When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. In Dana White’s case, you turn a global crisis into a knockout business opportunity. The COVID-19 pandemic hit most businesses like a sucker punch in 2020. Movie theaters went dark, restaurants closed their doors, and sports leagues around the world pressed pause. But while everyone else was throwing in the towel, the UFC was just warming up for its biggest fight yet.
In a recent chat with Bloomberg, UFC CEO Dana White dropped a jaw-dropping statistic that would make any business owner jealous. The UFC’s fan base grew by a whopping 68% during the pandemic. White explained that with practically no other sports on TV, fight fans were desperately seeking their adrenaline fix.
“Going through COVID definitely didn’t hurt us,” UFC CEO Dana White told Bloomberg recently. “There were no sports on TV except for us. Fights that should have been doing 300,000 buys were doing a million. Our fan base grew something like 68 percent during COVID.”
Emily Chang of Bloomberg Originals asks Dana White what he wants the next 25 years of the UFC to look like.
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) November 15, 2024
Later, Ari Emanuel and Dana White talk about when the popularity of the UFC exploded.pic.twitter.com/4PVNEL5TeS
But these pandemic gains weren’t just a temporary boost. The UFC has managed to keep those new fans hooked long after the world reopened. Just look at their recent event at Madison Square Garden, which raked in over $16 million at the gate. That’s the second-highest gate in the venue’s history, only trailing behind the legendary Conor McGregor card from 2016.
Looking ahead, the UFC is gearing up for an even bigger 2025. They’re breaking ground at the swanky new Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, planning massive shows in Saudi Arabia, and eyeing expansion into Australia. But the real game-changer might be their upcoming TV deal negotiations.
Dana White Is Not Ever Meddling In Politics Again After The 2024 Presidential Elections
They say you should never mix business with pleasure, but nobody mentioned anything about cage fighting and politics. Well, White just tapped out of that particular matchup for good. The UFC boss has always been known for speaking his mind, whether people like it or not.
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In a surprisingly candid interview with The New Yorker, White didn’t pull any punches about his feelings toward politics. Using his signature colorful language, he made it crystal clear that he was done with the whole political circus.
“I’m never f**king doing this again. I want nothing to do with this shit. It’s gross. It’s disgusting. I want nothing to do with politics.”
This comes as quite a plot twist, considering White’s deep involvement in the 2024 presidential race. The funny thing is, White’s still clearly in Trump’s corner. He just doesn’t want to be in the political ring anymore. He praised Trump’s toughness with the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for describing a knockout victory. But when it comes to future political battles, White’s made his decision: he’s hanging up his political gloves for good.
Also Read: Dana White And UFC Strike Game-Changing AI Deal With IBM Following Jon Jones’ P4P Disappointment
