PFL founder, Donn Davis, retaliated against UFC President Dana White with the signing of Francis Ngannou.
The recent signing sent shockwaves through the American fight scene. Ngannou’s groundbreaking deal not only secures his executive role in PFL Africa but also promises his highly anticipated debut in 2024.
Despite the full details not being revealed, Dana White’s disbelief in the PFL’s capabilities adds fuel to the fire, raising questions about the future of the MMA landscape.
“What they’re doing makes no sense to me, their business strategy. I’m hearing that they’re raising money right now — $283 million, $300 million, I don’t know what the number is — from the Middle East, and I’ve done a lot of business in the Middle East. Those guys are sharp. Who in the hell would give them $280 million, because I’m hearing they’re buying Bellator, right?
“So you’re an organization that’s burning cash, have no ratings and selling no tickets, and you’re going to raise $280 million to buy a company that’s burning cash, sells no tickets, and does no ratings?
“It sounds absolutely f*****g genius to me. I know how this story ends. I get what Francis is doing. I wish the PFL all the luck in the world. I wish him all the luck in the world. It’s just not what we do here,” White
Davis, in reply, launched a scorching response to Dana White, setting the stage for an intense showdown in the world of combat sports.
He retweeted Dana White’s remarks regarding the PFL on Twitter by referencing what the CEO of Blockbuster had stated when Netflix was on the rise.
"Netflix is not even on our radar screen in terms of competition.” Blockbuster CEO 2008
“What PFL is doing makes no sense to me.” UFC President 2023#MMA #PFL #PFLMMA #UFC #DanaWhite
— Donn Davis (@DonnDavisPFL) May 22, 2023
With that being said, there is plenty of competition in the MMA world which will only benefit the fans moving forward.