"Paid you more than he pays 90% of his entire roster" - Fans burn Dana White for giving Kyle Forgeard of Nelk Boys $250k cash as birthday gift

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(L to R) Dana White, Kyle Forgeard, Paddy Pimblett, and Deiveson Figueiredo [Images via @kyleforgeard on Twitter, @theufcbaddy, and @daico_deusdaguerra on Instagram]

Dana White appears to have gifted Kyle Forgeard of the Nelk Boys $250,000 for his birthday. Sharing the unboxing video of White's gift, Forgeard wrote on Twitter:

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"Uncle @danawhite just gave me $250,000 for my birthday.."

KYLE

@KyleForgeard

Uncle @danawhite just gave me $250,000 for my birthday..

5833

233

Uncle @danawhite just gave me $250,000 for my birthday.. https://t.co/noH34JF8zY

As seen in the video, Forgeard opens the box to find a plastic bag full of cash. Given the burning debate on fighter pay, UFC fans did not take kindly to White's general donation. A fan pointed out that the UFC honcho paid Forgeard more than he pays 90% of the company's roster. The fan with the handle @Cloudz605 commented:

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"he jus paid you more than he pays 90% of his entire roster LMAO"

milan

@Cloudz605

@KyleForgeard @danawhite he jus paid you more than he pays 90% of his entire roster LMAO

561

13

@KyleForgeard @danawhite he jus paid you more than he pays 90% of his entire roster LMAO

joey

@JoeyPeralez

@KyleForgeard @danawhite Pays his fighters 20k then gives a way 250k to someone who doesn’t need it

26

2

@KyleForgeard @danawhite Pays his fighters 20k then gives a way 250k to someone who doesn’t need it

Josh Lovelace

@joshlovelace19

@KyleForgeard @danawhite he ain’t pay his fighters like that 🤣

106

1

@KyleForgeard @danawhite he ain’t pay his fighters like that 🤣

Another user correctly noted that the amount received by Forgeard was higher than Deiveson Figueiredo's earnings for his trilogy fight against Brandon Moreno at UFC 270. 'Deus Da Guerra' took home $150,000 after winning back the flyweight title in January. It's worth noting that Paddy Pimblett shocked the world when he revealed he was paid only $12,000 to show and another $12,000 to win at UFC London.

Caio🌉🦊

@Caio18Castro

@KyleForgeard @danawhite U got more money from Dana than Deiverson F. and the females fighters

4

1

@KyleForgeard @danawhite U got more money from Dana than Deiverson F. and the females fighters

Comments largely revolved around criticizing White for spending on a YouTube star instead of focusing on better fighter pay and healthcare.

poe💲

@Lilpoes_

@KyleForgeard @danawhite UFC niggas who risk cte for 14k per fight watching this

269

13

@KyleForgeard @danawhite UFC niggas who risk cte for 14k per fight watching this https://t.co/D4FB9xH362

Derrick Fenneman

@dfenn5

@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

28

2

@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

Freezepop

@DrFreezepop

@ThePeoplesMMA @KyleForgeard @danawhite I would’ve liked it a lot better if he gifted it to a fighter who is struggling to make ends meet and might have CTE

@ThePeoplesMMA @KyleForgeard @danawhite I would’ve liked it a lot better if he gifted it to a fighter who is struggling to make ends meet and might have CTE

However, many came out in support of Dana White, adding perspective to the generous gift from the UFC President to Forgeard. According to rapper Hi-Rez, $250k is not a huge sum to be spent on the Nelk Boys, who promote a lot of brands owned by the UFC honcho.

Hi-Rez The Rapper

@HiRezTheRapper

@ValeTudoBro @KyleForgeard @danawhite Lol they promote multiple brands that DANA owns. Nelk is the most influential brand to college kids. 250k is nothing to a billion dollar brand

11

@ValeTudoBro @KyleForgeard @danawhite Lol they promote multiple brands that DANA owns. Nelk is the most influential brand to college kids. 250k is nothing to a billion dollar brand

Just2Follow

@jus2fallow

@JoeyPeralez @KyleForgeard @danawhite Kyle makes Dana way more money than that, and vice versa

4

@JoeyPeralez @KyleForgeard @danawhite Kyle makes Dana way more money than that, and vice versa

🅙

@zyrls

@KyleForgeard @danawhite Everyone thinks every fighter deserves 250k.. Kyle and their crew have given Dana more.

1

@KyleForgeard @danawhite Everyone thinks every fighter deserves 250k.. Kyle and their crew have given Dana more.

White shares a close bond with the Nelk Boys, and the splurging comes from both sides. Stephen Deleonardis of the Nelk Boys recently gifted White a $300,000 custom Howler Head Maybach van.

Watch the moment below:

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"You eat what you kill" - Dana White on fighter pay

The UFC has recently faced a lot of issues regarding fighter pay, including a negotiation spat with heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. The company was further thrown under the bus when superstar Paddy Pimblett revealed his base salary to be $12,000. YouTuber Jake Paul has been incessant in his callouts to Dana White regarding the issue, and flyweight champion Deiveson Figuereido's reveal of his last UFC purse didn't help the promotion either.

However, White continues to justify the current UFC pay structure, claiming it is the only sustainable way to build a league. The promotional honcho also stated that boxers are overpaid as boxing cards only organize a single event in years. According to White, the UFC pay structure ensures that fighters reap what they sow. The 52-year-old recently said on The Pivot podcast:

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“We built a business model where, if you’re the champion, you share in the pay-per-view revenue. If you’re the guy headlining the card, or there’s been some special occasions where we know you’re bringing in the money, too, and you’re a big draw so you, too, get to share in the pay-per-view revenue. You eat what you kill."

Watch White's appearance on The Pivot podcast below:

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