Dana White responds to Jorge Masvidal's criticism
In a recent barrage of tweets, Jorge Masvidal joined the Jon Jones club where he called out the UFC and again under the spotlight was President Dana White. This after all was the third high-profile fighter, after Jon Jones and Henry Cejudo, who was talking about leaving because of pay negotiations.
Jorge Masvidal in a series of tweets yesterday went off at Dana White accusing him of offering less money because of the other guy.
"Why make me fight for half of what I made on my last fight cause the other dude can’t draw?"
He further hit out saying that Dana White was using the pandemic as an excuse and that the UFC could buy islands they could pay him more.
"Don’t tell me about a pandemic when reports today show highest stock market has ever been. Everybody getting back to work and you buying an island. Stop playing us and the fans #theawakening"
Dana White responds to criticism by Jorge Masvidal
Now Dana White, at a media interaction post-UFC 250 weigh-ins, responded to the allegations by pointing out that those who don't want to fight may not fight.
“I said it when we were going through the pandemic and the media was asking me, ‘What if the fighters are worried and don’t want to fight?’ “Well, you don’t have to fight. Anybody that doesn’t want to fight, doesn’t have to fight, including Masvidal and Jon Jones and all these other guys, and it doesn’t have to be because of a pandemic.”
Dana White also added that UFC fighters are independent contractors and not signed athletes like in the NFL.
“These guys are independent contractors. This isn’t like the NFL, where I can make you – you come to practice, and you do this, or you’re going to get fined. These guys can do whatever they want. They can say whatever they want. I had a big thing the other day with a reporter about fighter pay. They can come out and tell you what they make any day of the week. They can do any of that stuff. These guys can do whatever they want. They don’t have to fight.”
Dana White, just like in the case of Jon Jones, seems to be maintaining a headstrong approach. He is usually keen on brushing away fighter pay request but this movement of fighters demanding better pay is getting more and more common over the past few years. The UFC now for some time has been under scrutiny for the way it treats its fighters.
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