"What the hell are we doing here, Dana?" - Sean O'Malley reacts to hike in UFC PPV price
Sean O'Malley believes UFC president Dana White is making a big mistake by increasing the pay-per-view price on the ESPN+ streaming service.
Since ESPN became the exclusive home for UFC pay-per-views in April 2018, there have been three hikes in rates. The cost started at $59.99, then became $64.99 at the start of 2020, $69.99 in 2021 and now $74.99 this year.
The ESPN+ pay-per-view package, which includes one pay-per-view event and an annual subscription, is now $99.98, an increase of $10.
During episode 48 of The BrOMalley Show, No.12-ranked bantamweight contender Sean O'Malley spoke about how increasing pay-per-view prices will likely result in even more illegal UFC streams.
"Dana White raises pay-per-view [price] by $5. What the hell are we doing here, Dana?... No, I doubt it [that the UFC might increase fighter pay with better PPV rates], but could be... It is just so easy to stream it illegally. Not talking from experience, but just saying it. Whoever is in control of legal streams at the UFC, they need someone that is good enough at hacking [illegal ones] right before the main event starts. Every single time that they just shut it right before the good stuff."
Watch Sean O'Malley's take on the new pay-per-view price in the video below:
Sean O'Malley earned his sixth post-fight bonus in seven UFC fights with his win over Raulian Paiva
Sean O'Malley is one of the top fan favorites in the UFC right now, largely because of his aggressive fighting style and charismatic personality. He holds an impressive 15-1 record in his professional mixed martial arts career.
With his victory over Raulian Paiva at UFC 269 last month, O'Malley entered the 135-pound top 15. He also also racked up his sixth post-fight bonus.
'Sugar' has claimed four Performance of the Night and two Fight of the Night awards to date. His only defeat came at the hands of No.8-ranked contender Marlon Vera at UFC 252 in August 2020.
In 2022, O'Malley will be hoping to replicate his 2021 success, which saw him collect three wins, three finishes and three $50,000 bonuses.