Dana White faces fresh criticism from Tito Ortiz and Anderson Silva over UFC legacy comments and fighter pay

Tito Ortiz has once again opened up about his long and difficult relationship with UFC president Dana White. The former UFC light heavyweight champion recently said he believes the promotion is trying to distance itself from him because he spent years publicly speaking about fighter pay. Ortiz made the comments while talking to Greta’s Wire ahead of the UFC White House event scheduled for June 14.

Ortiz admitted he hoped to receive an invitation to the historic UFC card because of his role in helping build the company during its early years. But after not hearing from the UFC, the Hall of Famer said he was not surprised. According to Ortiz, his outspoken views about fighter salaries damaged his relationship with White many years ago. Speaking openly during the interview, Ortiz said, “They just don’t invite me because I was one of the outspoken guys that, at the time when I competed, thought fighters should get paid a little bit more money.”

Tito Ortiz and Anderson Silva both criticize Dana White while old UFC tensions return to spotlight

Tito Ortiz explained that his disagreements with Dana White started when he began questioning fighter contracts during his championship run. Over time, Ortiz even started managing himself during negotiations, which reportedly created more problems between the two sides. White previously claimed Ortiz demanded more money than agreed in his contract and sometimes threatened to pull out of fights.

Despite the tension, Ortiz still believes his role in UFC history cannot be ignored. During the Greta’s Wire interview, he said, “UFC can’t erase me, but at the same time, I don’t want to be erased. I worked so hard to make the sport almost what it is.”

Ortiz also pointed toward the UFC’s financial growth while discussing fighter pay. He mentioned the company’s multibillion dollar deals and argued that longtime fighters should not struggle financially after retirement. Ortiz said fighters give their bodies and health to the sport for years and deserve long term support.

The situation became even bigger after former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva also responded to Dana White this week. In an interview with Rolling Stone, White said some retired fighters become resentful toward him after leaving the promotion. He included Silva among those names and claimed the Brazilian ended his UFC run on an “eight or nine fight losing streak.”

Silva quickly answered back on Instagram in Portuguese. He wrote, “I’ve been out of the organization for many years already, but apparently neither the current fighters nor the bald guy himself can forget my accomplishments.”

The UFC legend also corrected White’s statement about his record and pointed out that he actually lost seven of his last nine UFC fights, not eight or nine. Silva further added, “Deep down, the bald guy knows that with me there was no whining, everybody got beat up, and I saved the promotion more than once.”

Even years after retiring, both Ortiz and Silva clearly still feel frustrated about how their UFC careers and legacies are discussed publicly.