Once upon a time, UFC was nothing and today it is a billion-dollar business with the whole world anticipating the next event. How did this happen? Not in one day for sure. Dana White and the Fertitta brothers gave their blood, sweat, and tears to make UFC what it is today. The UFC CEO has narrated the story more than once and every time people hear the tale with riveted attention. This time he narrated the story again at The Shop. He shared with Paul Rivera and Maverick Carter, how three insignificant letters became a $12 billion business and why.

While speaking about why UFC is different and more unique than other sports, Dana White narrated how he bought the company when it was on the verge of bankruptcy. He recounted that UFC was going bankrupt and the owner at that time (Semaphore Entertainment Group), had sold off everything. From the video rights to the merchandise that belonged to the brand, they were all sold off.

He then narrated how they acquired UFC in 2001. He said, “All the things that surround the brand were sold off. So all we bought were the three letters which were not protected legally and an old wooden octagon. So when you think about you know people look at the UFC now like, ‘Oh! you bought for 2 million and now it’s worth this?’ they have no idea what it takes to build something like that.”

He also mentioned how he saw something special in UFC, which is not there in boxing. The most fascinating factor about the promotion was that every fighter came from different experiences in life and encountered different hardships. This made UFC relatable and special to the viewers and not just a combat sport. The UFC boss and the Fertitta brothers saved the promotion from being forgotten and today it is a giant business. The estimated value of UFC at present is approximately a whopping  $12 billion! It was not easy to bring a sport back into relevance from scratch and needed a lot of faith and hard work.

The UFC boss had decided to involve the brothers in the UFC business and this is why the promotion got saved. However, people might know the three as business partners but did you know that they knew each other far before they joined UFC together?

Dana White’s relationship with the Fertitta brothers

Recently fans were really curious after seeing an Instagram post by the UFC head honcho. The UFC boss went on to Instagram and posted a picture of Lorenzo Fertitta and himself on his story. This happened recently on 22nd July 2024 and he captioned the story saying, “When you run into your boy in Italy!!”

Naturally, the UFC buffs became curious about how they became friends. The fans were not the only ones because even Shanon Sharpe was itching to ask the same question to Dana White on his talk show. Finally, the world got the answer that White and the Fertitta brothers went to the same school. Talk about fate! The UFC president narrated, “So, Lorenzo and I went to school together in Las Vegas. We were in, we were in the same class.” He said that he was not particularly friends with the brothers, but they did know each other. Even though they were different, and the UFC boss came from nothing while the brothers came from a lot of money, the friendship was solid.

He mentioned how every Fertitta family member was kind and loving, even if they came from rich backgrounds. He also mentioned how the family had made several people rich and helped a lot of people around them. However, the most interesting story was how the boss and the brothers met after a school fight! White revealed that he started talking to the brothers when he met them face-to-face after the whole school gathered to see fights breaking out. This automatically attracted all the students inside the school, and there was a scope to communicate with students who generally were not in the same class.

The trio were the only people who considered that UFC had potential. What do you think would have dollar happened if this Trio did not pursue UFC? Tell us your comments below.