UFC CEO Dana White sat down with Las Vegas Weekly to discuss the future of the business.
White said he is excited to begin a new era on Paramount+ to bring fans, new and old, to the forefront of a sport and a brand that is continuing to grow. “You’re going to start to see us popping up in more places in entertainment and stuff like that,” White said.
“Paramount and CBS are so fired up about being in business with us, which is what I love. People talk about the money, but I never look at the money or any of that s**t. We’re going to end up with money no matter where we end up. I look at how enthusiastic the Paramount and CBS people are to have the UFC." The UFC is doing a bit of a rare schedule change as opposed to previous years. Instead of opening the calendar with a UFC Fight Night event, it's back-to-back numbered cards in two different territories with a few key title fights to look forward to. It is no different Saturday night when Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett meet for the UFC Interim Lightweight Championship, as the winner punches their ticket to fight Ilia Topuria later this year to keep the division moving.“You want to talk about growth in America—how about getting rid of the pay-per-view barrier?” White said. “On ESPN, you had to pay for ESPN+, and you had to pay for the pay-per-view. So now, what it costs for one pay-per-view, you get everything UFC for the entire year. Just think about what that could do.” Now, for one price, everything a UFC fan could ever dream of is accessible year-round. White said it's a game-changer for all involved, as the deal runs for seven years.“Twenty-five years ago, wasn’t even allowed on pay-per-view,” White said. “Think about that. Our goal was to get on TV and, here we are in ’26, with an NFL-type deal. That was our dream, our goal, our plan. So here we are.” It's a new era. It's real. It's finally time, after many years of waiting for accessibility to enter the picture. Fight fans know it. The UFC knows it.Zain Bando is a writer & columnist for Gameday Media's MMA Knockout, expanding his portfolio as a Staff Writer for Dallas Wings On SI with previous in-network contributions around the echosystem. Outside of covering fights, Bando's background includes Big Ten football and men's basketball with leans toward Illinois and Northwestern with a broader league view for bylines including The Sporting News, FanSided, Men's Journal and others since 2019. Bando can be reached at zainbando99@gmail.com or via his social media accounts @zainbando99.UFC's Paddy Pimblett reveals when he will KO Justin Gaethje in UFC 324 main eventDana White Says UFC Met With FBI Over Unusual Betting ActivityDwayne Johnson Discusses How He Gained Over 30 Pounds for 'The Smashing Machine'
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