Dana White How the longtime president of the UFC turned Mixed Martial Arts into a billion-dollar industry.

 

In 2023, Dana White started another combat sports league in Power Slap, a company especially catered to slapboxing. (The Sun)

 By Dustin Schlagel

LAS VEGAS (April. 4, 2024) – In 2001, a former boxer turned businessman Dana White became President of the UFC after Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta bought the then-struggling company. Since then, White has aided in helping turn the UFC into a $12 Billion business, and the most successful MMA company ever. Now CEO of the company, the Connecticut natives’ journey to becoming the face of a multi-billion-dollar company is nothing short of unique.

 

 

The dark days of the UFC

 

Before the Fertitta brothers bought the UFC in 2001 and appointed White as president, the company was seeing major struggles financially. With the brutal, unregulated style of the UFC, most major television networks saw the company as untouchable, and wouldn’t even let the live events be purchased through pay-per-view. After years of financial troubles, the Semaphore Entertainment Group (SEG) was able to pass off the business to the Fertittas, selling the company for just $2 million in 2001.

 

 

The impact of Dana White

 

As soon as he took his position as president, White got to work on fixing the UFC financially. To start, White established the company's first set of actual rules, creating regulations for strikes, performance enhancers, and training. White also took charge of booking matches for each event, converting the UFC from its former tournament-style events.

 

 

After making significant changes to the company, White started to make strides in making the company accessible on television. After facing ups and downs with the new style of UFC, the company finally closed an exclusive television deal with Spike TV in 2005. The UFC stayed with the brand until 2011 when they signed a historic $90 million TV deal with Fox.

 

 

Not only has White become a figure on the business end of the UFC, but he’s also become a growing personality with his time in the company. Amassing millions of followers across multiple social media platforms, White has been a key figure in growing the UFC to amassing over 200 million total viewers every year.

 

 

With the UFC’s 300th event coming up soon on April 13, it’s shaping up to be possibly the biggest event in the company’s history. Taking place in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the event is already expected to beat multiple records in company history, as it’s projected to make $15 million at the gate. As we close in on what could be the biggest MMA event of all time, it’s in question if the sport would have ever made it to this point had it not been for Dana White.