Justin Bieber vs Tom Cruise fight would be UFC's richest purse ever, Dana White says
A potential mixed martial arts match between pop singer Justin Bieber and actor Tom Cruise would generate the biggest purse in Ultimate Fighting Championship’s history, according to UFC President Dana White.
Bieber, 25, generated a massive buzz on social media earlier this month when he challenged Cruise, 56, to “fight in the octagon.” While Bieber’s representatives later said that the tweet was a joke, TMZ Sports reported that the singer’s manager, Scooter Braun, agreed to a potential match during a conference call with White and Ari Emanuel, the co-CEO of William Morris Endeavor, UFC’s parent company.
Few details have emerged about Cruise’s interest in a match, or whether it could actually happen. However, White said the fight could break records for the UFC if it ever moves forward.
“Weirder things have happened, let’s put it that way. Anything is possible,” White told TMZ Sports. “I think it would be the biggest purse ever and I think it would be the biggest pay-per-view ever, too.”
UFC representatives declined comment on the status of negotiations.
White’s remarks about the fight’s revenue potential came in response to a question about whether it would be a bigger draw than UFC star Conor McGregor’s boxing match against Floyd Mayweather in 2017. McGregor reportedly earned more than $100 million for the bout, while Mayweather’s haul was said to exceed $300 million.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP
In terms of the UFC’s highest purses, McGregor earned a guaranteed $3 million for his fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 last October, while Nurmagomedov earned $2 million. Both fighters reportedly earned millions more through revenue from PPV buys.