At Thursday’s UFC 262 pre-fight press conference, Tony Ferguson called for Dana White to raise the value of the bonus awards for tonight’s event and it seems that his wish has now been granted.
“(Last time when I fought in Houston), we were here for the performance-bonus meeting,” Ferguson said to White. “(Travis Browne) said, ‘You know, everything is bigger in Texas, Dana, right?’ Right, you remember that? He said, ‘How about a bigger bonus?’ So, I’m going to ask you, Dana. Since we are here, like last time, can we have a bigger bonus this time?”
The fans gathered to watch the presser in Houston roared their approval and Dana White appeared to take heed as it’s since emerged that the bonuses have now risen 50%, up from $50,000 to $75,000.
However, the UFC have stressed that this is just a one-time-only deal, so the bonuses will go back to normal for the next event.
There’s plenty of fights on-board tonight that on paper look like they have a real chance to get in on that bonus money, with the likes of Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler, Tony Ferguson vs. Beneil Dariush and Edson Barboza vs. Shane Burgos all being potential barnburners, and the extra financial incentive along with a full arena of fans in Texas only further enhances the chances of tonight’s show being a memorable one.
