Few stories are as eyebrow-raising as Vince McMahon’s colossal UFC blunder. The early 2000s saw the UFC basically on life support. The newbie promotion was hemorrhaging money fast. Shane McMahon, Vince’s ambitious son, saw potential where others saw a sinking ship. He approached his dad with an offer that would make most businessmen salivate: buy the UFC.
But Vince, ever the wrestling impresario, scoffed at the idea. He was not interested in real fighting, thank you very much. He preferred his violence scripted and his heroes immortal.
“When it was presented in terms of buying UFC, I didn’t like that business model. Because our business model, you can create characters much like Disney or someone else and we can use them forever. As opposed to a boxer/UFC [fighter], once you’re beat, once you’re hurt or something, your career’s over. We’re in show business. That’s a sport,” said Vince McMahon in the Netflix Documentary McMahon.
Fast forward to today, and the UFC is a behemoth worth a staggering $11.3 billion. Vince’s reasoning for passing on the UFC is both hilarious and facepalm-worthy. He didn’t like that fighters’ careers could end with one bad punch. Meanwhile, in WWE, careers end with bad storylines and backstage politics.
Now, the irony is that WWE and UFC eventually ended up under the same corporate umbrella anyway. This tale serves as a reminder that even the most savvy business minds can miss the boat. Or in this case, the octagon!
Vince McMahon Believes He Is A Better Businessman Than Dana White
In the testosterone-fueled world of combat sports, few egos loom larger than Vince McMahon’s. The WWE mogul has long considered himself the ultimate ringmaster of entertainment. His latest claim came as he revealed that he was a better businessman than UFC’s Dana White.
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These two weren’t always on the same team. In fact, they were fierce competitors. White once claimed Vince wanted to fight him. Fast-forward to today, and the landscape has changed dramatically. UFC and WWE have merged under the TKO Group Holdings banner. Now, Vince McMahon and White are playing nice. But old habits die hard as was evident from the comment from McMahon.
“He’s a tough guy! I’m a better businessman,” said McMahon while talking to reporters.
Vince built WWE from a regional promotion into a worldwide entertainment juggernaut. He convinced fans that watching muscular men in spandex pretend to fight was a must-see TV. White, on the other hand, took UFC from a niche sport to a mainstream sensation. He turned cage fighting into a household name. Both are incredibly successful in their own right. But they will never concede that the other is superior!
Also Read: What Happened When Dana White’s UFC And Canelo Alvarez Clashed At The Box Office PPV Last Time?
