UFC Under Threat: How Dana White Saved a Once-Ailing Franchise From Certain Doom

The UFC is a multi-million dollar franchise. Last year it generated $1.1 billion in revenue. It has done business all over the world and brought together a world of MMA fighters and fans. The company was struggling 2 decades ago and had a host of legal problems. Sen. John McCain called the UFC ‘human cockfighting’ in the late 90s.

The UFC is a multi-million dollar franchise and the face of MMA all over the world. Last year it generated $1.1 billion in revenue. The company was struggling before Dana White took over as president. In the late 90s, the UFC was banned in 36 US states and most cable providers pulled their pay-per-view subscriptions.

Dana White and his company Dana White Enterprises bought the UFC for $2 million in 2001. The previous owners introduced the unified rules of MMA and got it sanctioned in several states. The first UFC event was held on February 23, 2001 in Las Vegas. It was the first event to be free of the trappings that had kept the brand down.

Zuffa invested $44 million into the company under Dana White's direction. They got TV deal with Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighter reality show. The sport was given state sanction in every union state. UFC was the first company to introduce weight classes in MMA. It also promoted female divisions and enhanced the fighter’s injury insurance. Dana's success story is marked by prodigious planning and risk-taking. Joe Rogan says if Dana goes from the UFC, he will go to another company.