Dana White shares his thoughts on WWE's deal with Endeavor.
On April 3, WWE officially reached a transaction agreement with Endeavor, which will see WWE and UFC merge to form a new company. The merger is reportedly expected to be finalized in the second half of 2023.
During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, UFC President White was asked to discuss the news. He referenced Endeavor buying UFC in 2016 and described how CEO Ari Emanuel is a great partner, as he lets him run his business. White stated that he met with the McMahon family, and when they wanted to know what it was like to work with Emanuel, he only had positive things to say.
“It’s one of the great things about Ari and why he’s such a great partner, and why he’s so good to work with. He came in and he bought the UFC, they asked me to stay, and Ari is one of those guys that, he lets you run your business. He lets you do what you do, and I actually met with the McMahons the last time I was in New York. They wanted to know what it was like to be in business with him and everything else. Obviously I couldn’t say anything but incredible, positive things about him. Ari is one of those guys, you run your business, and if you need him, pick up the phone and call him, and he can make anything happen. How this is gonna affect our company? It won’t at all, we’re gonna keep doing what we do. How it affects WWE, I think that there’s a lot of value that Ari can add on the business side, whether it’s licensing, sponsorship, and the list goes on and on. He’ll help grow those different areas of their business, and they’re valued at $9 billion. Watch and see what they are in five years," White said.
White continued by noting that he wanted to grow the UFC, and he viewed Emanuel and Endeavor as a way to take the company to the next level. He stated that Vince McMahon has done the samwe thing, as he reached an agreement with the hope that Endeavor will help WWE reach new heights.
“We always knew there was room for growth, and what we wanted to do, just like Bob Meyrowitz, who sold it to us, Bob Meyrowitz felt like we were guys who could take it to another level. The same thing happened when we sold to Ari. You wanted to sell it to a guy who could help grow the business and take it to another level. That’s exactly what Vince has done, too. When you look at all the suitors out there and all the people out there that possibly want to buy your business, you want to sell it to the group that you think can take it to another level," White said.
White recently stated that there won't be much crossover between WWE and UFC following the merger. Check out his comments here.
Endeavor's Mark Shapiro has said that the company will use the UFC playbook with WWE. Click here to see what he had to say.
Vince McMahon discussed WWE's deal with Endeavor after the news became official. More information is available here.
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