Dana White drops shocking million-dollar bombshell update about UFC's pandemic performance: "COVID definitely didn’t hurt us" 

UFC CEO Dana White asserted that navigating the COVID-19 pandemic was among the most challenging periods in his tenure. Yet, the entire journey reportedly proved transformative for the promotion. The UFC's approach during this global crisis preserved its momentum and White's latest revelations highlighted the organization's remarkable pandemic performance.

While businesses worldwide faced closures and financial turmoil, the UFC leveraged the absence of live sports to capture a massive audience. White revealed in a recent conversation with Bloomberg that operating consistently through the pandemic paved the way for an extraordinary surge in viewership and pay-per-view numbers.

Events that once garnered moderate interest experienced exponential growth and cemented the UFC as a premier destination for live entertainment.

The 55-year-old added that the growth translated into tangible results with revenue increase through streams, ticket sales, sponsorship deals, and site fees. He said:

“Going through COVID definitely didn’t hurt us. There were no sports on TV except for us. Fights that should have been doing 300,000 buys were doing a million. Our fan base grew something like 68 percent during COVID.”

Check out Dana White's comments below:

The UFC’s strategic adaptability during this period has solidified its status as an industry leader. As it heads toward renegotiating its broadcast rights in 2025, potential bidders like Amazon and Netflix signal an exciting financial horizon.

Moreover, performances of pay-per-view events, like the recently concluded UFC 309, prove that the UFC is operating at full throttle. The recent event at Madison Square Garden in New York produced a live gate at over $16 million, which reportedly is the second highest for the promotion at the venue.

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Dana White reveals UFC and WWE's pre-merger tensions

UFC CEO Dana White recently revealed that the UFC and WWE didn’t have the best relationship before the TKO merger. The two combat sports giants were brought together under the WME group after UFC's $4 billion acquisition in 2016 and WWE's $9.3 billion purchase seven years later.

Following the merger, White reflected on the shift in their dynamic, acknowledging the initial friction between the organizations. Despite his initial hesitation about joining a public company, White admitted that the experience has turned out to be unexpectedly positive.

“I do what I do, they do what they do at the WWE, and Ari [Emanuel] does his thing. We have a good working relationship between us and the WWE, which we did not have before TKO."

Check out Dana White's comments below (10:00):