Dana White to lose some of UFC ownership stake, but ‘not going anywhere’

[Wild]

Dana White is expected to lose some of his ownership stake in the UFC, but according to him, that won’t affect his future as the company’s president.

WME-IMG and its primary stakeholder Silver Lake Partners, following a report from TheWrap, announced last week that a $1.1 billion investment from Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and the Government of Singapore Investment Fund is nearly finalized. Already limited partners of Silver Lake Partners, the two groups will join Silver Lake Partners as WME-IMG strategic partners.

The deal is expected to close later this month.

...

Despite the fact White will have an even smaller stake in the mixed martial arts organization he has helped grow to a multi-billion dollar empire over the past 16 years, he told The Los Angeles Times that he won’t be leaving the UFC anytime soon.

“I’m not going anywhere,” White said. “Not only am I not going anywhere, I’m actually making moves in the office and doing [stuff] and changing things for the way I really want it.”

White to lose some of UFC stake, but ‘not going anywhere’

 

[Greenbean]

Dana White is expected to lose some of his ownership stake in the UFC, but according to him, that won’t affect his future as the company’s president.

WME-IMG and its primary stakeholder Silver Lake Partners, following a report from TheWrap, announced last week that a $1.1 billion investment from Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and the Government of Singapore Investment Fund is nearly finalized. Already limited partners of Silver Lake Partners, the two groups will join Silver Lake Partners as WME-IMG strategic partners.

The deal is expected to close later this month.

...

Despite the fact White will have an even smaller stake in the mixed martial arts organization he has helped grow to a multi-billion dollar empire over the past 16 years, he told The Los Angeles Times that he won’t be leaving the UFC anytime soon.

“I’m not going anywhere,” White said. “Not only am I not going anywhere, I’m actually making moves in the office and doing [stuff] and changing things for the way I really want it.”

White to lose some of UFC stake, but ‘not going anywhere’

Remember when we were kids and used to play Opposite Day. It's like that everyday for blaf.

 

[girlandcoconut]

“Not only am I not going anywhere, I’m actually making moves in the office and doing [stuff] and changing things for the way I really want it.”

Hmmmmm, trying to imagine how he really wants it

 

[Dat Pre-HollyHolm Ronda $]

WME making some moves to lighten up that 4.2 Billion dollar loan I see.
Smart move

 

[The Big Guy]

 

[Papi Chingon]

This means he and others are getting lump sum payouts, right? Their ownership is being bought down. Poor guy...

 

[jasonthehart]

Does anyone here want to see him go? If so, who would make sense to replace him?

 

[Sheepdog]

Does anyone here want to see him go? If so, who would make sense to replace him?

1. Yes. 2. Literally anyone. You'd have to trawl through Federal prisons to find a bigger piece of shit than Dana.

 

[jasonthehart]

1. Yes. 2. Literally anyone. You'd have to trawl through Federal prisons to find a bigger piece of shit than Dana.

I go back and forth with him. The sport would probably be dead without him, but he is super unethical at times. That's also what I like about him.

If I personally had to work underneath him, I'm sure I would hate him. It's easy from the outside to stay neutral.

 

[benjo0101]

Canadian people are going to lose their pension.

 

[IschKabibble]

Sounds somewhat familiar...

 

[Papi Chingon]

1. Yes. 2. Literally anyone. You'd have to trawl through Federal prisons to find a bigger piece of shit than Dana.

Chael was the perfect guy to replace him, and still is. Too bad that won't happen.

 

[Papi Chingon]

I go back and forth with him. The sport would probably be dead without him, but he is super unethical at times. That's also what I like about him.

If I personally had to work underneath him, I'm sure I would hate him. It's easy from the outside to stay neutral.

Being dishonest, amd blatant about it makes me know he has no place making decisions for a sport.

 

[jasonthehart]

Being dishonest, amd blatant about it makes me know he has no place making decisions for a sport.

Isn't that the world of marketing, though? Record label execs aren't considered the most moral people either or consider Wall Street itself. I'm playing devil's advocate here pretty hardcore, but I really do think it's important to note that he's not all bad for the sport.

Coker could eventually rule MMA on the other side of the token. The loyalty he garners is far and above anything Dana has ever established. I know who I'd rather work for.

But few could do Dana's job as well as he has. At the end of the day he did build MMA in America when it was on his death bed. Money was massive in it that process, but saying that's the only reason dismisses TUF season 1, the way press conferences are run and promotion in general(much better than boxing, women fighters are a perfect example, yes Dana didn't start it but he took it to the heights), the careers he legitimately did help build like Tito and Chuck were a saving grace for the sport and not to mention all the expansions in Canada, Europe, Australia, Southern American and the legalization in every state across the U.S.

I don't know Dana, have no connection to him personally and like I said above would probably hate him if I had to work for him, so it's easy for me to point out the good when I'm not personally affected by the bad.

Objectivity is the name of the game. There are undeniable things he did to save the sport and for all of his really awful characteristics, those things are largely the reason we are here talking about the sport on this forum.

 

[Robbie Hart]

Does anyone here want to see him go? If so, who would make sense to replace him?

No one, love him or hate him he talks bullshit but is the best man in place to keep the ship up....for however long that is

 

[Lukewarm Carl]

Chael was the perfect guy to replace him, and still is. Too bad that won't happen.

Chael could be a great public face and speaker but no one knows how good or bad he would be at every other part of the job.

 

[Andrewsimar Palhardass]

I'd say be careful what you wish for if you want Dana out. A lot of people thought the Fertittas leaving would bring about positive change, and by most accounts from fighters it hasn't.

 

[Wild]

Don't agree with a lot of the things he does, but he's obviously successful at what he does for the UFC. Just wish he would show more empathy for the fighters, and use more tact.

As far as who takes his place when he does leave. Why not groom McGregor.

 

[soundoff71]

Isn't that the world of marketing, though?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tvp97SMZc6M

"You scum-bags! Quit putting a goddamn dollar sign on every fucking thing on this planet." - Bill Hicks



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFCMhSzeGuA

'Bend over just a little farther so we can stick this big advertising dick up your ass a little bit deeper, a little bit deeper, a little bit DEEPER, you miserable no-good dumbass fucking consumer asshole!' - George Carlin


As for BLAF being the savior of MMA, TUF 1 was the Hail Mary that saved the UFC, & Dana was against it. It's been explained a million times before. He truly is an awful character, so much so that his own mom called him a prick & a tyrant.

Fuck marketing, fuck Dana White, & fuck the tired old myth of him being the savior of MMA.

 

[jasonthehart]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tvp97SMZc6M

"You scum-bags! Quit putting a goddamn dollar sign on every fucking thing on this planet." - Bill Hicks



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFCMhSzeGuA

'Bend over just a little farther so we can stick this big advertising dick up your ass a little bit deeper, a little bit deeper, a little bit DEEPER, you miserable no-good dumbass fucking consumer asshole!' - George Carlin


As for BLAF being the savior of MMA, TUF 1 was the Hail Mary that saved the UFC, & Dana was against it. It's been explained a million times before. He truly is an awful character, so much so that his own mom called him a prick & a tyrant.

Fuck marketing, fuck Dana White, & fuck the tired old myth of him being the savior of MMA.

Like marketing or not, it's the reason we are talking about the UFC right now and quite possibly MMA in general.

TUF was a hail mary, a risk that most businessmen would not have taken.

 

[Jehannum]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tvp97SMZc6M

"You scum-bags! Quit putting a goddamn dollar sign on every fucking thing on this planet." - Bill Hicks



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFCMhSzeGuA

'Bend over just a little farther so we can stick this big advertising dick up your ass a little bit deeper, a little bit deeper, a little bit DEEPER, you miserable no-good dumbass fucking consumer asshole!' - George Carlin


As for BLAF being the savior of MMA, TUF 1 was the Hail Mary that saved the UFC, & Dana was against it. It's been explained a million times before. He truly is an awful character, so much so that his own mom called him a prick & a tyrant.

Fuck marketing, fuck Dana White, & fuck the tired old myth of him being the savior of MMA.

You really think TUF 1 is what Dana gets credited for? what about all the other years he's been running the UFC? Undoubtedly Dana White has helped put MMA on the map, and not just the part of the map that says "Japan".

 

[jason73]

Dana is a cunt and i hate the guy with a passion but the guy who takes over for him is going to be some network dipshit or wme executive.the devil you know is better than the devil you dont know

 

[soundoff71]

Like marketing or not, it's the reason we are talking about the UFC right now and quite possibly MMA in general.

TUF was a hail mary, a risk that most businessmen would not have taken.

People who put an over emphasis on marketing, business, or who actually believe bullshit mantras like, "It's just business" are exactly what's wrong with the world. Yeah, it plays a role, but fuck treating it like a religion,fuck anyone who treats it like a religion, & fuck anyone who doesn't see the ridiculous pitfalls of marketing & consumerism.

Like I said before, the great business god BLAF was against TUF. He deserves no credit for it. See my other post. Here's an example of BLAF's pre-TUF marketing genius:

 

[soundoff71]

You really think TUF 1 is what Dana gets credited for? what about all the other years he's been running the UFC? Undoubtedly Dana White has helped put MMA on the map, and not just the part of the map that says "Japan".

BLAF gets credit for getting a couple of rich kids interested in a sport that was bound to grow with or without them.

Also, under his 'leadership':

Ultimate Fighting Championship - Wikipedia

By 2004, Zuffa had $34 million of losses since they purchased the UFC.[41]


The Ultimate Fighter and rise in popularity[edit]
Faced with the prospect of folding, the UFC stepped outside the bounds of pay-per-view and made a foray into television. After being featured in a reality television series, American Casino,[42] and seeing how well the series worked as a promotion vehicle, the Fertitta brothers (not BLAF, he was against it, see below) developed the idea of the UFC having its own reality series.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u623uvVxTv4


But if you're a Dana White fan & wanna anoint BLAF as the savior of MMA, go right ahead. This is an old, tired topic that's been rehashed for years. The truth is right in your face. What you choose to do with it is up to you.

 

[Jehannum]

BLAF gets credit for getting a couple of rich kids interested in a sport that was bound to grow with or without them.

Also, under his 'leadership':

Ultimate Fighting Championship - Wikipedia

Despite the success of UFC 40, the UFC was still experiencing financial deficits. By 2004, Zuffa had $34 million of losses since they purchased the UFC.[41] Fighters who came into prominence after Zuffa's takeover include Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, Rich Franklin, B.J. Penn, Sean Sherk, Matt Serra, Ricco Rodriguez, Robbie Lawler, Frank Mir, Karo Parisyan, and Nick Diaz.


The Ultimate Fighter and rise in popularity[edit]
Faced with the prospect of folding, the UFC stepped outside the bounds of pay-per-view and made a foray into television. After being featured in a reality television series, American Casino,[42] and seeing how well the series worked as a promotion vehicle, the Fertitta brothers (not BLAF, he was against it, see below) developed the idea of the UFC having its own reality series.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u623uvVxTv4


But if you're a Dana White fan & wanna anoint BLAF as the savior of MMA, go right ahead. This is an old, tired topic that's been rehashed for years.

LOL $34 million losses on a company now worth 4 billion.......and it's called "investment". The majority of Football clubs (soccer) have debt and there really aren't that many big sides that break even, yet players are earning a fortune, managers and other staff are being paid too and they can still afford to buy players.

If anyone could've done it they would have, but all we had besides Dana's UFC was Scott Coker's now defunct org and his current one that is taking 2 steps back for each step forward. Sure the UFC might have flourished under different management but that's just speculation. What we do know is the UFC took a niche sport and made it mainstream, and Dana was definitely a big part of that.