Dana White Stresses UFC Is Not a Monopoly: ‘We’re Simply the Best’

Dana White doesn’t see the UFC as a monopoly, it’s simply the best sport there is.

For years, fighters within the organization and outsiders have criticized White and co. for creating a monopoly in the world of mixed martial arts.

The UFC has dominated the global MMA scene for two decades, or at least since PRIDE FC collapsed. The UFC has grown exponentially thanks to fighters who are subject to restrictive non-compete agreements and ridiculously low revenue shares compared to other major sports leagues like the MLB, NBA, NHL and NFL.

White has defended the topic of fighter salaries numerous times, suggesting that anyone who doesn’t like it is welcome to start their own promotion. He offered a similar sentiment during a recent interview with FOX News, telling Brian Kilmeade that the UFC isn’t a monopoly and that anyone is free to start their own company to try to grab a piece of the MMA pie.

“People have been calling us a monopoly and all that stuff for years,” White said. “We’re just the best. We’re the best at what we do. There’s no barrier to entry. Anyone can come in here. You could start a league tomorrow and pay the guys whatever you want.

“A lot of smart, talented, big business moguls have come into this sport and tried to compete with me, and they couldn’t. You have to have that competitive spirit. You have to want to compete.”

Former UFC fighter calls the promotion’s $335 million class action lawsuit settlement a ‘huge victory’

Earlier this year, the promotion’s parent company, TKO Group, settled a lawsuit created by five interconnected class-action lawsuits by paying a whopping $335 million to former fighters including Cung Le, Nate Quarry, Jon Fitch and more than 1,200 others. They alleged that the promotion violated antitrust laws designed to promote competition and prevent monopolies.

The group alleged that the UFC had “used improper strategies to dominate the market for mixed martial arts fighter services,” leading to a decline in fighter pay. Had the UFC been found guilty, it could have received anywhere from $800 million to $1.6 billion. Instead, the promotion settled for less than half of the lowest asking price.

Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub called the settlement a major victory for the promotion and blamed the fighters for not changing anything in the industry.

“UFC settled antitrust lawsuit. HUGE win for UFC. Bad for every other organization for so many reasons,” Schaub wrote. “UFC is still the king. Until fighters unite like MLB, NBA, and NFL, nothing will ever change. You can be mad at @danawhite all you want, but it’s not his fault or his job.

“His job is to make the UFC as big as possible and make the most profit. Period. Which he does on a historic level. Unfortunately, it’s on the fighters.”