Off the back of his controversial move to boxing, UFC CEO, Dana White has been ripped after the pay numbers for the TKO boxing league were revealed online.
White, set to spearhead a newly launched TKO boxing league, will be joined by WWE leader, Nick Khan. And the mastermind behind the operation to boot will be Saudi adviser and broker, Turki Alalshikh. Set to make a splash in the squared circle as early as 2026, White has long been linked with a move to boxing for years at this point, much to the worry of fans and analytics alike.
As per a press release, fighters signed to TKO Boxing will pen a deal consisting of at least two years. Furthermore, they are said to receive a bleak $5,000 signing-on fee.
But that’s just the beginning. In a wide range of payments dished out – ranging from a measly $20,000 going to unranked fighters – to an even more egregious $750,000 payday for defending champions. Only $50,000 will be awarded to those ranked between the 5th and the 10th place, while those #3 and #4 will find themselves in the company of a $125,000 cheque.
Of course, anybody challenging for the company’s title will see their bank account swell up to $375,000
Notably, fans have taken issue with the pay on offer for championship-caliber fighters of note. One fan claimed champions are being looted – pointing to boxing star, Virgil Ortiz’s purses -“Massively underpaid. a champion defending get $750k!?! so if Virgil Ortiz sells $1m PPVs he still gets $750k. ripoff.”
Another user claimed that the Saudis were making a mistake by getting in bed with TKO altogether, posting, “Did Turki f*ck up by getting this guy [Dana White] involved with boxing?”
And in a damning comment, an Instagram user surmised the UFC bossman’s bravado about pugilism to just that, unsubstantiated machismo and said, “Dana knows nothing about boxing”.
— THE UFCGUY (@the_ufcguy) March 20, 2025
However, any Octagon fan worth their salt should not be surprised by these numbers.
UFC boss once asked critics to start their own MMA promotion
Taking a sharp tact with fighter pay consistently, it seems White is not going to turn over a new leaf now. Boldly claiming this year – amid an antitrust lawsuit, how fighter pay in the UFC will remain the same as current, White made a snapping comment.
“Fighters always want to make more money,” White told GQ in 2023.
“Boxing has absolutely been destroyed because of money. And all the 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. “, he added, condemning fighters to earn scraps while the promotion rakes in millions.
“They get a percentage of the pay-per-view buys. And the money is spread out amongst all the fighters.”, White contended.
In a tale as old as time when it comes to the Bostonian, naysayers should just saddle up and make their own promotion.
“If you don’t like it, there’s a simple solution to this problem: Go start your own MMA organization. No barrier to entry,” White continued. “Knock yourself out. Pay ’em whatever you want to pay ’em. It’s been done before. How’s it worked out for other guys? Not well. Mind your business.”, he added.
Interestingly, recent reports suggest that the PPV buys have hit a record low for the company, to a point where fighters with PPV bonuses in their contracts get virtually nothing out of them.
