Ilia Topuria became an overnight star in the world, especially Spain, with his devastating knockout of Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298. Fight fans and ‘El Matador’ himself have hoped and advocated for his fight title defense to be in Spain. But Alas! Dana White just poured cold water over this notion in a recent interview.
The UFC CEO recently shed light on why Ilia Topuria won’t be fighting in Spain anytime soon in an interview with TNT Sports. The featherweight champion’s dream of defending his title in his home country has hit a snag. White revealed an unexpected obstacle: venue availability. It turns out Spain’s event spaces are as packed as the country is still catching up on events postponed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The problem with Topuria and Spain is Spain’s venues are so backed up since Covid. They have so many events going on, it’s hard to get a venue there. But when we can, we will definitely do that.” stated White.
Topuria, who clinched the featherweight title in February, had his heart set on a specific location. He wanted to defend his belt at Madrid’s iconic Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. However, finding an opening at this renowned venue is proving tricky for the UFC brass.
White assured fans that the UFC is committed to making Topuria’s Spanish dream a reality. It seems the organization is playing the long game, much like a strategic fighter biding their time. In the meantime, Topuria may need to defend his title elsewhere. Perhaps he’ll find solace in the fact that his potential opponent, Max Holloway, isn’t picky about any location.
Dana White Talks About Increasing Bonuses For Fighters
Dana White apparently has found a new passion: boosting fight bonuses. In a recent interview with TNT Sports, White revealed his enthusiasm for this motivational tactic. He stated that he loves to motivate fighters and significantly impact their lives.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral UFC stories via Google! Follow Us
The trend of increased bonuses kicked off at UFC 300 with a whopping $300,000 reward. Since then, fighters have been clamoring for bigger payouts, and White seems more than happy to oblige. At the UFC 304 press conference, Bobby Green boldly asked White to double the bonus. The UFC boss, known for his unpredictable decisions, promptly agreed to bump it up to $100,000.
“I love two things. I love motivating people more than they were already motivated and I love the impact that it will have on their lives.” stated White.
Of course, skeptics might argue that this is just a PR move. After all, White has faced criticism for years about fighter pay issues. Regardless of the motive, fighters aren’t complaining about the extra cash. Who would say no to a six-figure bonus for a night’s work?
