Dana White Extends Contract With UFC

On Monday, the UFC announced not only an extension to their partnership with ESPN, but that the only way to watch any UFC pay-per-view would be through ESPN+.

UFC President Dana White sat down with Megan Olivi, to explain not only the expanded relationship with the Disney owned network, but his own contract extension.

“We had a five-year deal with them,” White said of the UFC’s initial deal with ESPN. “Now, we have a seven-year deal. And [UFC parent company Endeavor CEO] Ari Emanuel and I just signed a new seven-year deal, too. So we’re here for seven years, ESPN is here for seven years. And the incredible things that we’re gonna work on, I just can’t even tell you how pumped I am for all of this stuff.”

White continues his tenure as UFC president after starting with the organization in 2001, when he along with Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta purchased the then struggling brand.

“Nobody believes in this business more than I do,” White said. “After the sale, I stayed on and we’ve been working hard for the last 2-1/2 years to take this thing to the next level. That’s why I’m here. I didn’t stay here — it’s not about money, it’s not about any of that stuff. I don’t care about any of that stuff. I like to win and I like to take this thing to the next level, the next level, the next level. And it’s what we’ve done and it’s what we’re gonna continue to do.”

“A lot of big things have happened to us over the years, but once you make it to ESPN, you know you’ve made it as a sport…And right now, if you look at our deal, where we’re at, what we’re doing, we’re now one of the top four sports in the United States. The Big Four has changed. We are now one of them.”

Initial Report: MMA Fighting