Dana White Makes Last-Minute Change to UFC 324 Card After Controversial Comment
Dana White has agreed to make a big change to the first UFC card of the year after one of his fighters made a controversial comment during a press conference.
On Saturday night, the UFC will finally return for a huge fight card set to take place inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
With the card set to be the first since the MMA organisation secured a massive new $7.7 billion US broadcast deal with Paramaount+, it is stacked from top to bottom with exciting fights.
In the headline fight of the evening the massively popular Paddy Pimblett faces former title challenger Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight belt, setting up a super fight with current undisputed champion Ilia Topuria later this year.
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But less than 24 hours before the card is set to get underway, UFC President and CEO White has promised his fighters that he will make a big change to the event to reward them.
In the build up to the first UFC card since the major deal with Paramount+ was agreed, questions have been raised about fighter pay and how it could, or should, increase to reflect the size of the broadcasting agreement.
Just days before his title fight with Pimblett, Gaethje lashed out for the UFC, claiming that he will not receive 'one dollar more' for the fight and criticising the fact that he has not earned $1million (£741,000) from pay bonuses despite earning at least one in each of his UFC fights.
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During the final pre-fight press conference, White was asked about fighter pay and the possibility of raising the bonuses, awarded for moments like fight, knockout or performance of the night, for the upcoming fight card, to which he replied: "I don't have that number right now."
UFC legend Derrick Lewis, who faces Waldo Cortes-Acosta early on the main card, seized the chance to demand that the bonuses be raised from the standard $50,000 (£37,026) to $324,000 (£239,928), reflecting that the fight card is the UFC's 324th headline event.
Meanwhile Jean Silva, who opens the main card with a fight against England's Arnold Allen, offered the UFC boss a deal, should he agree to increased the bonuses.
"If you turn up the bonus boss and you give us more money, you'll see two autistic dudes really going at it if you pay us more," Silva promised.
White quickly agreed to Silva's proposal, suggesting that fighters competing on the UFC 324 card will have the chance to earn what for many could be a career-high payday.
Silva's comment has been met with some backlash online with some fans describing him selling the fight with Allen as 'two autistic dudes' facing off is insensitive or offensive, while others believe fighters shouldn't have to beg for better pay.
It comes after the Brazilian confirmed that he had recently been diagnosed with autism, adding that he believes Allen is also autistic.
Allen, who admitted that he agrees that he may be autistic but is yet to be tested, has played into this narrative, claiming that his fight with Silva will represent two different types of autism.
"He's the loud side of the spectrum, I'm the quiet side....when we both fight, we are two superheroes," the Englishman told Spinnin Backfist during fight week.
Topics: UFC, Dana White, Paddy Pimblett, Justin Gaethje
Ben McCrum