Last weekend marked Golden Boy’s first dive into mixed martial arts promotion. It was obviously a great night for Tito Ortiz, who finally notched a win over Chuck Liddell after 12 years, but for both fighters, receiving $200,000 and $250,000 salaries respectively (excluding sponsorship and pay-per-view earnings) is indeed a big win.
But given how Liddell ungracefully ended his night with a fourth straight knockout loss, many questioned and even opposed the making of the fight in the first place. One of them is UFC president Dana White, who wanted nothing to do with the matchup, because of his long-time friendship with “The Iceman.