Lorenzo Fertitta is the majority shareholder of the company that controls the UFC. Photo: Disclosure
Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta, shareholders of the company that owns the UFC, took a stance on the criticism made by former fighter Nate Quarry this week.
Quarry, participant of the first season of reality show The Ultimate Fighter and former UFC middleweight title challenger, was dissatisfied with the way the organization treats its fighters. He even said that he received just US$10 to fight for the title against the then champion, Rich Franklin, in 2005.
Fertitta, majority shareholder of the UFC, said, in an interview with the “Yahoo Sports” website, that the UFC did not have the same financial power at that time as it does today. “That fight that Nate refers to was a long time ago and clearly the business was not in the same shape as it is today. We were coming out of a period where we had millions of dollars in losses. And I tell you what: Nate is a smart guy. He certainly is. When he signed his contract, he knew exactly how much his payment would be,” said the businessman, who also defended the UFC's policy towards its fighters. “I am very proud of what we have done for our athletes, for the sport and for the company. Our record is good as a whole and we have nothing to be ashamed of,” he concluded.
White, who is also the president of the UFC, joined Fertitta's chorus during a press conference held this week. “Lorenzo explained it best. Unfortunately, when Nate fought [for the title], we were at a loss of $44 million,” he revealed. “The sport has evolved a lot since then. Now that the UFC is worth a few billion, it's easy to say, but what about back then? We were very close to ending our activities. I thought we would never get that $44 million back,” continued White, who avoided attacking Quarry.
“You will never hear me say anything negative about the guys from the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. I love these guys, I respect them a lot. I have always had a great relationship with Nate Quarry”, concluded the president.
Comments