"Dana paying more on grass than the fighters" - Fans left shocked as Dana White plans to spend $700,000 at UFC White House event

Dana White's remarks about significant changes for the UFC White House event sparked a wide variety of reactions from MMA fans across the world.

Earlier this year, POTUS Donald Trump expressed his desire to celebrate America's 250th anniversary next year by organizing a UFC event on the grounds of the White House. White, who shares a close relationship with Trump, voiced his approval, eliciting various replies from MMA stars such as Conor McGregor and Jon Jones, who wanted to compete on the card.

Since the 15,000-pound octagon will be placed directly on the south lawn, White recently disclosed in an interview with Sports Business Journal that he would replace it with new grass that would cost about $700,000:

''There is no doubt about it, this is going to be the most challenging event we have ever done. I’m coming off a stadium event, which I don’t like stadiums, to the thing that I hate the most in outdoor events. So yes, we got through the Sphere, made it through [the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford boxing match at] Allegiant [Stadium], now we head into Washington, D.C., on the White House lawn. This is just one little piece I was talking about last night: To replace the grass, because we’re going to fu*k up the South Lawn, $700,000 just to replace the grass.''

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Fans soon rushed to the comments section to share their reactions.

One fan wrote:

''Dana pays more for grass than he does his fighters''

Another stated:

''It’s funny how many people crying about fighter pay like Dana’s suppose to pay 500+ fighters with his own money lmfao''

Other fans wrote:

''It costs $700k for grass? Do rich people have no clue what things should cost??''

''So still way cheaper than the sphere according to him. Allegedly, instead of a 50k bonus, fighters will get a gold citizen card if they win''

Check out more reactions below:

Fan reactions [Screenshots courtesy: @ChampRDS on X]

Dana White discusses his relationship with Donald Trump

In a recent interview with Jon Wertheim on the season premiere of '60 Minutes' on CBS, UFC CEO Dana White opened up about his good bond with Donald Trump:

''The relationship that he and I have and when we get together, when I have dinner with him, we don't talk politics. We talk about goofy guy stuff that all guys talk about. You know what I mean? We talk about "Rocky" movies. We talk about different fights that have happened.''

About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

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