How Dana White hit his first million despite UFC's prolonged financial struggles
Dana White recently divulged the story behind his initial million-dollar earnings, despite the UFC facing enduring economic hardships.
The UFC CEO's journey mirrors the company's remarkable ascent. As of now, White boasts a reported net worth exceeding $500 million. Yet, the UFC wouldn't have reached its current stature without his role. Under his leadership, the MMA promotion has flourished into a globally renowned, multi-billion-dollar empire.
However, the journey to success wasn't always smooth sailing. In 2001, White persuaded the Fertitta brothers to purchase the struggling UFC for $2 million. Together, they established Zuffa LLC, the former parent entity for the UFC, with White assuming the role of president.
Following the acquisition, the trio embarked on a mission to elevate the organization into a legitimate sporting event.
During a recent interview on the Pound4Pound podcast, the 56-year-old American businessman disclosed that it took him more than six years to reach his first million-dollar earnings milestone within the UFC:
"When you're getting murdered and losing millions of dollars, there's literally nothing worse than the budget meetings. After 'The Ultimate Fighter', it was probably 2007 and we were on a budget meeting, and Lorenzo used to have this f**king big white board, so I'm watching on the white board, and I'm like, wait a minute, 'Does that say I'm going to make a million dollars this year?' and Lorenzo said, Yeah."
He added:
"I owned 10% of the UFC, however the company would do that year... after expenses, the owners me, Frank and Lorenzo would get our percentage of whatever was over and that year was a million bucks."
Check out Dana White's comments below:
White played a crucial role in shaping public perceptions of the sport during the UFC's early years. He forged relationships with media outlets, secured sponsorships, and negotiated television agreements, which were vital in propelling MMA into mainstream sports.
Brendan Schaub says MMA monopoly not Dana White's responsibility following antitrust lawsuit settlement
Brendan Schaub recently argued that Dana White shouldn't be held accountable for the MMA monopoly, especially in light of the $335 million settlement for the class-action lawsuits.
TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of the UFC, has resolved two class-action lawsuits filed by former UFC fighters. The sports and entertainment organization concluded negotiations on Wednesday, bringing an end to disputes arising from five interconnected class-action suits filed between December 2014 and March 2015.
In a recent episode of The Fighter and The Kid podcast, Big Brown' shared his perspective, suggesting that fighters engaged in the lawsuits should now bear the accountability for the MMA monopoly, thereby shifting the focus away from the UFC CEO.
He contended that the settlement of the lawsuits would not lead to any anticipated reforms.
Check out Brendan Schaub's comments below: