Dana White has been on a roll with his increased bonuses starting from UFC 300, and as such, it continued into UFC 304. But now, the UFC CEO is done upping the bonuses. He credits it all to the disappointing fights at UFC 304, with the majority of them going to decision.
The UFC CEO has declared an end to his generous bonus experiment. The announcement came after a less-than-thrilling UFC 304 event in Manchester, England. White had hoped that doubling the usual $50,000 bonuses would spark excitement. Instead, it seemed to have no effect on the fighters’ performances.
“I think tonight showed that we should not up [the post-fight bonuses]. 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. Ever. Today was the last day that I’m doing that,” stated White during the post-fight press conference.
White’s frustration was palpable as he addressed the media post-event. The night started promisingly with three finishes, but quickly fizzled out. Seven consecutive decisions followed, leaving the English crowd struggling to stay awake.
The UFC boss had been on a bonus-raising spree in recent events. Fighters like Max Holloway and Alex ‘Poatan’ Pereira had benefited from six-figure payouts. However, it seems the era of super-sized bonuses has come to an abrupt end. According to White, the UFC 304 fighters are to blame for all this. His decision reflects a harsh reality in combat sports. Money alone doesn’t guarantee excitement or effort in the octagon.
Dana White Reveals Motive Behind Increasing Fight Bonuses
The UFC CEO recently upped the ante for UFC 304, increasing the performance bonuses to a whopping $100,000 per fighter. White’s decision aims to light a fire under the fighters’ feet. He hoped the extra cash would spark more explosive performances in the octagon.
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White recently talked to TNT Sports about this and revealed that he loved the added incentive fighters have to earn that extra cash. The UFC CEO also revealed that he loved to change the lives of the fighters and their families.
“There’s 100,000 more dollars on the line. They don’t discriminate, no matter where you sit on the card. You could be the first fight of the night, and you could be making $25 [thousand] and $25 [thousand], and you could pull off another 100,000 dollars… If that doesn’t motivate you to fight, you’re probably in the wrong sport,” stated White.
However, the increased bonus didn’t go as planned for the UFC 304 event. Many of the fights went to decision, leaving Dana White so disappointed that he vowed never to increase bonuses again. Whether White will make an exception to this in the future is an interesting sight to be seen.
Also Read: Dana White Savagely Cuts Muhammad Mokaev Despite Undefeated Status
