Max Holloway calls for increased bonuses for historic UFC 300 card: “We need some big bonuses for a big card”

Max Holloway wants to see some bigger bonuses for this weekend’s UFC 300 event.

The milestone card is set to go down this Saturday night in Las Vegas. On the main card, Max Holloway will appear in a rare lightweight bout against ‘BMF’ titleholder Justin Gaethje. ‘Blessed’ is entering the bout riding a two-fight winning streak, last defeating The Korean Zombie in the fall. However, this will be the first Hawaiian’s 155-pound bout since a 2019 loss to Dustin Poirier.

Regardless, the ‘BMF’ title bout is one of the most anticipated fights on the historic UFC 300 card. The event features a record 12 previous, or current champions. With such a stacked and meaningful event, Max Holloway has an idea. ‘Blessed’ wants to see bigger bonuses for the milestone card this weekend.

Now, there is a precedent for the UFC to raise bonuses on milestone cards. That’s exactly what they did all the way back at UFC 100, in July 2009. Instead of the normal $50,000 bonuses, Dana White doubled it. However, they declined to raise the bonus structure for the 200 card that took place seven years later.

Speaking at UFC 300 media day, Max Holloway opined that if it’s a card like this, they can raise the bonus structure. ‘Blessed’ joked that he was going to throw out the idea for $500,000 bonuses during the fighter meeting, and then negotiate down from that point.

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Max Holloway calls for higher bonuses for the historic UFC 300 event

“It is what it is. I’m just excited to be sharing the octagon with [Justin Gaethje] come UFC 300. On a big event like this, when you’ve got a card like this, a spotlight like this on us, being the people’s main event already, we can steal the show.” Max Holloway stated at media day. “The UFC is pushing, pushing. Every time I see an ad for UFC 300 it’s me and Justin. So at the end of the day Tim [Simpson] or someone needs to get on the phone with Dana and Hunter because we’ve got to talk numbers about some things.”

He continued, “It’s looking kinda funny… When we do the fighter meeting, because we always do the fighter meeting, I’m going to throw it out there. $500,000, so we can start going back like $400,000, $300,000, final offer $150,000 come on. It’s UFC 300, it’s huge!”

Online, some took Max Holloway’s comments to indicate that he was unhappy with his contract. However, on X, ‘Blessed’ confirmed that he was solely discussing bonuses for UFC 300. He wrote:

“These was for the bonuses not pay hahaha we need some big bonuses for a big card.”

As of now, Dana White and the company haven’t responded to the Hawaiian’s request for bigger bonuses. However, given that they’ve raised them in the past depending on the event, it’s not out of the question that fighters could leave Saturday with more cash than normal.

What do you make of these comments from Max Holloway? Do you believe there should be bigger bonuses for UFC 300?