For decades, the UFC, under the leadership of Dana White, has consistently reached new heights. However, one persistent issue continues to be a financial thorn in the promotion’s side—piracy. Despite investing millions to combat illegal streaming, the UFC has seen only marginal improvements over the years. Since the early 2010s, the organization has taken various steps to crack down on piracy, initially attempting to “educate” offenders on copyright infringement. However, these softer measures had little impact. Frustrated, White eventually adopted a more aggressive approach. During a DWCS post-fight press conference last year, he made his stance clear:

“Trust me, we know exactly how to combat piracy. I will tell you extensively what we do at every event, but we go after piracy hard. A few years ago, we started prosecuting people. That’s how you combat piracy—start f—–g prosecuting people for stealing. There you go.” His comments sparked widespread ridicule on social media, with fans openly taunting the UFC, boasting about illegally streaming fights and daring the promotion to catch them. After the initial uproar, the controversy seemed to fade—until now.

Recently, a UFC lawyer reignited the conversation, addressing the issue in response to fans who had previously mocked Dana White in the comments of a social media video. “You want the UFC at home for free? I don’t care,” said the UFC lawyer while speaking on the OnlyFirm podcast. “The only people I was going after—and continue to go after—are bars and restaurants that were showing the fight illegally, meaning they did not pay the appropriate commercial distributor fee. So thank you for exposing yourselves.”

He further added, “In case the UFC ever wants to go after individuals—which I’m pretty sure they will at some point—you’ve made my job a lot easier, assuming they hire me for that.” The UFC’s legal stance on piracy highlights a broader issue plaguing the sports industry. Piracy remains a significant financial threat, with the NFL, NBA, and UFC previously issuing a joint statement estimating that illegal streaming costs the industry up to $28 billion in lost annual revenue. Unauthorized broadcasts cost the UFC around $30 million annually.

Despite these efforts, piracy surged after 2018, when the UFC increased its pay-per-view price from $59.99 to $79.99. However, not everyone in combat sports shares Dana White’s aggressive stance. Saudi boxing supremo Turki Alalshikh has taken a different approach to piracy. Let’s take a look.

How Turki Alalshikh’s approach to piracy differs from Dana White’s

“We got one. We got him. We’re watching this guy right now. All you have to do is turn it on Saturday, and we got you, f—–. I can’t wait. Every event, I’m going to go after one of these guys—or more.” These were the fiery words of Dana White at a pre-fight press conference before UFC 257 in 2021, underscoring his relentless crackdown on illegal streaming. He further vowed, “We’re going to catch some of these guys in 2021, and I look forward to the crying and begging.”

The UFC’s aggressive stance on piracy is driven by the immense costs of producing events. Cracking down on illegal streams helps the promotion recoup its expenses. However, for many fans, rising pay-per-view (PPV) prices have made it increasingly difficult to justify the cost. In contrast, Turki Alalshikh—now a major force in boxing promotion—has adopted an entirely different approach. He has committed to lowering PPV prices, starting with the Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois fight last year.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Alalshikh explained his reasoning: “When I see a high PPV price, a lot of people resort to illegal streaming, and this is not healthy for boxing or the platform. My goal is to keep our Riyadh Season shows under £20 in England and under $20 worldwide. I would rather have one million fans purchase the PPV at £20 than fewer than 500,000 at £40. People turn to illegal streams because the price is too high. In the long run, this will not help build boxing.”

But what prompted this significant price cut? Reports suggest that approximately 20 million people illegally streamed the historic Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk fight, resulting in an estimated revenue loss of £95 million.

How do you feel about piracy in sports? Do you believe the promotions themselves are to blame? With UFC prices soaring, the financial strain on fans has never been greater. At the same time, Dana White and the company’s aggressive stance against piracy might be pushing away their own audience. After all, even those who resort to illegal streams are still passionate UFC fans. What’s your take? Drop your thoughts below.