UFC boss Dana White denies promotion is ‘monopoly’ amid criticism: ‘We’re simply the best’

Dana White doesn’t think the UFC is a monopoly, it’s simply the best game in town.

For years, both inside and outside fighters have criticized White and company for creating what they viewed as a monopoly in the world of mixed martial arts.

Dominating the global MMA scene for two decades, or at least since the demise of PRIDE FC, the UFC has grown exponentially with fighters covered by restrictive no-compete clauses and a laughably low revenue share compared to other major sports leagues like the MLB, NBA, NHL and NFL.

White has routinely defended the topic of fighter compensation on countless occasions, suggesting that anyone who doesn’t like it can start their own promotion. He made a similar point during a recent interview with FOX News, telling Brian Kilmeade that the UFC is not a monopoly and anyone can start their own company to try to get a piece of the MMA pie.

“People have been calling us a monopoly and all that 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 get in. You can start a league tomorrow and pay guys whatever you want.

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

Former UFC Fighter Calls $335 Million Class Action Settlement a ‘Huge Victory’

Earlier this year, TKO Group, the organization’s parent company, settled litigation stemming from five related class action lawsuits, paying a whopping $335 million to former fighters including Cung Le, Nate Quarry, Jon Fitch and more than 1,200 others who claimed the organization violated antitrust laws designed to promote competition and avoid monopolies.

The group argued that the UFC used “improper strategies to dominate the MMA fighter services market,” which led to declining fighter pay. If found guilty, the UFC could have been ordered to pay between $800 million and $1.6 billion. Instead, the promotion agreed to less than half of the lowest asking price.

Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub called the settlement a huge victory for the organization and placed the blame squarely on the fighters who failed to change anything in the industry.

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

“His job is to build the UFC as big as possible and make as much money as possible. Period. Which he has done on a historic level. Unfortunately, it’s the fighters’ fault.”