Dana White continues to ride high as one of combat sports’ most polarizing yet undeniably successful promoters. With the UFC machine operating at full throttle and his co-promotion of the blockbuster Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford bout under TKO, his public profile has only grown. Yet even amid these victories, the UFC’s long-standing antitrust lawsuit remained a thorn in his side until earlier this year.
This February, Judge Richard Boulware officially closed the years-long antitrust case, with the UFC agreeing to a $375 million settlement. The lawsuit centered on fighters’ claims that White and the promotion had monopolized the market while keeping wages artificially low. Fighter pay has been the UFC’s most scrutinized issue for over a decade. But in a twist that has surprised some observers, a veteran referee has stepped into the conversation, arguing that Dana White has, at times, “overpaid” fighters rather than underpaid them.
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John McCarthy reveals Dana White overpays the UFC fighters
At the weighing-in podcast, John McCarthy said, “So there’s all these promoters that have had relationships where they have screwed over the fighters, and the fighters are pissed off at them. But Dana is a guy; does he screw over fighters? Some people will say yes, based upon… well, he cut this guy. That’s no, I’m sorry. That’s what happens. Does he always pay people that they were supposed to be paid? We’ve talked about this, yes! Does he sometimes overpay them? And give them backroom checks and stuff? So yes!
The comments stirred conversation because McCarthy is one of the most respected referees in MMA history, a figure who has officiated some of the UFC’s most iconic fights. When someone like him vouches for Dana White’s behind-the-scenes generosity, it carries weight in the fighter-pay discourse.
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Well, the UFC CEO quietly paying fighters behind closed doors isn’t exactly new. In a 2021 interview with the New York Post, Dana White admitted, “There will be a night where some crazy s— happens throughout the whole card, and then we have to pick what we thought was worth the $50,000.” With that in mind, he also revealed that on top of those standard bonuses, he sometimes gave fighters additional locker room money ranging anywhere from $10,000 to $25,000.
Even former UFC fighter and pro wrestler CM Punk once shed light on this practice. According to a talkSPORT article published in 2020, Punk claimed, “I think there’s a lot of locker room money that people don’t know.” This adds further weight to referee John McCarthy’s claim that White has often paid fighters more than publicly acknowledged. However, does that really end the debate around fighter pay? Probably not, since the base salary for newcomers still sits at just $10k to show and $10k to win.
But McCarthy’s praise didn’t stop there! He went further, calling Dana White one of the greatest fight promoters ever, even comparing him to one of boxing’s most accomplished promoters.
Veteran ref calls UFC CEO the greatest fight promoter ever
Dana White has cemented himself as one of the greatest fight promoters, transforming the UFC from a struggling $2 million company into a global powerhouse. Today, he consistently delivers multiple UFC Fight Nights and marquee events every year. For that reason, many see him as the greatest promoter of all time—or at least, that’s a view shared by veteran referee Big John McCarthy.
On the Weighing-In podcast, McCarthy said, “So, is he perfect? No! You’re never gonna make everyone happy. Dana is the greatest promoter of fights there’s ever been. No one has put on fights in the fashion that he does, week to week, and maintained it at a specific level. There’s no one else.”
After that, McCarthy quickly brought legendary British boxing promoter Eddie Hearn into the mix, who is currently in a small feud with White. Still, the ref admitted, “Eddie Hearn is close when it comes to boxing. He does a great job. But he doesn’t put on half the fights or half the cards that Dana does throughout the year”. And that’s true! But the UFC and boxing work differently, and that’s why we see each promoter approaching events in their own way.”
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McCarthy’s defense of White adds nuance to the pay debate, but it doesn’t close the book. Fighters’ class-action suits, ongoing unionization talks, and the rise of alternative promotions like PFL and ONE Championship keep pressure on the UFC to evolve its pay structure. At the same time, White’s willingness to hand out discretionary bonuses, sometimes quietly in locker rooms, helps him maintain loyalty among select athletes.
That being said, what do you think about Dana White giving out bonuses behind closed doors? Does it change the conversation about fighter pay? And how do you view the UFC CEO stepping further into boxing now that he’s entered the space with TKO?