Career Timeline of Dana White: Major Achievements and Milestones
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Dana White made an impact.
Dana White is an American businessman, best known as the CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). His leadership has been crucial to the UFC's global success in mixed martial arts, contributing to his estimated net worth of $500 million as of 2019. Beyond the UFC, White also owns Power Slap, a slap fighting promotion launched in 2022, and, in 2025, became a board member for Meta Platforms.
January 2001: Acquisition of the UFC
In January 2001, Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta acquired the UFC for $2 million, making it a subsidiary of Zuffa. Dana White was appointed as the company's president and granted a stake in the company.
2004: Investment in UFC
By 2004, the Fertittas had invested over $40 million into the UFC without significant growth. Dana White, along with the Fertittas and Craig Piligian, conceived "The Ultimate Fighter" to boost interest in the sport.
2006: UFC 66 Success
In 2006, UFC 66, headlined by Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, generated over 1,000,000 pay-per-view buys, marking a significant success for the company.
2008: UFC Valuation
By 2008, Forbes valued the UFC at $1.1 billion, highlighting its substantial growth under Dana White's leadership.
2010: Flash Entertainment Stake
In 2010, Flash Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Government, acquired a 10% stake in Zuffa for $150–175 million. This left Dana White with a 9% stake in the company.
2011: Donation to former high school
In 2011, Dana White donated $100,000 to his former high school to fund renovations to their athletic facilities.
2011: Initial Stance on Women in UFC
In a 2011 interview, Dana White initially stated "never ever" in response to the possibility of women in the UFC.
February 2013: First Women's Bout in UFC
In February 2013, the UFC held its first women's bout, featuring Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche, marking a reversal of Dana White's earlier stance.
2015: Revenue and PPV Buys
In 2015, Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor accounted for 4.6 million pay-per-view buys, contributing to the UFC's gross revenue reaching $600 million.
July 2016: Zuffa Sold to WME-IMG
In July 2016, Zuffa was sold to a consortium led by WME-IMG for $4.025 billion. Dana White, who owned 9% of the company, continued as president with a stake in the new business.
October 2017: Entry into Boxing
In October 2017, Dana White stated he was "getting into boxing, 100 percent" at Freddie Roach's Wild Card West boxing club.
2017: Launch of Dana White's Contender Series
In 2017, Dana White began hosting Dana White's Contender Series, available through UFC Fight Pass. The show allows fighters to compete for a contract in the UFC.
2017: Donation to Las Vegas shooting victims
In 2017, Dana White donated $1 million to the victims of the Las Vegas shooting.
March 2019: New UFC Contract
In March 2019, Dana White signed a new seven-year contract to remain president of the UFC, as the UFC signed a deal with ESPN.
August 2019: Estimated Net Worth
In August 2019, Dana White's net worth was estimated to be $500 million, highlighting his financial success.
2019: Donation to The Good Fight Foundation
Following UFC 242 in 2019, Khabib Nurmagomedov raised $100,000 for Dustin Poirier's charity, The Good Fight Foundation, and Dana White matched the contribution with a $100,000 donation to the same charity.
2019: Plans to Incorporate Boxing
In 2019, Dana White expressed his intention to incorporate boxing into the UFC's company portfolio.
April 2020: Involvement in Economic Rebuilding
In April 2020, Dana White joined a group of industry leaders to assist the United States in rebuilding its economy impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
August 2021: Premiere of The Ultimate Surfer
In August 2021, The Ultimate Surfer, a surfing competition television series of which Dana White was an executive producer, premiered on ABC. The show was cancelled after one season due to low ratings.
2022: Reassessment of Boxing Promotion
In 2022, Dana White backpedaled on his boxing plans, describing boxing promotion as "a broken business that is an absolute nightmare to try to fix".
2022: Co-ownership of Thrill One Sports & Entertainment
In 2022, Dana White became a co-owner of Thrill One Sports & Entertainment, which owns properties like Nitro Circus, Nitrocross, and Street League Skateboarding.
2022: Power Slap Founding
In 2022, Dana White founded Power Slap, a slap fighting promotion, adding another venture to his portfolio.
January 2023: Debut of Power Slap
In January 2023, Dana White co-founded Power Slap, a slap fighting competition that debuted and was televised on TBS. The competition later moved to Rumble after TBS did not renew its deal.
April 2023: Endeavor's Deal and White's New Title
In April 2023, Endeavor announced a deal to merge WWE with UFC, forming TKO Group Holdings. Dana White was subsequently named CEO of the UFC.
2024: Donation for Trump assassination attempt victims
In 2024, Dana White donated $50,000 to support the victims affected by the attempted assassination of former president Donald J. Trump during a rally on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania.
2024: Promotion of Boxing Card
In 2024, Dana White promoted a boxing card featuring Irish boxer Callum Walsh, streamed on UFC Fight Pass.
January 2025: Election to Meta Platforms Board
In January 2025, Meta Platforms announced that Dana White had been elected to its board of directors.
March 2025: Partnership for Zuffa Boxing
In March 2025, Dana White announced a partnership with Turki Al-Sheikh to create a new boxing league named Zuffa Boxing, modeled after the UFC. TKO Group Holdings and Sela were announced as backers, and White was named executive leader of the league.
August 2025: Broadcast deal with Paramount and CBS
In August 2025, Dana White announced that the UFC had reached a seven-year, $7.7-billion broadcast deal with Paramount and CBS.
2025: Re-entry into Boxing Promotion
In 2025, Dana White re-announced his intention to enter boxing promotion, stating he was "coming in guns blazing".
2025: Elected to Meta Platforms Board
In 2025, Meta Platforms elected Dana White to its board of directors, signifying his influence beyond the sports industry.
2026: Start of Broadcast Deal
In 2026, the UFC broadcast deal with Paramount and CBS is set to begin, upon the expiration of the ESPN contract. Dana White said this deal would mean "[f]or the first time ever, fans in the US will have access to all UFC content without a Pay-Per-View model."
May 28, 2025: Founding Partner of Phorm Energy
On May 28, 2025, Dana White became one of the founding partners of Phorm Energy, a zero-sugar energy drink launched in a joint venture between White, 1st Phorm and Anheuser-Busch.
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