Ex-UFC Fighter Claims Dana White’s Promotion’s Influence in MMA Makes It Synonymous with the Sport

Smrutisnat Jena | 20/12/2024
Charles Jourdain (blue gloves) reacts after fight against Shane Burgos (red gloves) during UFC Fight Night at UBS Arena.

PFL lightweight fighter Shane Burgos doesn’t have a problem admitting that his former employer- the UFC is the premier promotion in MMA. Speaking to Inside Fighting, Burgos said that this wasn’t him trying to throw shade at his current employers but it is just a fact.

“Alan Jouban said on the commentary for the post-fight show, ‘Everybody says you watch UFC, you don’t watch MMA’ because of the foothold the UFC has on the entire sport. It’s almost like UFC is the sport. I don’t think anyone could disagree with that.”

Burgos was talking about being backstage at the promotion for the first time in a long time and said that the ‘UFC pop just hits you differently‘. Reminiscing about the time, he explained how electrifying it feels to be a die-hard fan to be at the venue for their first UFC card.

“I remember, we walked into the loading dock in the back and you kind of get a little glimpse of the crowd and we heard Bruce Buffer announcing, and, Oh man, the flashbacks! I got goosebumps… I would be lying if I didn’t notice a difference (between UFC and PFL)… I remember being backstage and I could feel the electricity. It’s a corny thing to say but it’s so real.

Bugos had 11 matches in the UFC after making his debut in 2016 against Tiago dos Santos e Silva, a fight he won by unanimous decision. He would then go on to fight for the promotion until 2022 before moving to the PFL.

Having been a part of both organizations, Surgos is in a unique position to offer his insights on what makes Dana White’s company the go-to destination for the sport.

The UFC is simply the biggest promotion there is in MMA and every fighter’s ultimate goal is to get to the big league.

While, it also gives the company a monopoly over the sport, which is why it can dictate terms on fighter pay among other things, it also allows the fighters the biggest audience they could ever hope to reach, along with the best competition they can fight with.

Case in point, Bellator (acquired by PFL) champion Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire now wants to join the UFC because he just wants to fight!

Pitbull chasing the UFC high

Frustrated with the lack of consistent fights, Friere has assured fans that he would soon join the UFC octagon in pursuit of more regular bookings.


The featherweight champion has only fought once in the last year and believes that the promotion is struggling to cope under PFL’s leadership.

UFC president Dana White also addressed these rumors and said that for months, the executives in the promotion have been hearing about PFL fighters wanting to jump ship.

“They’re canceling events left and right, fighters aren’t getting fights, and you can see what’s happening—they’re running out of money. When things start falling apart like that, you’re going to have people wanting to jump ship.”

While White didn’t necessarily address the Pitbull rumors, he did confirm Friere’s problems with PFL’s bookings. White believes that the fighters want to fight and if they aren’t being booked in a promotion, they would look for other avenues to make it happen.
Post Edited By: Smrutisnat Jena
Shane Burgos

About the author

Smrutisnat Jena

Smrutisnat Jena is a UFC Editor with The SportsRush. With 8 years of experience under his belt, Smrutisnat has had a career that has travelled through the multiverse of journalism, be it politics, entertainment or satire. But as a practitioner of amateur wrestling, his true love has always been combat sports. After being introduced to Chuck Liddell at the age of 8, working with MMA has always been THE goal for him. When he's away from work, Smrutisnat likes hanging out with dogs, and sparring with his teammates at the local gym, often simultaneously.

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