5 ways UFC president Dana White impacted pro sports during the pandemic

UFC president Dana White has done an excellent job in navigating the promotion’s schedule during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been a difficult time for professional and amateur sports leagues globally, however, he has been successful so far. Despite being heavily criticized for his plans to continue events; it was worth the risk because his plans paid off.

White essentially created a blueprint for the safe resumption of sports and live events. At the beginning of the pandemic, the promotion was forced to cancel and postpone many events. However, it would be short-lived compared to what other sports leagues went through.

Both the NBA and NHL not only postponed their playoffs, but they also postponed the start of the following regular season. In addition, the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were both postponed to 2021.

However, as a result of White’s persistence, the promotion was able to find a solution and still profit under difficult circumstances. This list will look at 5 ways Dana White impacted professional sports during the pandemic.

#5. Testing for all UFC fighters and staff involved in an event

One of the ways UFC president Dana White impacted pro sports was with COVID testing for everybody involved in an event. In order to ensure the safety of all fighters, cornermen, and staff involved, the promotion introduced mandatory COVID testing protocols.

This was groundbreaking because the promotion was monitoring their athletes as well as contact tracing. The testing was significant because it allowed the promotion to run their events smoothly. In the event of a fighter testing positive, they would quarantine and alternative plans would be made for a given fight.

The testing wasn’t cheap as White revealed to TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter that the promotion spent approximately $17 million. To put this in perspective, this was done early in the pandemic when testing wasn’t so widely available. By investing in the safety of fighters and staff, the promotion provided a framework that other sports leagues could follow.

#4. Creating a bubble for each UFC event

The bubble at Fight Island and the UFC Apex was an important step in the promotion’s attempt to resume. Dana White secured a deal to bring events to Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. This allowed all fighters and staff to remain at one neutral location prior to and following their fight.

The bubble the promotion created for their events was very successful and ended up being replicated by other sports leagues. Major League Soccer and the NBA did something similar at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. The MLS hosted the ‘MLS is Back!’ tournament, while the NBA completed their post-season at the same time.

Another example was the National Hockey League, who created two bubbles in Canada to complete their Stanley Cup playoffs. The success White had with the promotion was significant as it was proof that pro sports could resume in a safe environment.

#3. Keeping UFC staff and media employed

One positive that shouldn’t be overlooked is that White helped keep his staff and MMA media employed. During the early months of the pandemic, many businesses were laying off employees due to the financial burden. Unemployment rates began to rise, especially with the uncertainty of the duration of the pandemic.

In the media landscape, there were many reporters and broadcasters that even lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic. White resuming events helped keep MMA reporters employed because there was a demand for MMA content and coverage.

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In addition, if the promotion was going to be resuming events, that meant their staff would also be required again. He was able to keep the production crew, broadcasters, fighters, and staff members employed and able to make a living. Furthermore, all the hospitality workers on Fight Island also benefited as they were required to ensure everything ran smoothly.

#2. Ensuring the UFC made a profit during the pandemic

UFC 269 Press Conference: Oliveira vs. Poirier

Another way Dana White was able to impact pro sports was that the UFC continued to provide content. Since there were no sporting events, sports networks began airing past events to fill the massive void in their schedules.

The promotion was able to maximize their earnings from their television deal with ESPN because they were consistent. They were able to take full advantage of being the only live sporting event available and profited from it. It was unheard of that they’d be able to make record setting profits during a pandemic with no spectators.

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White said in an interview with TSN that they had done exceptionally well in growing their presence on social media. He added that their overall value as an entity also grew.

“We broke the record [for revenue]. Consumer products was up 166% this year. The list goes on and on. We killed it this year,” Dana White to TSN.

#1. Resuming full UFC event schedule with sold out crowds

Kamaru Usman v Jorge Masvidal 2: Arena Entrance

Not only did the UFC resume, but they resumed with a full schedule and welcomed fans back to venues. The MMA powerhouse aired pay-per-views and Fight Night cards again like they had done prior to the pandemic. White didn’t waste any time getting back in the mix of things as the promotion began scheduling multiple events.

It seemed like the promotion resuming would perhaps lead to a reduced schedule of one or two events per month. But they went back to business as usual and saw periods where they had three events in an eight day span. With added health measures such as testing and quarantining, White proved that it was possible for sports leagues to resume.

Despite facing criticism again for hosting events with full capacity crowds, White continued to do so. White has since mentioned that a city or state being one-hundred percent open is what determines whether they host an event.