"Fighter pay is UFC" - Dana White's 250K gift separate from matters of the MMA company, insists 'Big' John McCarthy
Dana White giving one of the Nelk Boys $250,000 in cash as a birthday gift has generated a lot of debate inside the MMA world, including among Josh Thomson and John McCarthy.
The former fighter and legendary referee discussed White's generous present on the latest episode of Weighing In, with Thomson putting into context White's history of casually gifting big sums of money. He said:
"There's been stories though, before, John, of Dana leaving – and this is still his money - waitresses and pit bosses and stuff anywhere between $10,000 to 20,000 tips. There's been stories about it, I've hung out with friends who've seen it. I know they're true because people that I heard it from are best friends with him."
John McCarthy replied:
"But it's his money and if he wants to tip that person that much, it's his money. I don't see where you combine the two. He gets paid by the UFC. Yes, he has made his money off the UFC. People try to combine the two as a whole, I look at the two completely separate. Fighter pay is UFC. Dana White giving money out, that's his money."
Things get complicated when you factor in that White is a UFC executive that controls the entire pay structure of the company. There's nothing wrong with him doing whatever he wants with his money. Fans are arguing that instances like this show how unfair the pay split is between UFC fighters and UFC executives and investors.
@KyleForgeard @danawhite Yet the fighters that sacrifice their health for entertainment to make Dana money will never sniff this amount, let alone receive healthcare, makes sense
Dana White has a net worth of $500 million dollars
Dana White has made a fortune running the UFC for over 20 years. Current estimates of his wealth peg the combat sports promoter at half a billion dollars.
How did White make so much, considering his salary is understood to be around $20 million a year? White had a 9% ownership stake in the UFC, which he cashed out on when the UFC was sold for $4 billion in 2016. White made over $350 million off that sale.
Now White has a number of business interests, inculding a partnership with Wooler Brands for Howler Head Whiskey. In December 2021, the Nelk Boys gifted White a Howler Head branded van worth $300,000 which might explain why the UFC boss was so willing to throw $250,000 back at them recently.