"You could make more money fighting for K-1 than MMA back then" - Andrew Tate tells Sean O'Malley how Dana White helped transform the sport of mixed martial arts
Andrew Tate recently told Sean O'Malley that Dana White, in his opinion, has helped transform the lives of MMA athletes for the better. The former kickboxer and highly controversial public figure weighed in on White being on the receiving end of criticism from the MMA community with regard to fighter wages and welfare policies.
Speaking with surging bantamweight contender Sean O'Malley after his hard-fought victory against Petr Yan at UFC 280, Tate used his personal experience to credit Dana White for what he's been able to achieve in the sport:
"I never really made that much money from fighting. I have to give huge credits to Dana because of what he's done with the UFC and the opportunity he gives guys now, didn't exist. The reason I ended up doing K-1 or kickboxing as opposed to MMA, you could make more money fighting for K-1 than MMA back then."
Tate added that while there are other opportunities to pursue outside the UFC, in reality, staying and winning in the promotion is a much more ideal choice:
"When everyone gives Dana a hard time [over fighter pay] you're biggest opportunities still exist inside the UFC. If you can win all the time, the opportunities are there. Or you get invited to a K-1 tournament, it's a quarter of a million dollars, which sounds nice, [but] you got to beat these eight psychos bro. There's also a degree of luck involved in the eight-man [tournament]."
The way Tate sees it, Dana White's efforts to institutionalize the sport and structure a format in which the best end up facing the best in the fairest way possible should be commended.
Watch the full video below:
Tate's host for the interview, Sean O'Malley, scored the biggest win of his pro-MMA career with a split decision victory over Petr Yan this weekend. 'Sugar' wants to take some time to reflect on his performance and chalk out his next path, which he made clear in his post-fight octagon interview.
Andrew Tate once praised Dana White's capabilities as a fight promoter and businessman
The notion that "Dana White robs his fighters" is a common talking point among the MMA community. Several UFC fighters have recently revolted against the premier organization's pay structure.
While other sports had a hard time tackling the global pandemic situation, Dana White and the UFC ensured that their employees got an opportunity to make ends meet by conducting events behind closed doors. UFC 261 was a monumental moment in the promotion's history, being the first full-capacity indoor sporting event since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
A look at the crowd at #UFC261
It's the first event the UFC has held with a capacity crowd since before the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, with 15,000 fans. https://t.co/pWmg1K6XCk
Speaking about White's capabilities as a promoter and businessman on an episode of CEOCAST, Andrew Tate said:
"Everyone says that Dana White should pay them [fighters] more, but look at how liquid the UFC is even during Covid when basically every other organization couldn't function and shut down. He managed to keep the shows running, he managed to keep the UFC running, keep the fighters getting paid, keep the fighters in shape. Maybe he does rob the fighters, I don't know. But he's an excellent businessman. He's provided a platform for people."
Watch the full episode below:
Do also check out our exclusive interview with UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka below: