Dana White says he no longer handles UFC fighter contract negotiations, a notable admission while the company keeps facing criticism over fighter pay and deal structure. Speaking to SPEED, White said he removed himself from that part of the business after the promotion grew beyond the early years when he was directly involved in building relationships and working through deals himself.
The issue lands in a familiar place for the UFC. Fighter pay has stayed under pressure for years, whether it is coming from public criticism, former fighters, or the legal fallout that still hangs over the promotion’s business model. That pressure has stayed visible through stories like recent criticism of UFC fighter pay and the money fallout tied to the antitrust settlement payout.
White explained that the shift came as the UFC got bigger and the negotiation side stopped being something he wanted to keep doing.
“We were a small business.”
“We started to grow the relationships with Chuck Liddell and Matt Hughes in the early days right up to Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, Cowboy and the list goes on and on.”
“Obviously it’s grown and I have completely removed myself from the negotiating part of fighter contracts.”
“I got to a point where this isn’t fun anymore.”
“I’m lucky that I’m at a point in my life and my career where I can just deal with the fun stuff that I like to do.”
Hunter Campbell now carries the contract side of UFC business
White’s explanation lines up with the role Hunter Campbell has taken on behind the scenes. Campbell has become one of the most important executives in the company, especially on legal and negotiation matters, and White’s words made it clear that the contract side is no longer where he spends his time.
That does not take him out of the larger conversation. White is still the public face of the UFC, and criticism around pay has never been only about who sits in the room for negotiations. It is about the company’s leverage, the size of UFC revenues, and why fighters continue to raise the same complaints even as the promotion grows.
So while White says he no longer handles fighter contracts himself, the subject is not going anywhere. The UFC may have moved that work to other hands, but the pressure around fighter pay and deal terms still lands on the same company name.
Watch the SPEED segment below.
