Power plays define Dana White. The UFC boss has built a career on shocking decisions that shift the fight game overnight. His latest move? It has the fight world buzzing. Instead of hyping a blockbuster pay-per-view, White turned the spotlight toward one of his own employees.

The twist came with a streaming surprise that could rattle ESPN, and the timing is no accident! MMA Journalist Jed I. Goodman shared the update on X with, “Dana White is making UFC Fight Pass free for a month.” 

Why now? The answer came attached in the image with the post that featured what appeared to be a screenshot from the UFC head honcho’s Instagram story. White wrote, “@Salhaduddinbundy is coming up next so I’m making @ufcfightpass free for a month!! Sign up using code ‘Dana’ and watch Sal RIGHT NOW!

How often does White use company resources to boost an employee-turned-fighter grinding on the undercards of a local show? But Sal Everett’s story makes it even more compelling.

He was reportedly a security guard for the UFC and also the guy running errands, making himself useful behind the scenes while training for his own shot at MMA glory. His fight career began with wrestling in high school, then boxing under the guidance of his father, Greg Everett, who once chased championships with a 21-3 record and even faced off against the legendary James Toney.

Everett revealed in a video on the Tuff-N-Uff YouTube channel, “Really, started off with wrestling as a kid. I was like, 16, 15, freshman year, sophomore year, high school, I wrestled and didn’t stick with it. Did some boxing for my pops, pops was chasing titles, he was 21-3, shoutout to Greg Everett, it’s my father. Boxing runs in the family, everybody knows that. That’s where we at now. I’m here to lead the legacy in MMA. ”

That legacy already has a highlight reel. In December 2024, Everett fought for the Tuff-N-Uff Amateur Welterweight title. He needed just 30 seconds. A clean 1-2 knocked down Jose Migoya, and a follow-up shot sealed the finish. Sitting cageside, Dana White leapt to his feet and applauded. More than 20 UFC employees were there too, watching their colleague deliver under the bright lights.

Now Everett is 4-0, with all wins by finish, three submissions, and one knockout. His next test comes at Tuff-N-Uff 147, where he faces Chris Kingery in his professional debut.

So what does this have to do with ESPN? That’s where the business angle comes in. The UFC’s longtime broadcast partner has already felt strain. Paramount just landed a $7.7 billion sports rights deal set to begin in 2026, and White’s decision to pump life into UFC Fight Pass right now feels like another shot across ESPN’s bow. In fact, this isn’t the only surprising move that the UFC boss has made recently!

Dana White hands out $1000 chips to fans as the Paramount deal marks a new era for the UFC

A billion-dollar deal can make anyone feel bold, but Dana White seems to be enjoying his victory lap in his own way. Fresh off the UFC’s $7.7 billion media rights agreement with Paramount Skydance, White was recently spotted at Caesars Palace putting on a different kind of show, this one outside the Octagon.

In a video that spread quickly across social media, White sat at a blackjack table with a huge crowd forming behind him. Then, without warning, he stood up, pulled out stacks of orange chips, and began tossing them into the audience. Each chip? Worth $1,000. Fans scrambled, cheered, and celebrated as White handed out at least five chips on camera.

Whether he gave away more remains a mystery, but the roar of the crowd suggested that no one was leaving disappointed. The video arrived just days after White announced the record-setting Paramount deal that doubles the UFC’s previous broadcast agreement with ESPN. That partnership, valued at $1.1 billion per year over seven years, signals a new era in how fight fans will consume the sport.

Starting in 2026, all 43 annual UFC events, including the 13 pay-per-views, will be available through Paramount’s platforms. It’s not just a business shift; it’s a change to the culture of fight night.

As such, Dana White’s casino giveaway and his free month of Fight Pass weren’t just stunts; they were signals. Signals that the UFC is flush with momentum, that Paramount’s billion-dollar backing has already emboldened its leader, and that ESPN’s grip on the fight game may be slipping!