Dana White and the UFC are synonymous with each other. It’s weird to think about the UFC without its current head honcho. White can single-handedly be attributed for taking the UFC from its dark days to the mainstream spectacle it is today. Of course, he was backed by Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, but when the brothers sold a majority share of their equity to WME-IMG in 2016 for $4 billion and left the MMA business after selling their remaining shares for $1 billion in 2017, it was all Dana White from thereon. Under Dana White’s leadership, the UFC’s value is currently estimated at over $12 billion. With such a storied rise, it’s hard to imagine Dana White walking away from the UFC.

“Even though you have many years left, can the UFC still grow at the same rate without Dana White?”, was a fan’s question raised by the Sports Business Journal to White during a recent interview. 

No doubt, White has ensured that the UFC remains stable long after he is gone. The bossman said, “We’ve built a business that will go on with or without me. You know, the only thing with having me here is it would just be different. It would be somebody else’s vision. I run the UFC top to bottom, you know. So yes, it will go on and live forever. It will just be different.”

In White’s words, the UFC will continue to exist with or without him. How his departure would change the way the UFC operates is something we’ll only find out when he leaves. One thing is for sure – when he does leave, love him or hate him, he will be missed.

We all know that Dana White and Fertitta brothers took a big gamble when they bet on the success of the UFC with just $2 million. From its dark days to the Zuffa era, to the FOX era, to the ESPN era, and not the TKO era – it’s been one long and winding road for the UFC head honcho. But how did White manage to succeed with the UFC, while keeping his relationship with the Fertitta brothers afloat, all these years? Let’s find out.

Dana White reveals the secret behind UFC’s massive success

The first and foremost thing to keep in check in successfully managing a business is not money, but ego. That’s exactly what the UFC head honcho had to say during his conversation with TorchPro back in 2022. He referred to the example of the famed band, Guns N’ Roses. While the band never broke up, the members quit and were simply replaced. And reason? It was a hurdle in the creative process, which is just another fancy set of words for ego. 

White pointed out that ego never came between him and the Fertitta brothers, even though there was a time when the MMA promotion faced a downfall. He continued, “You buy this thing for two million, then go forty million in the hole. There’s so many ways you could go sideways with your brothers. Like me and the Fertitta brothers, we never allowed that to happen. We’re as close now as we were back then. That’s the major key to success. Keep your ego in check. Remember why you got into this, how it all started. The Feritta’s put the money in early on. It needed all three of us to do what we did to build it what it was today.”

Dana White is steadfast in his drive to grow the business, and now, he has aimed his sights at bringing artificial intelligence into the UFC. This could be a revolutionary move in the sporting community, which will eliminate all the discrepancies with regards to the UFC’s online ecosystem, and in the determination of athlete rankings. No wonder UFC keeps growing!

What are your thoughts on Dana White’s role in growing the MMA promotion? Will you miss seeing the head honcho if and when he retires from the UFC? Let us know what you think in the comments