Vince McMahon just made a major deal for UFC, according to Dana White
UFC President Dana White recently revealed that Vince McMahon helped the Las Vegas promotion in securing a lucrative deal.
UFC is all set for its first ever show in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia next year, as part of the Riyadh Season. The company will be collaborating with the Saudi General Entertainment Authority (SGEA) for organizing the show.
During an interview with Sports Business Journal, Dana White credited the WWE's Executive Chairman, Vince, for arranging the aforementioned deal. He said that McMahon made every call, and made sure White was in the loop at all times.
"It was Vince McMahon (who arranged UFC’s Saudi deal). It was 100 percent Vince McMahon. He made every call, he didn’t make one move without picking up the phone and calling me, and getting me in the loop, and seeing if I was cool with this and that. And he went from being, oddly enough, I don’t know why, an enemy (of UFC’s), to being an unbelievable, incredible partner." [ SBJ ]
WWE recently had a premium live event in Saudi Arabia called Crown Jewel, which is part of their current 10-year deal with SGEA.
Vince McMahon says he gets along 'very,very well' with Dana White
Dana White and Vince McMahon have apparently transitioned from being arch rivals to business colleagues since the historic merger between their two companies. WWE and UFC are now under the same umbrella, known as 'TKO Group Holdings'.
During an interview with MMA Junkie prior to the Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou fight, McMahon was asked about his equation with White, considering their storied past. WWE's Executive Chairman denied any issues with White, as he said that they get along very well.
“Busting his chops? Please, I don’t do business that way. I don’t bust anybody’s chops, unless they get in the way. Dana and I get along very, very well. He’s really a good guy. We’re good partners, and good businessmen. (If) you’re good businessmen, you get along," McMahon said.
It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the two companies next.
What did you make of Dana White's recent remarks? Let us know in the comments section below.