Dana White talks about UFC and WWE merger and personal life – 4/6/2023 – Have you seen it?

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“I’m sure it’s going to be a powerhouse. We’re going to clash with anyone.” That’s how entrepreneur Dana White, 53, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), defines the merger of the global leader in mixed martial arts (MMA) with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The agreement for both companies to become a sports entertainment giant involves figures in excess of R$100 billion.

“I don’t think anything will change in everything I’ve done so far in the UFC and what’s been done in the WWE. We’re just going to get together and keep doing what we’ve always done. We had a good synergy even before we had any sign of partnership “, says White in an interview with F5.

The idea of ​​the merger is to provide fans with more technological alternatives and live fight events. He expects more than a billion fans to connect with the new global company and a stronger global sports entertainment market.

The UFC alone produces more than 40 live events annually in major arenas around the world that are broadcast to nearly 900 million homes in over 170 countries. Now, the union of forces wants to expand even more these numbers.

Dana, who rules out retirement so soon, also opens up about controversies in which he has already been involved. He says he tries to be a better person after the assault on his own wife, caught on camera at a New Year’s Eve club in Mexico last year.

“Everything is fine at home. And that’s the most important thing for me,” he says. “I try to be a better person physically, emotionally, professionally, personally. Every day, when I wake up, I want to be better than I was yesterday”, vents the American businessman. Check out the interview below.

What does this merger between UFC and WWE represent? Will it change anything? I don’t think anything will change in everything I’ve done so far in the UFC and what’s been done in the WWE. We’re just going to come together and keep doing what we’ve always done. I’m sure it will be a powerhouse. We’ve always had good synergy between UFC and WWE in the past, even before there was any sign of a partnership. Brock Lesnar [que foi do UFC e atualmente está no WWE] can exemplify this. He went on to become a champion. Ronda Rousey [que fez o mesmo movimento de Lesnar] it was the same thing. So I don’t think anything will really change.

Do you think the UFC formula is out of date and needs to be changed? No, no formula needs to be changed. Let’s continue to do what we’re doing. I believe that what has already been done by the UFC can help in the development of the WWE. With this powerful partnership, we will be able to compete head-on with anyone for years to come.

Do you believe that this merger can help form more Brazilian idols? I would say that Brazil is the home of fights. This sport was built and consolidated in Brazil, you know? Some of the biggest fighters, the toughest, already compete for Brazil.

Currently, female fighters stand out more than male fighters in your view? I wouldn’t say that. Brazilians, as a whole, are absolutely dominant in the fighting world. One of the things I always say about Brazil over the years is: this country is a rock, it will always have champions and multiple people in the top 10. Brazilians absolutely dominate this sport. and all of them [homens e mulheres] help to fortify the UFC.

How have you seen the impact of the UFC Fight Pass streaming, launched in January in Brazil? Great, we’re happy with this release. When we decided to launch in Brazil, we knew it would take time to solidify. It takes a lot of hard work. Brazil is an important market for us. The first thing we thought was to develop a UFC Fight Pass especially for Brazilians and in Portuguese, with the biggest library of fights. Subscribers can see a wide range of history in one place, follow events in which we had names like Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva and José Aldo. They are heroes and champions, superstars who came from Brazil.

Are you already thinking about retirement or do you still have a lot to do for the UFC? I don’t exactly think about retirement right now. See, we’re doing this merger right now and I’m only 53 years old. My friend, there are still a lot of things I would like to do and commit to before that time comes. I still want to do performance institutes in Mexico, Abu Dhabi, one in Africa and, of course, one in Brazil.

How are you thinking of doing this? I want to continue to fortify this sport around the world and focus on creating these institutes for children. Make them enjoy, learn about sports, train, eat better. That is, I want to help build new talent around the planet.

On the personal side, what changed after the episode in which you were caught assaulting your wife at a New Year’s Eve party in Mexico? I think when something of this magnitude happens, we have to clearly look at ourselves in the mirror and say: how did this happen and how can I make sure it never happens again. And give it enough. But now my family and I are fine, everything is fine at home. And that’s the most important thing for me. Of course, everyone will want to have an opinion on what happened that New Year’s Eve. [de 2022 para 2023]. But my family is fine, and that’s what counts.

Seeing the repercussions on this, if you could go back in time, what would you have done differently? I would have stayed at home that New Year’s Eve (laughs). That would definitely be it.