Dana White Decides Against Future Post-Fight Bonus Increases After UFC 304.
In a bold move, UFC President Dana White has announced he will not entertain further calls for increased post-fight bonuses following the UFC 304 event in Manchester last night. White attributed his decision to the fighters’ performances during the event.
Returning to ‘The Rainy City’ for the pivotal UFC 304, the promotion featured two championship bouts in the heavyweight and welterweight divisions.
In a spectacular opening round victory, Atherton native Tom Aspinall avenged his only promotional loss by knocking down Curtis Blaydes twice within a minute. Aspinall finished the bout with a straight right hand followed by a series of ground strikes to secure a knockout win.
In the night’s main event, a major upset occurred as emerging contender Belal Muhammad claimed the undisputed welterweight title with a unanimous decision victory over defending champion Leon Edwards in their title clash.
Despite awarding $100,000 post-fight bonuses to three British fighters – Paddy Pimblett, Tom Aspinall, and heavyweight contender Mick Parkin – White firmly declared that he would “never” increase post-fight bonuses upon request again.
“I think tonight has shown that we shouldn’t increase [post-fight bonuses],” Dana White told the media after UFC 304. “Increasing the bonuses doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t make anyone fight harder. It doesn’t change anything. I will never do this again. Never.”
“Today is the last day I do that,” White continued. “I’m not saying that in the future, bonuses can’t go up, but I will not attend a press conference and have [people] say, ‘$200,000, $300,000,’ never again, never again.”
Dana White’s decision to cap post-fight bonus increases marks a significant policy change for the UFC. This decision underscores the organization’s stance on performance incentives and aims to maintain consistency in rewarding fighters. As the UFC continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how this decision impacts fighter performances and the overall landscape of mixed martial arts.
