Dana White Blasted For Comments on Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor

In a recent interview with Nick Turturro for Prince St. Pizza that has since circulated online, UFC President Dana White discussed the infamous rivalry with a tone of regret regarding how their fight made both men so massive that they became less dependent on the UFC for finances, which incentivized them to fight less. 

When Turturro asked if that fight hurt McGregor in the long run, White responded, "Money ruins everything. Once you get too much money involved in the fight business, Conor made so much money, and that was it. Then Khabib made a shitload of money, and that was it. "

Watch the full interview here:

A Fight That Made Megastars

Reflecting on the fight between McGregor and Nurmagomedov, White admitted he was reluctant to book the blockbuster bout. Despite McGregor losing, White was still happy that the Irish fighter still had enough mass appeal to secure a lucrative crossover boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“I fought it for so long, like ‘this isn’t the fight to make,’ and the fans wanted to see it so bad,” White admitted. “We ended up doing it, and it was awesome. It was fun. The world tour that we went on, Conor and Floyd were both great on that world tour.” 

White specifically addressed the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov's decision to retire, linking it to both financial security and personal tragedy.

"We got a Muslim world champion,” he explained, “but the problem was that he went on a Muslim tour. He hit Saudi, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, and they rained [money] on him. He made so much money that he didn’t have to fight anymore, and his dad passed away, which had a lot to do with him not wanting to do it anymore."

White's Comments Spark Backlash

The response on social media was swift and critical, with fans and analysts blasting White for his perspective (sourced from replies to Red Corner MMA posting a clip of the interview on X):

“‘Money ruins everything, ' then goes and gambles millions of dollars while fighters struggle to feed their families."

“This is why Dana keeps fighter pay low, he’s flat out said it multiple times that the problem with boxing is the top guys get too rich and then they only fight 1 out of every 3 years.”

“Basically, he's saying fighters should have a cap on how much they make to remain hungry and motivated. No cap though on how much Dana makes.”

“Money ruins everything, which is why he keeps it all for himself so that the fighters aren't corrupted by it.”

“Money ruins everything?  Fighters having leverage and demanding their own terms is Dana's no. 1 fear.”

“So he's saying he will ensure no one makes that kind of money again? Lol.”

“Lmaoooo Dana trying to justify why he pays 99.99999% of the UFC roster peanuts to fight. Never change, ya pink goof.”

While Dana White views excessive wealth as a deterrent to competition, his comments have been interpreted by fans and pundits as an admission that a financially secure fighter is a less controllable one. 

Relentless Fan Criticism

This is far from the first time fans have sounded off on White’s perceived business practices. Fans were also quick to jump on White this past week after fighter Chris Padilla pleaded for a $50,000 bonus after his fight at UFC Vegas 111 to help his struggling mother.

They were also vocal on social media after news broke of White starring in a Netflix documentary that follows his gambling exploits, shortly after the fight-fixing scandal that took place a week prior.

This constant negative feedback highlights a growing tension between the UFC's corporate interests and those who believe that fighters should be paid more. 

White's Consistent Opinion

Still, White is steadfast in his belief that fighters get too comfortable once they make huge sums of money. This is an opinion he has had for a while now. 
In a GQ interview in 2022, he defended the UFC pay model and thinks UFC fighters are paid more reasonably than boxers.

"Boxing has absolutely been destroyed because of money and all the things that go on," White said. "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. They get a percentage of the pay-per-view buys. And the money is spread out amongst all the fighters."