Dana White Stands By Decision to Rescind Pat Healy's $130,000 in UFC 159 Bonuses

UFC president Dana White stands by the decision to not award Pat Healy the $130,000 in UFC 159 bonuses, citing Healy being ineligible to receive any bonus following a failed drug test for marijuana.

Healy made his promotional debut at UFC 159, defeating Jim Miller by rear naked choke. The submission win earned him Fight of the Night and Submission of the Night awards, but that all changed when a urinalysis revealed the presence of marijuana metabolites.

The bonuses were rescinded and the win overturned and ruled a no contest. The $65,000 Submission of the Night bonus then went to Bryan Caraway, who had the only other submission on the fight card, a guillotine choke finish of Johnny Bedford.

“It's illegal. You can't do it, it's a banned substance. Should it be? I necessarily don't think so,” said White on Thursday. “It doesn't matter. It's a banned substance. Every fighter knows you go in and you use marijuana and you get caught, you're busted.”

Caraway received backlash for lobbying for the Submission of the Night bonus, but it was misplaced criticism. Caraway was the only fighter on the card eligible for the bonus.

“(Healy) wasn't eligible for that bonus,” said White. “I know nobody likes Bryan Caraway. Bryan Caraway followed the rules. He had a submission that night and he followed the rules. He absolutely, 100-percent deserves that bonus. Fighters that don't make weight don't get bonuses either.”

While Healy’s debut performance was impressive, awarding him any bonus would have sent the wrong message, and White was quick to point that out.

“Imagine what it would say if I gave that kid $130,000 for not following the rules?”

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