After the $7.7 billion deal with Paramount, fight fans were hopeful that UFC fighter payouts might finally get a much-needed upgrade. And just when you thought things couldn’t get more interesting, Dana White has made a surprising move that has everyone talking.

From 2026, the UFC CEO promised to enter the boxing world guns blazing. And as it seems, he is literally doing that. After signing IBF and The Ring cruiserweight boxing champion, Jai Opetaia, to Zuffa Boxing, White has made another marquee addition in Conor Benn.

While the signing has already sparked fiery conversations in the boxing community, Benn’s fee for a one-fight deal has left UFC fans concerned. According to the reports, the English boxer is set to receive $15 million.

The fight would surely be a high-profile bout. Notably, Benn is currently the mandatory challenger for the WBC welterweight title. Considering that, he is very likely to face the winner between Mario Barrios and Ryan Garcia under the Zuffa Boxing banner.

And for White, that could be one of the big matchups for a boxer representing his promotion. Surely, the $15 million payout seemed like a strategic move. But then again, that leaves everyone worried about the state of UFC fighters.

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To that extent, many believe White is ignoring them. But is that the case? At least, the fans believe so.

Fans raise concerns after Dana White signs Conor Benn

One fan quickly chimed in and wrote without any second thoughts, “UFC is Dana’s side chick.” This is simply to highlight how Dana White is probably prioritizing Zuffa Boxing more than UFC. Meanwhile, another netizen called for action against the UFC CEO. “Dana white embarrassing his entire UFC roster with one swing. He’s paying a drug cheat £10million for one boxing match while the UFC stars make £500k. It’s time for Dana to be removed. The UFC does not need him, and the fighters deserve better.”

This fan is particularly concerned about the controversial drug test history of Conor Benn. And despite that, White’s decision to sign the boxer particularly sparked the reaction. Apart from that, another netizen believed the UFC CEO had made this signing just to get back at one of his rivals, Eddie Hearn.

“Dana hates Eddie so much he’s paying Benn more than UFC champs lmao,” the user wrote. But then again, this might be a subjective opinion. Signing Benn does bring good value to Zuffa Boxing, given his chances at a world title next. However, amid that, the majority of the fans were seemingly concerned with how the top UFC stars would react to this move.

“If I’m Ilia Topuria, Alex Pereira, or Islam Makhachev, I’m getting on the phone with Dana White today,” a fan wrote. On top of that, noting how even Conor McGregor may not have made that amount of money in the UFC, another netizen dropped a similar reaction.

“That’s crazy. Conor McGregor probably barely made that much. Champions who are much bigger and more popular, like Alex Pereira and Islam Makhachev, definitely didn’t get anything close to that,” the fan wrote.

On that note, do you think Benn will be able to justify the $15 million payout? Would he actually boost Zuffa Boxing’s popularity in the market? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!