Dana White Responds To Nate Quarry: Sponsorships Aren’t My F***ing Problem
The debate surrounding working conditions under the UFC/Zuffa umbrella is a growing one. Former welterweight boss Georges St-Pierre has seemingly turned his back on the company that helped make him, and Nate Quarry slammed his former employers in a recent interview.
Quarry’s quarrels were mainly with the UFC’s ‘extortion’ of fighters and their sponsorships, and ‘Rock’ said he felt ‘used and discarded’. Well, Uncle Dana has responded to the claims made by Quarry, via bloodyelbow.com:
“I like Nate Quarry,” White told reporters Thursday. “Let me tell you what. You’re never going to hear me say anything negative about any of the guys from season one of The Ultimate Fighter. I love those guys, I respect them, I always had a great relationship with Nate Quarry.”
“It’s not my f— problem,” White said. “Getting sponsorship is a problem. It’s tough. it’s hard to do. That question is ridiculous. If a guy fights on Fight Pass, first of all, he’s getting paid to fight. That’s what he’s getting paid for. That’s what he does. How sponsorship works out for a guy is not my problem. That is not my problem. He’s a fighter, he gets paid to fight, period, end of story. Whatever extra money he makes outside of the UFC with sponsors and all that s—, that’s his f— deal.”
It would appear that White is trying to distance himself from the matter, but unfairly so in my opinion. From what Quarry has said, the UFC basically squeezes it’s fighters for everything they are worth. If sponsorships aren’t the ‘company’s problem’, then why do they apparently demand more and more from the sponsorships? To quote Quarry:
“When I signed with the UFC this is what I was told: We can’t pay you much but you can have any sponsors you want. Then: We need to approve your sponsors. Then: You can’t have any conflicting sponsors. Then: You can’t thank your sponsors after fights. Then: We are not approving any sponsors that we don’t like their product. Then: Your sponsors have to pay us a fee of $50,000 for the pleasure to sponsor you. Then: Your sponsors have to pay us a fee of $100,000 for the pleasure to sponsor you.”
If what Quarry said was true, then sponsorships are not the UFC’s problem, but in fact a problem for fighters to get and keep; thanks to the promotion that they work for. What are your thoughts on all the negative feedback about the UFC in recent times?
