Dana White has pushed back on the idea that UFC athletes are underpaid, calling it a “big misconception,” even as his own Zuffa Boxing venture handed British welterweight Conor Benn a reported $15 million deal that has left several of his top MMA stars visibly frustrated.
Speaking ahead of Zuffa Boxing’s July 26 event, White was asked about the contrast between the money being offered to boxing signings and what UFC athletes earn.
His response was brief and direct: “The guys in MMA get paid big money, too. So, you know, that’s the big misconception is that they don’t.”
That claim sits uneasily alongside the reaction from two of the UFC’s biggest names. Former UFC Bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley was left bewildered by news of Benn’s deal, questioning both the figure and the name attached to it.
“I can’t imagine it being true. Zuffa Boxing is like they’re paying out… I don’t even know who Conor Benn is. He’s supposed to be a pretty big name in boxing, but I’ve never heard of him,” O’Malley said.
His frustration ran deeper than mere curiosity. Having built one of the most recognizable personalities in combat sports, O’Malley took direct aim at where that work has gotten him financially.
“It’s crazy, bro. If they really paid this guy $15 million, I don’t know. It’s crazy how you put in so much work in the UFC. Build this name, create this character, be a star. I’m not making $15 million to fig ht,” he said.
O’Malley later addressed reports that he earned $600,000 for his most recent outing, but not in the way many expected. Rather than confirming the figure, he made clear it was well above what he actually received.
“600k is crazy. I wish I made 600k in my last fi ght. That’s why I started doing well, so I could make money outside of my fig ht purse,” he wrote.
UFC middleweight Israel Adesanya also weighed in, saying he holds no personal resentment toward Benn but acknowledging the optics are hard to ignore.
“I don’t feel jaded, but I’m like, f**k it, I want $15 million for one fig ht too,” Adesanya said.
Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson also weighed in on the reported payout, suggesting the move was less about Benn himself and more about Dana White making a point to the boxing industry.
“Fifteen million dollars for one figh t is crazy because what’s going to happen after this fig ht?” Johnson said on his YouTube channel. “Is the $15 million worth having Conor Benn? It’s the first time I’ve heard of him. From what everybody tells me, he’s a very good boxer. But is Khamzat Chimaev making $15 million? Is Ilia Topuria making $15 million? Is Merab Dvalishvili making $15 million? We don’t know because those numbers are always hidden, but I truly believe it’s a flex from Dana White.”
Johnson went a step further, arguing that the reported deal was designed to demonstrate Zuffa Boxing’s financial power rather than simply reward someone.
“I think Dana White did it out of spite,” Johnson said. “I think Dana White did it because he can’t do that. I think, and I quote, Dana White says he’s fig hting babies in the sport of boxing, because I think Dana White is showing those guys, ‘I can make this big payday.’ Like, $15 million. Boom, there you go. … Benn getting $15 million is amazing, but I also think it’s a flex from Dana White saying that ‘I can take one of your boxers like that and just pay him more.'”
White, for his part, did not address the specific figures being discussed by his own roster. He stayed focused on Zuffa Boxing’s broader goals, telling the interviewer: “My job is to put on match that fans want to see. That’s my job.”
When pressed on criticism from boxing’s established promotional figures, White kept his response forward-looking. “I don’t need to trash talk. I keep saying, at the end of the year, judge us by what we have done in 26. January of 27, I would love to sit up at the podium and interview you guys and you guys tell me what you think has been done in one year of being in the business,” he said.
Whether MMA athletes share that patience is another matter entirely.
