Dana White agrees to $300,000 bonuses for UFC 300 fighters

The UFC typically hands out $50,000 bonuses to the athletes who produce the ‘Fight of the Night’ and any who secure standout finishes

Dana White has honoured fighters’ calls for $300,000 bonuses at UFC 300, sending athletes wild at this week’s press conference for the event.

The UFC typically hands out $50,000 bonuses to the athletes who produce the ‘Fight of the Night’ and any who secure standout finishes.

At UFC 100 in 2009, the UFC increased bonuses to $100,000, leading some fighters on the UFC 300 card to call for $300,000 incentives on Saturday (13 April).

And UFC president White acquiesced at Thursday’s press conference, as fighters on the stage behind him showed visible excitement.

“$300,000, it’s done!” White said, when the topic was raised by a reporter.

Prelim fighter Sodif Yusuff attempted to get White to agree to further bonuses, but the UFC president dismissed the suggestion.

In the main event at Las Vegas’s T-Mobile Arena, Alex Pereira will defend the light-heavyweight title against former champion Jamahal Hill, yet most fans’ pick for fight of the night is Justin Gaethje vs Max Holloway.

Gaethje defends the ‘Baddest Motherf***er’ title against the featherweight great at 155lbs, with fans expecting a violent affair. And acknowledging the increased bonuses this weekend, Holloway said: “It’s gonna be violent; now that there’s 300K on the line, it’s gonna be even more violent, so I can’t wait for it.”

Cody Garbrandt, when asked whether his fight with Deiveson Figueiredo will go the distance, said: “You heard Dana, it’s $300,000 extra bonus, so you know I’m knocking his ass out.”

The UFC has long come under criticism over fighter pay, and its parent company TKO Holdings was recently involved in a class-action lawsuit regarding the matter.

In March, TKO reached a $335m settlement in two antitrust lawsuits filed by fighters seeking improved pay. The plaintiffs had alleged the UFC was an illegal monopsony suppressing fighter wages and stifling other promotions by using anti-competitive practices. The plaintiffs had initially sought damages of up to $1.6bn.