White: Guys that are complaining are guys that don’t matter
Recently the topic of fighter pay has been discused in depth amongst fans and in the MMA media. Early this week,…
Recently the topic of fighter pay has been discused in depth amongst fans and in the MMA media. Early this week, UFC President Dana White hinted at removing bonuses in exchange for higher power for lower tier fights. Today in the UFC 162 media scrum he expanded on his idea and the whole controversy around fighter pay:
The guys who are complaining about this are the guys that don’t matter, White continued. Now that might sound f****** mean, and harsh, and ‘Why would nobody matter? Everybody matters.’ We’re in this f****** society now where everybody should win a trophy. No, everybody doesn’t win a f***** trophy.
The guys who stand out and the guys who deserve bonuses, the guys who make it exciting, the guys who rise to the top are the guys who deserve the money.
If you’re the guy who stands out, you’re the guy who people want to see again. You’re the guy who people want to spend money for. You’re the guy who people want to buy tickets, pay-per-views, and stay home on Saturday night [to see], White said.
White stated that what it comes down to is everyone wanting more money. He further explained that when it comes down to it, everyone should be after the American dream, adding how he built the UFC to what it is today – the fastest growing sport in the world. But, White added it seems these days not everybody is willing to do what it takes to get there.
You should want to be f****** Anderson Silva. You should want to be Jon Jones. You should aspire to be the best. But what happens is, especially in sports, in any professional sport where you’re an athlete, that day of reckoning comes where you either are that guy, or you’re not.