Is UFC CEO Dana White a Billionaire?

Published 07/15/2023, 9:12 AM EDT

The UFC supremo, Dana White, has often been on the receiving end of harsh criticisms for underpaying UFC fighters. Although a few famed UFC stars like Conor McGregor and Israel Adesanya go on flaunting their riches, there is a section of fighters that have always been underpaid. Despite many such accusations, the majority of UFC followers will probably agree that without White’s efforts, the promotion couldn’t have become what it is today.

The massive boost in the UFC’s net worth after White’s takeover, itself testifies to his outstanding achievement with the organization. Unbelievably, the ’54-year-old’ has increased the UFC’s net worth from $2M in 2001 to a staggering $12B today.

In the process, White also earned himself a significant amount of money. So, let’s take a look at the UFC boss’s current net worth to get an idea about White’s overall earnings from the UFC.

Is Dana White a billionaire?

Looking at the UFC’s progress after White’s takeover might compel a number of fans to think that White already has a billion in his bank. But the reality isn’t so. The ’54-year-old’ is the CEO of the UFC, due to which he only gets a very petite part of the UFC’s profits.

As of 2023, reports say that the UFC head honcho boasts a net worth of $500M. But, a number of UFC fans might agree that White is quite capable of touching that coveted $1B before he decides to call it from work.

How much does the UFC president make every year?

It’s quite understandable that White, despite not being in the primary owner’s list of the UFC, makes quite a hefty amount from it. The duties that White fulfills also justify his massive salary from the UFC.

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Reportedly, Dana White currently earns an amount of $20M per year from the UFC as his salary. Further, he also makes quite a significant amount from the little amount of UFC shares that he owns.

Dana White, the mastermind behind the highest-selling MMA PPV ever

Despite McGregor’s defeat in his first boxing bout against the masterful Floyd Mayweather in 2017, he earned the respect of numerous boxing fans for making it to the tenth round of the match, which was also his first-ever professional boxing bout.

White saw the opportunity for a massive PPV sale after McGregor gained popularity among boxing fans as well. On the other hand, the infamous Artem Lobov-Khabib Nurmagomedov feud saw McGregor getting involved in it due to the former being his friend. After this, McGregor carried out the infamous ‘attack on the bus’ incident which had the former UFC Lightweight kingpin, Khabib Nurmagomedov, coining the famous UFC catchphrase, “Send me Location”.

All of these incidents, although inappreciable, acted as a massive factor in the build-up of a fight between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov. Further, ‘The Eagle’ calling out ‘The Notorious’ after his win at UFC 205 left no doubts in White’s mind about a UFC PPV with these two in the main event.

As per White’s expectations, UFC 229 featuring a ‘Khabib vs McGregor’ main event became the highest-selling MMA PPV in the history of the sport. As a result, it also became the UFC’s highest-selling PPV to date, with an insane 2.4 million PPVs sold by it.

How long will Dana White continue to lead the UFC?

As already mentioned, White has contributed to the UFC’s global fan base growth massively. He has taken the company to such heights that were hardly imaginable when he took it over. Hence, it won’t be wrong to say that despite the criticisms, a large chunk of UFC fans also want White to lead the organization for as long as he can.

Reports also say that White’s tenure as UFC president was extended by the company for seven years in 2019 as part of the renewal of its distribution deal with ESPN. Hence, it can be said that White will stay with the UFC till 2026.

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But, it will be interesting to watch whether he decides to continue or call off his UFC presidential career. How long would you like to see White as the president of the organization?

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Written by:

The coveted scrap between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson in 2002 was when I realized the passion for combat sports within my family. My interest in combat sports began watching scripted pro wrestling shows. It was my father who directed me towards combat sports and it wasn?t until the late 2010s that I discovered the world of MMA and the UFC.

Edited by:

Yeswanth Praveen