Dana White No Longer Negotiating UFC Fighter Deals

The CEO and President of the UFC has revealed that he is no longer actively involved in negotiating contracts with his fighters.

The Hermon High School alum has spent decades working in promotions, but recently acknowledged he’s no longer as involved in the behind-the-scenes work as he once was.

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In a recent interview with SPEED on Fox, Dana White explained why he is no longer involved in negotiating UFC fight contracts, a role he once handled personally with fighters at every level.

Since the company’s 2016 sale to Endeavor, White’s responsibilities have shifted significantly, and he now operates more as a figurehead rather than managing day-to-day negotiations.

It has been years since White has directly negotiated UFC fighter contracts, as his role has shifted toward overseeing the broader business and expanding ventures.

Those ventures include Zuffa Boxing, Power Slap, and other TKO Group activities. Reflecting on the change, White explained that the UFC was once a small business, when he personally built relationships with stars like Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes, Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, and Cowboy Cerrone.

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White said that in the early days of the UFC, fighters often leaned on him for more than just contracts.

He detailed how fighters would call him when things went wrong in their personal lives while also quickly spending their earnings on big purchases. As the company grew, White explained that he stepped away from negotiating fighter deals because it was no longer enjoyable, allowing him to focus on the parts of the business he still finds fun.

Credit: UFC on YouTube

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And there you have it! While this has apparently been the case for many years, Dana White is now opening up about some of the inside details of his contracts.

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