People change when they make a ton of money. But don’t count Dana White amongst them. Back in 2016, when the UFC was sold to WME-IMG for about $4 billion, fans thought White would walk away, but only the promoter knew how much more was needed to be done to take the sport to the next level. “I’m still out building new brands and doing sh-t that I don’t need to be doing,” he shared earlier this year. It’s because he loves what he does. “I will never retire, ever. I will keep dogging this out until the day I drop dead.”

In fact, White, who absolutely dislikes boxing promoter Bob Arum, admires just one quality he holds. Longevity. Arum is 93 and still calls the shots. But let us not forget the shocker UFC’s head honcho got in 2022 after health analyst Gary Brecka told him he had just 10.4 years to live unless he made some strict changes to his diet and lifestyle. And so, White focused on his health for ten weeks and ended up dropping 30 pounds and feeling young again. However, the whole episode also brought in a harsh reality. Dana White cannot lead the UFC forever…

That brought in discussions about his successor, and the most popular name was Hunter Campbell. After all, he does the high-pressure fighter negotiation work. What if a big PPV card falls through just weeks before the event? That’s Hunter’s problem to solve. So, the UFC CEO has a successor ready, but he still intends to stay for as long as possible, perhaps with a few changes to his role. UFC insider Josh Thomson has stepped forward to share his insights on what this potential leadership shift could mean for the future of the promotion. While having a conversation on the ‘Weighing-In’ podcast, Thomson asserted that Dana White might be thinking about spending time with his family more and more, and this might be the reason why the UFC CEO is in a mood for a change.

“I do believe I read he [Dana White] is still part owner. Whether it’s 5%, 10% you know whatever it is. But he is still part owner, he got paid out on his ownership though from the first time, which gave him the $700 million or whatever that he made and he’s still part owner in this. Also, I think that he’s got—he’s got his kids getting older. I believe one of his sons plays football at Bishop Gorman, and there are commitments.”

White has three children: Dana White III, Aidan Charles White, and Savannah White. Both his sons are football players. In fact, Aiden not only plays football but also boxes. So Thomson further added, “Like he said, and he’s talked about his staff as well. If you’ve got kids that have a performance or they’ve got a game that night, I better not get you at work. And that’s one thing I admire about Dana now. I don’t know—I would imagine it’s true.”

The UFC has been going through a rough phase recently, due to its tumultuous relationship with ESPN and the growing criticism over substandard fight cards. On top of that, Dana White’s limited presence at UFC press conferences these days has further fueled the speculation. In addition to that, the fact that Hunter Campbell is gradually stepping into Dana White’s shoes makes it increasingly obvious that the UFC CEO might be shifting the limelight onto him.

Is Dana White contemplating retirement from UFC?

Apart from a few press conferences, Dana White has missed most of the media briefings this year, including some crucial events such as the UFC 315 post-fight presser. Additionally, Hunter Campbell’s steadfast approach—traveling to the UAE and Dagestan to advocate for Islam Makhachev amidst the chaos—has proven to be a game-changer, not only for Campbell but for Dana White as well.

Co-host Angelo, right before Thompson presented his thoughts, stated, “Hunter Campbell has stepped up. He’s able to do most of it. And now Dana can just be a normal human being. Because that dude, love him or hate him, and all the drama and all the negativity around different narratives. That dude carried the sport on his back for years, just doing everything possible to build it up, and now it’s finally built, and maybe he’s just taking a deep breath.”

While the UFC CEO is yet to comment on these rumours, there’s no denying that he might be contemplating retiring after decades of faithful service to the organization. He is 55, and so, we reckon he still has a couple of good years left before the spotlight shifts, and still, he might be involved with the promotion in some capacity.

Given that, what are your thoughts on the hubbub? State your opinion in the comments below.