It might feel like many moons ago when Lyoto Machida stepped into the ring against Tito Ortiz, but the fight came back into view when the discussion of Lyoto Machida being given a personal check from UFC president Dana White after the win came about. It seemed like a crazy Dana White story, one that was too good to be true, but in fact, it is not. According to Machida, Dana White indeed cut him a check after the fight was done and that it made him feel like a hitman. [source]
“He really did that,” Machida told MMAFighting.com. “I felt like a hitman getting money from the boss, but it was cool.”
“I won’t tell you how much he paid me,” he said with a laugh, “but it was good money.”
“(White) said I was dominating the fight and out of a sudden (Ortiz) got me on that triangle,” Machida said. “He said ‘s–t, I can’t believe it.’ He went crazy, but then I got out of it. So I guess he gave me a bonus because he was scared of that triangle (laughs).”