$25 million in Bonuses for a UFC Executive, Who's Probably Dana White White

[lifelessheap]

The UFC's guaranteed income from ESPN alone covers UFC fighter expenses and event costs and then some. They effectively don't need to sell a ticket or a PPV buy to cover all of that.

Sure, but there is a difference between making more money than your employees and making more money than your largest stars, who are effectively your companies product and labor costs combined. There are a lot more people who can fill Dana's shoes than fill Conor or Brock or Rousey's shows.

Dana is kinda reaping the rewards of his lifetime of investment in the company. He is the driving force that got the company to it's current profitability.

Try and fill his shoes 20 years ago.

 

[avenue94]

Dana is kinda reaping the rewards of his lifetime of investment in the company. He is the driving force that got the company to it's current profitability.

Try and fill his shoes 20 years ago.

And my answer is the same. Try filling the shoes of a GSP or Silva 15 years ago, or a Rousey/Conor in the run up to the ESPN deal. Dana was very important to the UFC and mma, but certainly not more than all those stars combined. He didn't even handle fighter negotiations or scouting back then.

 

[1s1k]

Meh, good for Dana, he fought to keep the UFC rolling during the pandemic and likely helped them make money. None of this seems remotely surprising to me.

Now you know why he kept it going.

 

[lifelessheap]

And my answer is the same. Try filling the shoes of a GSP or Silva 15 years ago, or a Rousey/Conor in the run up to the ESPN deal. Dana was very important to the UFC and mma, but certainly not more than all those stars combined. He didn't even handle fighter negotiations or scouting back then.

Blah, blah, blah. Dana has been infinitely more important than any fighter. The UFC exists without GSP. LoL. Take away any fighter at any time and the UFC brand lives on.

Cry about.

 

[avenue94]

Blah, blah, blah. Dana has been infinitely more important than any fighter. The UFC exists without GSP. LoL. Take away any fighter at any time and the UFC brand lives on.

Cry about.

OK, what PPV star would have provided the juice to convince Fox that the UFC had popular appeal? Who would have spearheaded the UFC expansion into Canada? If you ever read any of the Project Basquiat info, you'll notice that the UFC highlights which stars are expected to fight that year and how many times, not who's in charge of the UFC.

 

[lifelessheap]

OK, what PPV star would have provided the juice to convince Fox that the UFC had popular appeal? Who would have spearheaded the UFC expansion into Canada? If you ever read any of the Project Basquiat info, you'll notice that the UFC highlights which stars are expected to fight that year and how many times, not who's in charge of the UFC.

Sure the stars are important, but the brand always reigns supreme. Would the NFL exist without Brady?

Next man up. They can always make stars. Create narratives. And sell the product.

Why haven't UFC stars that go to Belletor made it massive?

People tune in for the brand and for stars.

 

[RicardinhoPT]

As a guy working in finance, this is very interesting, thank you

 

[dildos]

i hope it is dana who gets that 25m.

he deserves every cent.

 

[nhbfan8080]

So? Dana works seven days a week and rarely gets to see his family. He earns his paycheque by basically overseeing the entire UFC brand and doing the majority of the press for the company.

I’m not even a fan of Dana White, but I respect the fact he works hard for his money.

No that doesn't make sense at all. First if Dana can't fit his working hours inside 40-50hrs its on him to be so inefficient with his time (probably gambling/golf) or being too stingy to hire underlings. Nothing Dana does is so special and unique to be worth $25 million in bonuses. The UFC could hire 3 people at $150k yearly salary and they'd probably do a better job than Dana for alot cheaper.

 

[NikLuk]

Blah, blah, blah. Dana has been infinitely more important than any fighter. The UFC exists without GSP. LoL. Take away any fighter at any time and the UFC brand lives on.

Cry about.

This.
That is primarily the reason why the UFC doesn’t want to rely too much on any one star but on the brand name (stars don’t last). IIRC this was a conscious choice from the start when Zuffa bought a failing company known as the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Dana and / or one of the Fertitta’s brothers said something like (paraphrasing from memory): ~we want ppl to say they watch the UFC, not mma.
They wanted to focus on and build the brand and they did this very well.

Without Dana no mma fighter would be making millions per fight today.
Instead, thanks to Dana, probably well over 100 fighters became millionaires (it was about 40 fighters in 5 years, between 2006-2011).
No fighter is as important as Dana for the success of the UFC. Not even close.

 

[lsa]

Yup. Not sure why you think the latter is harder. Stress to survive is far worse than stress of success.

And I agree. But over the past decade, the UFCs growth hinged far more on star fighters than Dana. I can find you dozens of ceos who would take his job. But I can't find you dozens of Conors or Jones or GSPs.

Why would you find a CEO to do a promoters job?
During the ZUFFA era the CEO was Lorenzo.

 

[-Magua-]

Well deserved for the Warrior King

That shoulder to waist ratio... Johnny Bravo champ champ level right here. Yes sahhh.

 

[Iroh]

That's 500 performance of the night bonusses!

 

[avenue94]

Sure the stars are important, but the brand always reigns supreme. Would the NFL exist without Brady?

Next man up. They can always make stars. Create narratives. And sell the product.

Why haven't UFC stars that go to Belletor made it massive?

People tune in for the brand and for stars.

That's not how making a combat sports star works. To be a star in mma, you pretty much have to be able to win a title. That pretty much narrows you down to GSP, Cote, Hominick and Rory MacDonald as far as elite Candian fighters (Newton if we go back earlier). Of those, none were able to win, and even if they could, Cote isn't charismatic enough, Hominick can't speak French and he didn't stick around, and Rory is too bland, plus took too much damage. So what Canadian fighter aside from GSP sells out Rodgers Stadium? There are only a handful of fighters worldwide who can do that.

The UFC doesn't make stars, it gets behind people who already are on the cusp of stardom or stars on their own. Even today, look at Izzy, he was a star before he made the UFC.'

And what stars went to Bellator in their prime. It's a very short, if not nonexistent list. And to use your NFL example, the question isn't would the NFL exist without Brady. It's would it exist without Brady and all the other stars.

That is primarily the reason why the UFC doesn’t want to rely too much on any one star but on the brand name (stars don’t last).

Yup, that is the UFC's greatest success, it's what's driven them through the ESPN era and all its dogshit cards.

Without Dana no mma fighter would be making millions per fight today.

This part is utter bullshit. Fedor made millions despite never setting foot in the UFC. Chandler and Alvarez were likely millionaires pre-UFC.

 

[avenue94]

That's 500 performance of the night bonusses!

It is hilarious how the UFC has not adjusted POTN bonuses in what, a decade?

Why would you find a CEO to do a promoters job?
During the ZUFFA era the CEO was Lorenzo.

Bullshitting is bullshitting, regardless of the industry. That's most of promotion, selling a product, just in this case it's a product that punches people in the face.

 

[lsa]

It is hilarious how the UFC has not adjusted POTN bonuses in what, a decade?

Bullshitting is bullshitting, regardless of the industry. That's most of promotion, selling a product, just in this case it's a product that punches people in the face.

Ok so you dont know the difference between a CEO and a promoter.
Lets end it here then.

 

[Pierced7681]

No that doesn't make sense at all. First if Dana can't fit his working hours inside 40-50hrs its on him to be so inefficient with his time (probably gambling/golf) or being too stingy to hire underlings. Nothing Dana does is so special and unique to be worth $25 million in bonuses. The UFC could hire 3 people at $150k yearly salary and they'd probably do a better job than Dana for alot cheaper.

Disagree, the reason the ufc is popular, not mma, is primarily because Dana has done a fantastic job promoting the company.

 

[Pierced7681]

Hes getting paid well because hes the only one in the world that has 2 decades of experience as the UFC's head promoter. The single parent who got pumped n dumped and works flipping burgers can be replaced by a robot at the drop of a hat.

Exactly. I guarantee Dana’s job is a million times harder than asking “do you want fries with that?”

 

[lifelessheap]

That's not how making a combat sports star works. To be a star in mma, you pretty much have to be able to win a title. That pretty much narrows you down to GSP, Cote, Hominick and Rory MacDonald as far as elite Candian fighters (Newton if we go back earlier). Of those, none were able to win, and even if they could, Cote isn't charismatic enough, Hominick can't speak French and he didn't stick around, and Rory is too bland, plus took too much damage. So what Canadian fighter aside from GSP sells out Rodgers Stadium? There are only a handful of fighters worldwide who can do that.

The UFC doesn't make stars, it gets behind people who already are on the cusp of stardom or stars on their own. Even today, look at Izzy, he was a star before he made the UFC.'

And what stars went to Bellator in their prime. It's a very short, if not nonexistent list. And to use your NFL example, the question isn't would the NFL exist without Brady. It's would it exist without Brady and all the other stars.

Yup, that is the UFC's greatest success, it's what's driven them through the ESPN era and all its dogshit cards.

This part is utter bullshit. Fedor made millions despite never setting foot in the UFC. Chandler and Alvarez were likely millionaires pre-UFC.

The UFC is a Brand. Every division by default has a champion.


Logic is fun!

Thanks for playing.

 

[avenue94]

Ok so you dont know the difference between a CEO and a promoter.
Lets end it here then.

I used it generically. My point was there are far more marketers and people who can be promoters than top tier fight talent who can be a star. The point is the same.

The UFC is a Brand. Every division by default has a champion.


Logic is fun!

Thanks for playing.

Yeah, how many of those champs are stars? I can count on one hand, maybe 2, how many stars the UFC has ever had. I can count on a couple fingers what it is at any given time.

Disagree, the reason the ufc is popular, not mma, is primarily because Dana has done a fantastic job promoting the company.

He's had a few good decisions and ideas, but he's not exactly great with his gut instincts (Zuffa boxing, Paige and Sage, Greg Hardy, being against TUF and women's mma, etc.) Not to mention shitting on your stars all the time is the opposite of promoting, unless you're setting up an anti authority star. Which is too creative for UFC marketing historically.