"Fighter pay, fighters' political beliefs, Dana White’s attitude" - Fans list issues they have with the UFC on Twitter thread

Dana White and the UFC are at the very top of the combat sports industry. Since becoming the president of the promotion in 2001, White has grown the company to unprecedented levels of commercial success and fame.

With one of the biggest fan followings of any mixed martial arts promotion, fans are bound to have reservations about what the UFC is doing wrong. Ben Davis posed the question to fans on Twitter, asking them to mention their issues with the UFC.

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"What are some of your issues with the UFC? [thinking face emoji x3]"

Ben Davis

@BenTheBaneDavis

What are some of your issues with the UFC? 🤔🤔🤔

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What are some of your issues with the UFC? 🤔🤔🤔

Fans sounded off under the tweet with their grievances. One fan, @DrFreezepop, mentioned a whole list of issues:

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"Fighter pay, fighters political beliefs, Dana White’s attitude, fighters health (and insurance), judging (though it’s nowhere near as bad as boxing), and MOST mma fans between the ages of 15 and 30 (just look at twitter comments)."

Check out his tweet below:

Freezepop

@DrFreezepop

@BenTheBaneDavis Fighter pay, fighters political beliefs, Dana White’s attitude, fighters health (and insurance), judging (though it’s nowhere near as bad as boxing), and MOST mma fans between the ages of 15 and 30 (just look at twitter comments).

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@BenTheBaneDavis Fighter pay, fighters political beliefs, Dana White’s attitude, fighters health (and insurance), judging (though it’s nowhere near as bad as boxing), and MOST mma fans between the ages of 15 and 30 (just look at twitter comments).

Other fans brought up media coverage restrictions, lack of promotion for less popular promotions, and other issues pertaining to fighters:

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Mystic Max (ง’̀-‘́)ง

@NuthinButMMA

@BenTheBaneDavis The media, there are few that ask real and tough questions like Ariel does. Most media members are too scared of what the organization will do to them like what happened to Ariel lol

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@BenTheBaneDavis The media, there are few that ask real and tough questions like Ariel does. Most media members are too scared of what the organization will do to them like what happened to Ariel lol

BoHeni

@FightGuyMMA

@BenTheBaneDavis @ufc is the best combat sports leauge on the planet. My only issue /wish is that they would co promote with the lower level leaugues every so often so we can see how good those guys are vs the best of the best.

@BenTheBaneDavis @ufc is the best combat sports leauge on the planet. My only issue /wish is that they would co promote with the lower level leaugues every so often so we can see how good those guys are vs the best of the best.

Diciest MMA

@DiciestMMA

@BenTheBaneDavis Being stubborn with the gloves

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@BenTheBaneDavis Being stubborn with the gloves

KeelinMcNamara ©️

@Mc_NamaraKeelin

@BenTheBaneDavis @BenTheBaneDavis Publicly disrespecting fighters, especially your own champions, is a big one, aside from the obvious issues.

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@BenTheBaneDavis @BenTheBaneDavis Publicly disrespecting fighters, especially your own champions, is a big one, aside from the obvious issues.

Joshua Campbell

@515Campbell

@BenTheBaneDavis i wanna see these fighters wit NFL money

@BenTheBaneDavis i wanna see these fighters wit NFL money

Kurzemes Gandi

@KurzemesG

@BenTheBaneDavis - canvas sound like they found them on the street
- ufc double stnds against sponsorships
- venum
-besides champ belts, lack of other popularity gain/brand opportunities (BMF/TUF if it was good etc), mid fighters also deserve attention & popularity besides just being on the card

@BenTheBaneDavis - canvas sound like they found them on the street
- ufc double stnds against sponsorships
- venum
-besides champ belts, lack of other popularity gain/brand opportunities (BMF/TUF if it was good etc), mid fighters also deserve attention & popularity besides just being on the card

m b

@mickeymanch

@BenTheBaneDavis 500 fighters and only 40 show up to the fan expo, come on?

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@BenTheBaneDavis 500 fighters and only 40 show up to the fan expo, come on? https://t.co/LElvZvqdUn

Prime Tony 🇯🇲

@HYoungboy20

@BenTheBaneDavis Fighter’s pay
Should be able to carry their flags again
Late start times
Bring back sponsors on trunks
Rehydrate fighters after weight cutting

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@BenTheBaneDavis Fighter’s pay
Should be able to carry their flags again
Late start times
Bring back sponsors on trunks
Rehydrate fighters after weight cutting

Quackstar Prod.

@QuackstarProd

@BenTheBaneDavis Health insurance for everyone. After a certain amount of time, not fights, in the ufc it should be for life. Bonus pay should be higher, not saying shit about their fight purse "they" negotiate that. Leads me to.managers and how they treat their clients.

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@BenTheBaneDavis Health insurance for everyone. After a certain amount of time, not fights, in the ufc it should be for life. Bonus pay should be higher, not saying shit about their fight purse "they" negotiate that. Leads me to.managers and how they treat their clients.

Ty ‘Hooluhgn’

@Hooluhgn

@BenTheBaneDavis How they don’t have double standards. Diaz was suspended for 5 years but O’Malley doing the same shit he did and is still going strong.

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@BenTheBaneDavis How they don’t have double standards. Diaz was suspended for 5 years but O’Malley doing the same shit he did and is still going strong.

While fighter pay was a recurring complaint for many fans, one fan also backed the UFC for the work they are doing to put on a show every weekend:

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ZENA

@ZENAPRCHAMP

@BenTheBaneDavis my issue is people having issues with UfC it’s redic ! watch the cards and say thank you ! all of a sudden everyone runs the @ufc ??? if it was so easy all your people commenting would be doing it ! but they don’t and won’t and couldn’t ,,,,,, the end period The end

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@BenTheBaneDavis my issue is people having issues with UfC it’s redic ! watch the cards and say thank you ! all of a sudden everyone runs the @ufc ??? if it was so easy all your people commenting would be doing it ! but they don’t and won’t and couldn’t ,,,,,, the end period The end

One fan made a joking suggestion about ring girls:

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Dana White’s PR Guy

@DanaWhitesPenis

@BenTheBaneDavis Instead of Ring Girls, they should try Ring Good Boys.

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@BenTheBaneDavis Instead of Ring Girls, they should try Ring Good Boys. https://t.co/t6e39CfJ0n

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Dana White shuts down questions about fighter pay in the UFC

Dana White recently appeared on an Actually Me segment for GQ Sports. Answering a fan's question about fighter pay being a prominent issue in the UFC, White responded in defense of the company:

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"Listen, there aren't too many things you could talk s*** about the UFC, if you look at what we've done with the business in the last 22 years, it's incredible. Never been done ever, the things that we've done in the fight business. You always have to have something to b***h about, I guess."

He then touched specifically on the topic of fighter pay and dismissed any potential changes in that regard:

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"Fighters always want to make more money. Boxing is absolutely been destroyed because of money and all things that go on. It's never gonna happen while I'm here. Believe me, these guys get paid what they're supposed to get paid. They eat what they kill. They get a percentage of the pay-per-view buys and the money is spread out amongst all the fighters."

White stated that fair pay was the norm in the UFC and equality was maintained amongst the fighter roster. He also explained how the promotion's commercial success is directly proportionate to what fighters earn.

The president also challenged any who questioned the UFC to model their own promotion according to their fighter pay demands and successfully run a mixed martial arts promotion.

Watch Dana White's appearance on GQ Sports' YouTube channel:

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