The UFC-WWE merger is one of the biggest moments in combat sports and entertainment history. After years of healthy competition between the two, now they are one under the name of TKO Holdings Group. However, Dana White made a shocking revelation that this would have happened a long time ago, thanks to Shane McMahon.

Shane, the son of Vince McMahon, has always been a business-minded person who dreamed of creating something just like his father and grandfather. However, the older McMahon has never been all that supportive of his son’s ambitions. 

Dana White claims Shane McMahon wanted to buy UFC

Back in early 2001, the biggest pro wrestling news was Shane McMahon buying WCW. This was a massive blow to Vince McMahon as WCW was a huge competition until it sadly imploded. The whole thing was planned as it was a story angle that the WWE wanted to explore. However, what wasn’t planned was Shane’s love for combat sports.  

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For fans of Shane, his love for combat sports, like the MMA and UFC, is no surprise. He has been a massive fan of MMA before the UFC debuted. It is something he trains in and enjoys watching. As a fan of the sport and a businessman, he’s always wanted to buy the UFC. Despite his several attempts to convince Vince McMahon, he was always denied.

Speaking with Kurt ‘Big Boy’ Alexander on his podcast, Big Boy TV, White said, “Vince McMahon, from what I hear, his son Shane wanted to buy the UFC. Vince had the opportunity to buy it. And Vince said, ‘Yeah. No. We’re not gonna buy it.'”

The older McMahon felt like the UFC was too much to handle at the time as he was into the entertainment side of combat sports. He never made an offer and prevented his son from doing so.

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While the McMahons never got around to it, someone else did. Back in 2001, the Fertitta brothers bought the UFC organization for $2 million. Following this, they invested $30 million before the first season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) aired in 2005. This saved the company and gained a good fanbase. According to White, Shane was trying to gather funds from his father, who refused.

Why Vince McMahon never bought the UFC

As White continued, he revealed that Vince McMahon could have easily bought the UFC. After purchasing the WCW in 2001 for $2.5 million, there was no competition for the WWE. At the time, the WWE and Vince McMahon were the biggest entities in pro wrestling and sports entertainment. “Vince could have bought this thing and just put it on the shelf. Or Vince could have bought it and let his son [run it],” White concluded.

With this bombshell revelation of White’s, it is clear that Vince McMahon could have easily purchased the UFC as he did WCW. Despite Shane promising that combat sports like the UFC were gaining prominence, Vince was not convinced. There was no guarantee that something like the UFC would catch on with the general public like pro wrestling. This was also the time that Vince McMahon was more worried about buying out his competition, WCW and ECW.

What do you think would have happened if the McMahons ended up buying out UFC in the early 2000s?

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