"Stockholm Syndrome", "Eat the rich" - Redditors rip into UFC for paying fighters $50,000 bonus as TKO CEO Ari Emanuel becomes a billionaire in 2025

Several netizens have taken aim at the UFC after reports that Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel has officially entered the billionaire club. Numerous Redditors lambasted the Endeavor-owned UFC, Emanuel, and UFC CEO Dana White for allegedly underpaying fighters signed with the promotion.

Per Bloomberg, as of February 2025, Emanuel's net worth has surpassed the $1 billion mark, officially making him a billionaire. He's long been viewed as one of the most influential people in the realm of talent management in Hollywood, the United States of America's entertainment industry.

Right from movie bigwigs to TV show icons, Emanuel has long boasted deep connections with many Hollywood giants.

Additionally, per U.S.-based outlets, such as the New York Post, Emanuel's business empire considerably benefitted from his stakes in Endeavor and the UFC and WWE's success under the Endeavor umbrella in recent years.

Incidentally, the UFC's financial aspect has been hotly debated. Several MMA organizations, including the UFC, which is the world's premier MMA organization, have long faced accusations of underpaying fighters and overpaying its business personnel such as Dana White and Ari Emanuel.

In a recent Reddit thread by the r/ufc Sub-Reddit, many netizens sounded off against the UFC, White, and Emanuel. The post's title specifically drew attention to the UFC's general bonus rate of $50,000:

"The owner of WWE and UFC is now a billionaire, yet UFC fighters have been receiving the same $50k bonus for the past two decades."

One Redditor suggested the fighters have Stockholm Syndrome and aren't protesting against the dichotomy in their purportedly low pay and Emanuel's mammoth income:

"Stockholm Syndrome"

Another Redditor similarly criticized the pay differential and wrote:

"Eat the rich"

While some top-tier UFC fighters are known to receive multi-million-dollar payouts, many fans have pointed out that other fighters also deserve paydays in the same ballpark but are deprived of it. On that note, a commenter wrote:

"So their athletes get millions per match?"

Check out the screenshots of a few reactions below:

Screenshots of reactions

An observer sounded off on Dana White, deeming him a megalomaniac. On the other hand, a commenter jibed at the idea of the American dream, signaling that the massive rift in pay is reflective of the flawed American system:

"It's the American dream, an oligarchy and you get to worship the overlords"

Another observer highlighted the supposed pay difference between the NBA and the UFC. Condemning the UFC, the fan wrote:

"A bench warmer in the NBA makes more in a year than 99% of UFC fighters make their entire career. UFC is beyond f**ked."

Check out the screenshots of a few reactions below:

Screenshots of reactions

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UFC and Dana White face flak after recent UFC vs. WWE reported minimum pay comparison

Per the @WrestleOps X handle, via @FightfulSelect, a WWE athlete's minimum annual pay was around $200k to $300k. Some performers secured millions yearly.

As such, many netizens derided multimillionaire Dana White and the White-helmed UFC for the reported minimum per-fight pay of $12k to show and $12k to win. The UFC entails legitimate unscripted MMA bouts, whereas the WWE comprises scripted combat simulation with predetermined outcomes.

Many fans lambasted the UFC for allegedly underpaying its fighters. One X user derided White and wrote:

"Dana White going to Super Hell lmao"

Check out the screenshots of a few tweets below:

Screenshots of reactions