Dana White’s attempt at generosity didn’t exactly work out as planned.
In the final months of the year, UFC president Dana White faced criticism for not awarding post-fight bonuses to some fighters who felt they deserved them.
However, when he did decide to be generous, handing out over $2.5 million in bonuses, it ended up causing him problems for months afterwards.
During UFC 300 last April, White announced that any fighter who secured a finish would receive a $300,000 bonus. The decision led to more finishes than usual and resulted in the organisation handing out more than $2.5 million in bonuses.
White’s $2.5 million bonus generosity came back to bite him, and he wasn’t happy
From a fan’s perspective, UFC 300 lived up to every bit of its billing, packed with highlight finishes that made White’s generous promise a costly one.
Jiri Prochazka picked up $300,000 for his win over Aleksandar Rakic, while Max Holloway took home an astonishing $600,000 after winning both Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonuses for his stunning knockout of Justin Gaethje.
Those weren’t isolated payouts either. Several other fighters who recorded finishes also mentioned receiving the same $300,000 bonus.
A few months down the line, Alex Pereira revealed he had been given a substantial $303,000 bonus following his knockout win over Prochazka at UFC 303 – a gesture partly in recognition of him stepping in to save the event.
The following month brought more pressure. Ahead of UFC 304, Bobby Green pushed White into raising the standard $50,000 bonus to $100,000 for that event as well.
The result was outside White’s control but still left him frustrated. The card featured just five finishes across 14 fights in what turned out to be an underwhelming night overall.
“I think tonight showed that we should not (increase bonuses permanently),” White said in the post-fight press conference.
“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.”
UFC post-fight bonuses could get a permanent increase in 2026
Despite White’s criticism of himself for giving in to pressure over increasing bonuses, fighters could be set for a permanent post-fight bonus rise in 2026.
After the promotion confirmed a $7.7 billion deal with Paramount as their new broadcasting partner, White indicated that some of the money could trickle down to fighters through lasting bonus increases.
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