Why Dave Portnoy, Barstool’s Dan Katz turned down $10 million Saudi Arabia offer

Dave Portnoy and Dan “Big Cat” Katz turned down an eight-figure payday.

Katz, the “Pardon My Take” co-host Dan “Big Cat” Katz revealed that the duo turned down an offer of $10 million to attend an unspecified boxing match in Saudi Arabia.

“By the way, I’m not judging this one either, because Dave and I were once offered and they just didn’t reach our price, but we were gonna go,” Katz said on an episode of “Barstool Yak” earlier this week.

“There was a boxing match … for the two of us to attend and we talked on the phone and we were like, cause it was a s–t load of travel. And we were like, Give us like $15 million and we’ll do it.’ And they were like, ‘We can do 10 [million)’ and we were like, ‘No.’”

This revelation came during a discussion after Katz said “the Saudis like sports washing thing, they’re doing a really good job.”

Sports washing refers to the massive financial amounts individuals have received to be associated with or participate in Saudi-funded events across various sports and entertainment at a time when Saudi Arabia is criticized for its handling of human rights, among other issues.

Tom Brady, Saquon Barkley and others are set to participate next March in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Riyadh, while WWE will host WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia in 2027.

LIV Golf also receives such funding.

The “Yak” discussion then shifted to the upcoming Riyadh Comedy Festival this September through October, which will include Kevin Hart, Pete Davidson, Bill Burr and others, per the event’s website.

“Like, credit to them,” Katz said of the event’s hosts.

Katz added that $10 million payment would not have been directly to the pair but also to Barstool, and he did not expand on which fight they would have attended.

Tyson Fury has competed in several fights in Saudi Arabia, along with Oleksandr Usyk.