Dana White has one message for his critics: just watch what I do next.
Dana White is arguably the most important person in the history of MMA. The UFC CEO was one of the central figures in turning a small, niche sport into a multi-billion-dollar industry. During his time at the head of the UFC, the promotion went from a small company near insolvency to the industry leader and a sports brand that just last year commanded a $7.7 billion TV rights deal with Paramount. But despite the massive financial success of the company over the past few years, it hasn’t been perfect.
In recent years, White has added numerous other sports entities to his promotional portfolio, including UFC BJJ, Power Slap, and soon, Zuffa Boxing. As White’s attention has been pulled in multiple directions, some critics have claimed that the UFC CEO is no longer focused on his flagship enterprise. But White says that’s poppycock.
“So I did one interview with CBS, and I didn’t answer the question the way they thought I should answer the question, so I don’t care about the UFC anymore?” White told Sports Business Journal in response to claims of his waning interest. “Well, I’ll tell you what, here’s my answer: Come see what we do in 2026 going into 2027, and you will find out that I care very much about the UFC — and Zuffa Boxing and Power Slap and Thrill One and the Dodge/[Ram] show that I just launched.”
“Honestly, when I became the CEO of the company, my job description has changed a little bit. I’m taking on more, and I don’t know what they saw in the CBS interview — I don’t even know how to answer that question. It’s weird — one interview, one question in the interview, to think [from this that] I don’t care about the UFC anymore. It’s kind of a weird thing.”
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