Dec 13, 2024; Tampa, Florida, UNITED STATES; UFC CEO Dana White during weigh-ins for UFC Fight Night at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

mma

UFC Fighter Pay Increase? $7.7 Billion Deal Sparks Dana White’s Reaction On The Issue

Dec 13, 2024; Tampa, Florida, UNITED STATES; UFC CEO Dana White during weigh-ins for UFC Fight Night at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Fighter pay has been the UFC’s biggest headache for years now. Critics constantly point out that fighters receive a much smaller percentage of total revenue compared to athletes in other major sports leagues like the NBA or NFL. The promotion has faced multiple lawsuits from former fighters claiming they were underpaid, with some cases dragging on for nearly a decade.

The timing of these complaints couldn’t be more awkward for Dana White and company. Just as the UFC lands its biggest broadcast deal in history with Paramount, worth a staggering $7.7 billion over seven years, the fighter pay debate has reached a boiling point again. This new contract nearly doubles what the promotion was making annually from ESPN, which means there’s going to be a lot more money flowing into UFC headquarters. Naturally, fighters and their managers are wondering if any of that extra cash will trickle down to the athletes who actually step into the octagon and risk their health for everyone’s entertainment.

Dana White Addresses the Elephant In The Room

White knew he had to say something about fighter compensation when reporters started asking questions at Tuesday’s Contender Series press conference. The UFC boss tried to strike a reassuring tone while admitting he doesn’t have all the answers figured out yet.

“We’ve got a bunch of smart kids over there that work in the accounting department to figure out how to make this stuff work. But it’s so good for the fighters…The fighters are going to get tons of promotion built by all these different unbelievable networks that these guys own.”

Dana White promises changes to fighter pay after the $7.7 billion UFC-Paramount deal.

"The low-hanging fruit that's easy to answer: The bonuses are obviously going up." pic.twitter.com/BtK2Q63caK
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) August 13, 2025

He specifically mentioned that fighters with pay-per-view points in their contracts would have those deals worked out. Though he couldn’t provide specific details about how that process would unfold. This promotional push could theoretically help fighters build their personal brands and earn more money through sponsorships and appearances. However, seasoned MMA fans have heard similar promises before when the UFC signed exclusive deals with Reebok and later Venum, and those partnerships didn’t exactly revolutionize fighter earnings in the way many had hoped they would.

UFC Bonuses Are Going Up, But What About Base Pay?

White did deliver one concrete piece of good news that should make fighters happy. Performance bonuses, which have been stuck at $50,000, will finally increase starting next year. When fans consider that $50,000 in 2012 had more buying power than it does today due to inflation, this change is long overdue. The bonus system rewards fighters who deliver exciting performances with extra cash on top of their contracted purse.

“It’s August, we have until January to figure all that stuff. But the low-hanging fruit that’s easy to answer? Bonuses are obviously going up, so that’ll be big.”

However, White’s focus on bonuses might be telling about where the UFC’s priorities lie regarding fighter compensation. Bonuses only benefit a small percentage of fighters on each card, typically just four athletes who earn Fight of the Night or Performance of the Night honors. The bigger question remains whether base salaries and guaranteed purses will see meaningful increases across the roster.

White mentioned that they have until January to figure out all the contract details, which suggests the promotion is still working through how much of that $7.7 billion will actually reach the fighters’ bank accounts. For now, athletes and fans will have to wait and see if this massive broadcast deal finally translates into the kind of pay raises that fighters have been demanding for years.

(Image Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck – Imagn Images)

Dana White

Paramount+

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!