UFC CEO Dana White says he will no longer be compelled by fighters to increase performance bonuses in advance of a fight card following last weekend’s UFC 304.
In what is becoming an increasingly common occurrence at pre-fight press conferences, White acquiesced to a request to increase the performance bonuses from the regular $50,000 to $100,000 — but after an event which at one point saw seven straight fights go to the judges, White says that the increased bonuses clearly isn’t paying dividends when it comes to enticing more exciting performances.
“I think that tonight showed that we should not,” White said to the media post-fight in Manchester, including The Mac Life. “Upping them doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t make anybody fight any harder. It doesn’t change anything. I’m not doing this again ever. Today was the last day that I’m doing that. I’m not saying in the future the bonuses couldn’t get up. But I’m not going to be at a press conference and say, ‘$200, $300.’ Never again. Never again.
He added: “So 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 $100,000.’ Who gives a f*ck? … Seven straight f*cking decisions. The $100,000 was a real big f*cking, ‘Woohoo. Let’s get it, boys.’ F*ck that sh*t. Never again.”
You can watch White’s full comments in the video below.
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