Dana White Handed the Only Clear Path to Make UFC as Big as NFL or NBA

Dana White and the Fertitta brothers purchased the UFC for just $2 million in 2001. And in a relatively short span of time —three decades — the company is now reportedly valued at around $12.3 billion in 2025. The promotion’s status as one of the biggest martial arts leagues in the world has undoubtedly been cemented. However, the lingering question remains — why hasn’t it reached the astronomical heights of the NFL or NBA. 

Well, it’s not the first time the UFC has been compared to these sporting giants. The long-standing fighter pay debate often circles back to how NFL players receive around 48 to 50 percent of league revenue, while the UFC only pays out roughly 16 to 18 percent of its multi-billion-dollar earnings. Many critics argue that undercompensating fighters has actually held the promotion back from growing even further. One of those critics is Brendan Schaub.

The former heavyweight has been very vocal about several issues within the UFC. And beyond the fighter pay concerns, ‘Big Brown’ now believes that the lack of a dedicated scouting team has also limited the UFC from reaching the same level of success as the NFL or NBA.

Schaub stated on the JAXXON Podcast, “The UFC, when it first burst onto the scene, they’re like, ‘Oh, now these guys who were going to the NFL and NBA are going to come over to the UFC.’ Didn’t happen because of the money. And they also have no scouts. Nobody making sure these guys come over to the UFC and MMA. We don’t have scouts like the MLB, NFL, and NBA. They’re like, ‘Yeah, hopefully they will get good and we’ll sign them.”

Brendan makes a point! The UFC doesn’t have an official scouting team like other major leagues. But it’s also true that Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard handle most of the talent acquisition process. Promotions like Cage Warriors have also become something of an unofficial draft system. The UFC did actively pursue Paddy Pimblett with multiple offers, which suggests that a scouting-like process does exist, even if it’s not as formal as in other leagues.

So, there’s an argument from both sides. But that’s not the only problem Schaub sees with the UFC. He also believes the promotion has struggled with its broadcasting strategy. Let’s take a dive into that next.

Brendan Schaub believes ESPN messed up the UFC 313 stream on purpose 

UFC 313 was one of the pay-per-views where complaints around fight streaming started making noise. The constant errors on screen made the entire broadcast experience frustrating for fans. ESPN eventually issued an apology for the poor viewing experience. However, Brendan Schaub firmly believes it was done on purpose — because the UFC’s media deal is set to expire in December.

He said on the Thiccc Boy podcast, “If you think that wasn’t on purpose, you’re out of your mind. That’s ESPN, which doesn’t give a flying f—k about the UFC, really. They’re in turmoil. But if you don’t think that’s a flex from them — I’ve never had issues with them, now all of a sudden during [rights negotiations], issues just pop up?”

It was definitely a painful experience for viewers, with error messages constantly popping up on the screen during a live event. That said, Jimmy Pitaro, the president of ESPN, has publicly stated that the relationship with the UFC hasn’t soured. Still, with the deal set to expire in December, Netflix is rumored to be a frontrunner to pick up the broadcast rights.

That being said, what do you think about Brendan Schaub pointing out that the UFC’s lack of a proper scouting system might actually be stopping them from going truly mainstream? Comment down below.