Dana White talks about UFC salaries and says transparency would hinder fighters; understand

Dana White (left) and Conor McGregor (right) in a press conference for the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @thenotoriousmma

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Among so many sensitive topics in the world of MMA, the amount paid as salaries to athletes is perhaps at the top of the list. While the lack of disclosure of payments generates debate, for Dana White, the lack of information on the subject ultimately benefits the members of the company's roster. The bald man addressed the issue last Tuesday (9) and assured that those hired choose to keep the amounts confidential.

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According to the Ultimate CEO, if the disclosure of athletes' salaries were done in a thorough and transparent manner for all media outlets, the fighters themselves could be impacted both in professional negotiations and in their personal lives.

"There's no gag order for any of these fighters. They could all sit down and give full interviews about how much they earn and how much they've been paid. They don't want to because they don't want you to know how much they've been paid. When people find out how much you've earned, life gets a lot harder. There are a lot of people out there looking for handouts when they find out you've earned millions of dollars," White said in an interview with Vegas PBS, a North American TV channel.

Dana White believes transparency on pay would make life tougher for fighters

“There's no gag order on any of these fighters. They could all sit down and do full interviews on how much they make and what they were paid. They don't want to because they don't want you to know… pic.twitter.com/l2I9md8Vor

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) September 10, 2025

Low pay was once the subject of a lawsuit against the UFC

Dana White at the UFC press conference. Photo: Reproduction/YouTube

The debate over the UFC's compensation is a long-standing one. Recently, several athletes received compensation under the agreement reached between the company and a group of more than two thousand fighters who competed for the organization over the past decade. Among them: is Anderson Silva, which will receive more than US$10 million.