UFC CEO Dana White has responded to Justin Gaethje’s viral pay comments ahead of UFC 324, claiming the former interim lightweight champion turned down a financial bump before fight week even began.
Gaethje sits just hours away from another potential interim title run as he prepares to face rising contender Paddy Pimblett in the UFC 324 main event this Saturday night in Las Vegas. The card marks the UFC’s return from hiatus and also serves as the official launch of the promotion’s new broadcast partnership with Paramount+.
Former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley faces Song Yadong in the co-main event. Leading into fight week, Gaethje raised eyebrows when he publicly disputed claims that fighters are earning more money under the new Paramount deal. Both Daniel Cormier and Dana White have repeatedly stated that fighter pay will increase moving forward, but Gaethje insisted his UFC 324 payday remained unchanged.
“I’m not getting one dollar more than I would have if this deal didn’t happen,” Gaethje said during media day.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, Dana White addressed Gaethje’s remarks and pushed back strongly, placing the responsibility squarely on the fighter.
“We completely have it dialed in,” White said.“We have really smart kids who can get it down within single digits on how close it would be to pay fighters like it was a pay-per-view.
“And Gaethje, without getting into all that stuff—Gaethje was offered more money, and Gaethje never responded. We’re good.”
As of now, neither Gaethje nor his management team has publicly responded to Dana White’s claims.
Gaethje’s comments at media day came as he reflected on his UFC career, noting that despite earning 14 post-fight bonuses, he has yet to surpass $1 million in bonus earnings.
The remarks fueled speculation about whether the UFC’s new broadcast model truly benefits veteran fighters who previously earned pay-per-view points.
White, however, continues to insist that fighters will ultimately benefit from the deal, even with pay-per-view bonuses phased out as every UFC event now streams on Paramount+ at no extra cost.
“We’ve got it figured out,” White said. “The fighters are going to be taken care of.”
UFC 324 could mark a pivotal moment for Gaethje, who has hinted that he’s nearing the end of his legendary run. A loss to Pimblett could accelerate retirement talks, while a win would crown him interim lightweight champion once again.
Either way, Dana White’s comments add another layer of tension to a fight week already filled with stakes, both inside and outside the Octagon.
