New PFL Hire Bryan Battle Outsmarted Dana White for Better Pay Than UFC, Speculates Veteran

Dana White is widely regarded as one of the sharpest minds in business. Along with the Fertitta brothers, he turned the UFC from a $2 million venture into a $12 billion sports powerhouse, making it tough to imagine anyone outsmarting him. Yet, a former UFC fighter claims that the recently released Bryan Battle might have just pulled off a slick 200-IQ move on the head honcho.

‘The Butcher’ has long struggled to make weight in the UFC, missing on three occasions, with the last two being back-to-back. His latest came at UFC 319, where he weighed in 4 pounds over the middleweight limit. As a result, his fight with Nursulton Ruziboev was canceled, and the 30-year-old was cut from the promotion. While many fans supported White’s decision, UFC legend Josh Thomson suggested a wild theory! He believes that Battle deliberately missed weight just so he could join Dirty Boxing. 

Josh Thomson believes Brian Battle’s missing weight was part of the plan   

On the Weighing In podcast with Big John McCarthy, Josh Thomson said, “John, do you think he missed weight on purpose? It’s a good way to get cut without any repercussions. If you miss weight, then a week later you fight in Dirty Boxing. He probably made more money than he would’ve in the UFC. Then he turns around and signs with the PFL — probably for even more money than he was making in the UFC.” 

Thomson definitely laid out a crazy theory! The UFC legend even pointed out that it’s better to miss weight and walk away if there’s a tussle with the promotion, rather than taking losses and being forced out. Which could lead to negotiation problems. Still, whether ‘The Butcher’ actually chose not to cut weight on purpose remains under wraps. But if Bryan Battle did make a deliberate attempt just to get out of the UFC, then he definitely outsmarted Dana White.

It must also be recognized that the Carolina fighter isn’t just sitting idle after getting cut. He made some moves. After a successful Dirty Boxing event, where he defeated Derik de Freitas at DBX 3, Battle found a new home in PFL. On top of that, he’s opened up about how his agency quickly turned things around to secure the opportunity and keep his career moving forward.

‘The Butcher’ reveals how he got the deal with DBX  

Dirty Boxing Promotion has proven to be one of the best platforms, alongside Misfits, where heavier UFC fighters struggling to find opportunities can build a future. Recently, the promotion signed Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Alex Caceres. After Bryan Battle got cut from the UFC, the promotion run by Jon Jones and Mike Perry added him to their roster. Now, the former UFC fighter has opened up about how the deal came together

In a MiddleEasy interview, Battle said, “Once things broke with the UFC, I believe they approached us. I’m not even all the way sure. I just got hit up by my agent, and he was like, ‘Yo, are you trying to fight on Dirty Boxing next Friday?’ and I was like, ‘Let’s f—go. Let’s do it.’ I was thinking MMA next, but Dirty Boxing was a really good fit. It was something where as soon as he said it, I was like, ‘That makes sense. That would be an easy transition for me.’”

It looked like Bryan would thrive in DBX, but he eventually signed with the PFL to continue his MMA career. It’ll be interesting to see which division the Carolina native competes in and whether weight issues follow him there as well.

In straight-talk terms: if Bryan Battle executed this as a plan, it was a bold recalibration, not malpractice. He turned a public setback into opportunity—leading with his feet, not his ego. For a fighter who couldn’t stay on the scales in the UFC, he’s discovered platforms where his biggest headline is his aggression, not his absences.

That said, there’s still a question of brand damage: fans and promoters may see the weight trouble as a red flag. His PFL debut will be a litmus test—if he shows up once again overweight, credibility could quickly erode.