Amid the release of TKO Boxing’s pay structure for fighters, UFC boss Dana White’s reported salary has left many fans and pundits baffled. Many boxing purists are not happy with Saudi sports minister and businessman Turki Alalshikh’s involvement with the sport. And now, with White in the fold, boxing might never be the same again.
Expected to land on screens in 2026, TKO Boxing promises to herald in a new era of pugilism. The promotion’s affinity for a centralized monopolistic structure and an aversion to welfare acts for athletes came to light after reports revealed the venture’s payment structure. And it makes for some rather uneasy reading.
Notably, championship-defending fighters will only receive $750,000 under the TKO Boxing banner. This comes as a stark difference in the tens of millions on offer to other boxing stars in different promotions.
Meanwhile, according to SoccerForever, White sits high amongst the list of six major sports figureheads when it comes to annual salaries, after landing himself a sizeable nest egg, that stands at $20 million.
The UFC czar earns nearly 5 times more than FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who is reportedly earning $4.67 million in salary. White’s $20 million figure only pales in comparison to NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell — who nets an eye-watering $63.9 million.
Fans have blasted White’s reported salary on social media. Having an estimated $500 million net worth, White also earns 9% revenue for his stake in the 2016 sale of the UFC.
“The way Dana White pays his fighters I thought he would make way more than that.“, one fan said of the UFC bossman’s tight-fisted approach towards revenue sharing.
— THE UFCGUY (@the_ufcguy) March 20, 2025
Another accused White of snatching his fighters’ money by stating, “Dana and Roger stealing money from players.”
White is yet to respond to these remarks and it is unlikely that he will do so without being slightly hostile towards critics.
While being asked about fighter pay, he has previously responded by claiming he wasn’t stopping anyone from picking another place to work or starting a new promotion.
And while that has seemingly worked in UFC with MMA being a largely unorganized sport and White’s promotion being the only bar in town, it is hard to see up-and-coming boxers join his circus for a dime on the dollar.
What is the TKO Boxing pay structure?
While combatants defending their belts will receive less than one million dollars, the numbers are even bleaker for contenders.
Unranked fighters are set for a $20,000 purse. And fighters ranked from 10-5 by ‘the company’ can expect just $50,000 in compensation. Reportedly, fighters will receive a measly $5,000 signing-on fee — to a minimum two-year contract, to boot.
This should not come as a surprise since UFC fighters continue to be paid the same $50k bonus they were being paid during the early days of the UFC in the late 2000s. This along with secretive PPV points among other things has been widely called out by critics time and time again.
However, since allowing the 2016 sale of UFC, White has claimed fighter pay had skyrocketed. “Fighter pay has gone through the roof since the sale in 2016,” White told Yahoo! Sports. “Fighter pay continues to go like this [pointing upward], he had added.
Interestingly, amid the recently settled anti-trust lawsuit, it was revealed combatants only receive 18.6% of revenue.
Meanwhile, taking home a 9% revenue share himself – on top of a $20 million salary, White has feathered his nest to no end. That’s a lot when compared to the disclosed disproportionate $6.8 million payday received by Conor McGregor for his UFC 205 performance. It would be interesting to see if fans’ displeasure towards White lasts for long.
