"Anyone but him"; "Notorious for not paying fighters enough" - Padres fans scoff at idea of UFC president Dana White buying the franchise

The Padres's new owners are currently exploring the idea of the franchise being sold off with rising debt that amounts to $300 million. It was an ugly ownership battle between the late Peter Seidler's widow Sheel, and the former's brothers Robert and Matthew, who was awarded control over the team in February 2025.

While selling of the team was against the wishes of its late owner, the team and its fans could find itself at a crossroads. A fan on social media site X even floated the idea of UFC president Dana White taking over the franchise, which many supporters disagreed with.

Over the years, White has acquired a reputation of lowballing fighters in his organization, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He has even been documented stating that he won't raise fighters' salaries while he's in charge of the body.

For context, since White has been the top man in UFC, a poultry 20% of shares have been paid to fighters. In comparison, the NFL and NBA pay around 50% of the league's respective revenues to its athletes. This has further soured the thought of him buying the Padres franchise in the minds of its fans.

Apart from the UFC, Dana White biggest claim to fame is a partnership with World Wrestling Entertainment to form TKO Group Holdings which is currently valued at around $35 million in the market.

Padres owners explore options regarding the team's sale

Two years since the passing of former owner Peter Seidler and not even a calendar year since the controlling stake has been passed on to the current owners, the Padres are reportedly up for sale.

Peter's older brother and current chairman John Seidler broke the news through a statement on Thursday.

"The family has decided to begin a process of evaluating the future with the Padres, including a potential sale of the franchise," said the elder Seidler.

It can be recalled that John, along with brothers John and Robert, had an ugly battle with Peter's widow Sheel regarding the team's ownership. In November 2024, Sheel sued both John and Robert for going against their late brother's wishes in an attempt to take over the team.

Known for his love for the franchise, the late Peter Seidler has endeared himself to the San Diego faithful by being one of a few MLB owners who's not afraid of shelling out resources to invest in talent and improve the state of the team.

With the current news of a possible sale, a greenhorn skipper, and several players electing for free agency, it will be interesting to see how the Padres will navigate the 2026 campaign.

Edited by Daniel Santiago