereira banked some extra coin for saving the day and delivering another highlight-reel performance during Saturday’s massive headliner in Las Vegas.

During an appearance on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Pereira’s longtime coach Plinio Cruz revealed that CEO Dana White gave Pereira a $303,000 post-fight bonus following his successful light heavyweight title defense at UFC 303.

“He was talking to Dana in the back, and they were talking about a bunch of stuff, and Dana said, ‘As a matter of fact, you won Performance of the Night.’ And he said, ‘$303,000?’ He goes, ‘No, no, no, $50,000,’” Cruz explained.

”But reality of the fact is, he did not — they gave $300,000 bonuses for [UFC] 300 and [Pereira] did not get Performance of the Night. They gave two to Max [Holloway], so he was a little bit salty about that. And I think because of all their history and then taking the fight on two weeks’ [notice], Dana looked at him and said, ‘You know what, man? I’m going to take care of you. You’ve got the $303,000.’ He even joked, he said buy a supercar with that money. [Pereira] goes, ‘I’ve got enough supercars.’ He wants a Cybertruck.”

Alex Pereira

Pereira stepped into the UFC 303 headliner on just 16 days’ notice after the original main event, Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler, was scrapped when the Irishman broke his pinky toe while sparring.

It was the second time in a matter of months that ‘Poatan’ has stepped up to save the day, the last time being at UFC 300 when Pereira put his 205-pound crown on the line against ex-titleholder Jamahal Hill. Originally, Pereira was negotiating to run it back with Prochazka at UFC 305 on August 17 when they got the call to step in and headline this year’s International Fight Week card.

Could Alex Pereira become the UFC’s first-ever three-division champion?

Alex Pereira is now 8-1 under the UFC banner, earning wins over a heap of former champions, including Sean Strickland, Israel Adesanya, Jan Blachowicz, Jamahal Hill, and Jiri Prochazka. He is just the ninth fighter in the promotion’s 30+ year history to win belts in two different divisions.

Alex Pereira

Following his impressive performance at UFC 303, it certainly seems like Pereira could find himself with a shot at doing what no man has done before — winning belts in three different divisions.

“[Pereira] has actually a very special vision [when it comes to] timing, distance, and the angles in the way that he [approaches his craft],” Cruz added. “It’s almost like he has his own style of fighting. He just combines his boxing and the kickboxing, and the way that he just implements [everything] is just light years ahead, the vision that he has [for] the game.”

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Dana White weighs up heavyweight super fight for Alex Pereira after UFC 303: ‘That’s what people wanna see’

Dana White plays up super fight for Alex Pereira after UFC 303 people wanna see itUFC CEO, Dana White admits that while he’s not sold on the idea of former two-weight champion, Alex Pereira…

Dana White plays up super fight for Alex Pereira after UFC 303 people wanna see it

UFC CEO, Dana White admits that while he’s not sold on the idea of former two-weight champion, Alex Pereira making a heavyweight divisional leap following last night’s stunning victory in Las Vegas, he knows fans and pundits are clamoring for it.

Pereira, a former undisputed middleweight champion and the current undisputed light heavyweight champion, headlined UFC 303 overnight in a short-notice rematch against Czech Republic star, Jiri Prochazka.

Alex Pereira calls for heavyweight move after huge knockout win at UFC 303 I think that it's in my future

And landing his second career win over the former titleholder, Pereira scored a devastating second round high-kick and strikes knockout win over Prochazka, successfully defending his light heavyweight crown for the second time. 

Welcoming the chance to make a heavyweight move ever since his thunderous knockout win over Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 earlier this annum, Sao Paulo striker, Pereira echoed those calls overnight in the immediate aftermath of his win.

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“I think that’s in my future,” Alex Pereira said of a heavyweight move following his devastating win at UFC 303. “You know, I said that the last time I was here [inside the Octagon]. There didn’t seem to be a lot of interest in the organization, but I’m here, and I’m available and I do think that’s in my future.”

Dana White aware of Alex Pereira’s heavyweight title fight plans

And while the above-mentioned, White is unsure on Pereira’s future at the heavyweight limit in a bid to become the first three-division champion in Octagon history, he acknowledged fan interest and pundit clamor alike.

pereira ufc 303

“I’m standing up there with the belt and I had Joe Rogan in my ear the whole time we were up there: Let him (Alex Pereira) fight [at] heavyweight, come on, just do it,’” Dana White told assembled media following UFC 303. “I know that’s what people wanna see. We’ll see how this whole thing plays out.”

“When we were talking to him tonight, he doesn’t give a sh*t,” White explained. “He said, ‘I’ll fight at heavyweight. I’ll fight wherever you want, whenever you want.’ He’s ready to turn around and wants to fight again, right away. He’s that guy. He’s a savage, man, an absolute stud.”

How do you think Alex Pereira fares at the heavyweight limit after UFC 303?

Video – Dana White gets into heated debate with MMA journalist Kevin Iole over Jon Jones’ P4P ranking

Video - Dana White gets into heated debate with MMA journalist Kevin Iole over Jon Jones' P4P rankingDana White believes Jon Jones is the greatest P4P fighter on the planet and we don’t recommend you try…

Video - Dana White gets into heated debate with MMA journalist Kevin Iole over Jon Jones' P4P ranking

Dana White believes Jon Jones is the greatest P4P fighter on the planet and we don’t recommend you try to tell him otherwise.

Following Saturday’s stellar UFC 303 card in Las Vegas, White got into a heated debate with combat sports journalist Kevin Iole regarding whether or not ‘Bones’ belongs at the top of the pound-for-pound rankings even though he hasn’t fought in over a year.

“Listen to me. I’m not defending Jon Jones,” White said during the post-fight press conference. “He’s been one of my biggest f*cking headaches the entire time I’ve been in this company. The guy hasn’t been the model fighter in the company. No matter what you think of Jon Jones, he’s the f*cking best ever. He’s the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.”

Iole, on the other hand, believes that Jon Jones should be exempt from P4P honors due to his recent activity. However, White was quick to point out that ‘Bones’ isn’t sitting on the sidelines by choice. He was injured in October and forced to undergo surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle weeks before his previously scheduled scrap with two-time heavyweight titleholder Stipe Miocic.

Jones vs. Miocic

“If you were coming into a fight and you f*cking got hurt, that means you’re not the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world anymore? How does that even make sense? That doesn’t make sense,” White continued. “If he was sitting out, f*cking getting arrested, running around, and whatever, you’d say, ‘Well, Jon Jones is inactive’ and I’d say maybe you’re right.

“As an educated adult who knows the fight business, you cannot deny that while Jon Jones is active, he is the greatest fighter in the world. I don’t know what you’re arguing about here. I don’t know how we’re in this conversation.”

Jon Jones

Jon Jones’ resume speaks for itself

As it stands, Jon Jones is listed as the No. 2 ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world, one spot behind reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. But when it comes to the all-time list, you’re unlikely to find anyone with the resume and longevity of the former light heavyweight and reigning undisputed heavyweight king.

Dominating the competition at 205 for more than a decade, ‘Bones’ has bested a who’s who of light heavyweight legends, including Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen, Alexander Gustafsson, Glover Teixeira, and Daniel Cormier.

Jon Jones

In May 2023, Jones returned to the Octagon for the first time in three years and quickly dispatched Ciryl Gane in the opening round to claim the vacant heavyweight title, securing his legacy as a two-division champion. Bones’ is expected to step back inside the cage later this year for his long-awaited scrap with consensus heavyweight GOAT Stipe Miocic.

When and where that takes place is yet to be announced, but all signs point toward the two headlining the promotion’s annual pit stop at MSG in November.

Until then, look back at some of Jon Jones’ greatest highlights below: