Dana White Talks Winning $3.2M Gambling, Conor McGregor's $100M+, UFC Pay & Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul

what about celebrities participating in. power slap it will eventually happen. hell no it'll eventually happen what. hell would Shannon I'm going to have you. pretty. soon. hell. myle P the price want a slice got the. roll of dice that's why all my life been. grinding all my life all my life running. all my life sacrifice hustle P the price. want a slice got the dice that's why all.

my life been grinding on my. [Music]. life hello welcome to another episode of. Club shet I am your host jannon sharp. I'm also the proprietor of Club Shay the. guy that's stopping by for conversation. and the drink today he allowed me into. his domain he's one of the most. successful business people in the world. he's highly influential sports figure in. the sporting industry he Revolution. revolutionize the sports of mixed. martial arts one of the greatest fight. promoters of all time he's the CEO of.

the UFC the world's biggest MMA. organization he's a Powerhouse a global. phenomenon a marketing genius a a mogul. a Maverick a head honcho some call him a. Savage the leg Legend one of the most. influential people in sports Dana White. I'm glad I showed up just just the intro. alone thank you sir hey bro what you had. to do to get. here we were supposed to sit down. yesterday but you had had a conflict you. had to go your son's graduating my son's.

graduating you know big [ __ ] show down. in USD in San Diego I had to fly there. help my wife with some. stuff planes uh landed to get me today. hits a bird blows the engine out can't. get me another bird I'm like the. universe did not want us to do this. podcast okay the universe here we are. but you're here and bro all your success. growing the UFC and we're going to get. into the UFC what it was I was at the. very first UFC fight and old McNichols. Arena before it was the pep at UFC W Ken.

Shamrock lost to Gracie back then they. had no weight classes you fought you win. you advance and you keep fighting you. keep fighting and so uh what you've been. able to grow it to I don't think anybody. for saw this uh but what you've been. able to do I want to toast you bro you. know I have my own knac it's shave by. laor who do I need a conac Let Me Tell. You afternoon.

Bo that's pretty smooth we got yours. right here what that's pretty smooth you. have a howler head yeah which is a uh a. bourbon it's a bourbon yeah it's a. flavored bourbon and uh I started it. during the pandemic it's fun it's fun. being in the look I started in the. pandemic also we kind of started a. little before but the kind of you know. we going to release it then the pandemic. happened so it got pushed back but. you're you you in this business and you. understand the three-tier system so it's. just not like okay I want to sell you. This Dana you got to go through.

Distributors and then they go a grind. Absolut fulltime job being in the liquor. business it is it is fun it is so let's. get right into it the roast with Tom. Brady yeah first of all could you do. could you let someone roast. you after doing the roast no I would now. that I've done it I would never let me. tell you this for the people that don't. understand the roast of Tom Brady right. there were 12,000 people there live wow. right right 12,000 people live right.

then you have you know the deis all the. guys that are on the deis plus some of. the baddest comedians in the world were. there you you had Chappelle was there. yeah uh Chelsea Handler was there guy. from England I got to remember this. guy's name but he's he's huge and R and. H cliff and glaz but they're all there. everybody was there well then the people. that you saw on the on the de too right. now you have to get up and tell jokes. public speaking is whatever A lot of. people have fear of public speaking I. public speak all the time telling jokes.

is a whole another ball game then when. you're up cameras come running up and. they're right in your face 12,000 people. everybody staring at you and now you got. to tell jokes you know and if you up one. word m if you stutter if you if you go. into a downward death spiral that you. could never pull yourself out of I'm. telling you it's the most underrated. thing in the world being a comedian and. getting up and telling jokes right I. will never ever again.

because I think the thing is you and I. I'm a little older than you Dane I think. I'm a little older than you but I. remember the roast with Dean Martin in. order to do a. roast effectively you got to have some. people. like he actually said that well it's. another level now and the roast with. Dean Martin were funny and fun and. whatever it's it's it's kill it's go for. the kill now it's like it's a whole. another I love him I love roast I'm a. fan of roast um just not getting roasted.

or I I would I don't mind getting. roasted going up and roasting someone. else and telling jokes is it's not as. easy as everybody thinks it is very hard. to do so when you found out this like. hey Dana we're going to roast Tom and we. want you to be a participant what was. the first thing because I know the. relationship that you have with Tom and. then what was going through your mind. you like oh man well there are a couple. things when he first asked me I hung up. the phone and called him I said they. must have paid you an ungodly amount of.

money to do this right he said they. really didn't I'm just a fan of roasts. and I want to do it I said okay uh uh. you know so he obviously gave my name to. to be whatever I said I'm in I'll do it. which I said I would never do again. because I we I do a show called looking. for a fight right and we put ourselves. in uncomfortable situations we did. standup comedy one night at a comedy. club okay it is the hardest most brutal. worst thing that I've ever done in my. life and I said I'd never do it again I. will really never do it again after this.

roast but I did I did it for Tom so then. what happens is the producers start. calling you and they got people that are. writing jokes now understand this. they're writing jokes for Brady grank. Edelman. umich bellich Mr craft craft Kardashian. uh uh um his ex yeah no uh for um um. bledo the list goes on and on right I'm.

I'm 60 seconds so I'm getting the piece. of joke froms that fell on theing floor. you know what I mean they're giving me. all these jokes that that are like UFC. based that you know I would have never. and you like I want some meat I you. leave me some meat on that bone exactly. it would it would have been brutal so I. I called in a favor I called Bill Burr. me and Bill Burr are friends me and Bill. Burr aligned in the way that we think. and the way so Bill Burr helped me W. with with some of my jokes and uh yeah.

thank God or I'd have been a Sitting. Duck out there right but that's the way. that it works and uh yeah it's let me. tell you it's not as fun as you people. like oh you must have had a blast had a. blast bledo I give bledo all the credit. in the world you could tell when bledo. first went up there he was nervous he. was first right oh you got to go first. right and he killed it he he he pulled. himself together he got through it he. did a great job in my opinion even Kim.

Kardashian and I don't know what's true. and what's not true what is true is they. booed the [ __ ] out of her when really oh. they booed the out of her when she went. I mean you hear but you don't I mean I. hadn't talked to anybody that was. actually there and you hear the media. reports like Kim Kardashian was booed. but he and you talk about it they really. boo oh no they boo her and they boo her. so bad that like Jeff Ross stood up and. said come on come on everybody stop you. got to understand I mean when you looked. around the crowd everybody was wearing. football jerseys it's that crowd it's. not a it's not a Kardashian crowd and.

well she should have fit right in oh my. bad that was my my bad D Dana I was the. real for I'm getting ready for a roast. I'm getting ready for a roast I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry Kim I'm. sorry I just couldn't resist but what. happened was I'm hearing that Netflix. first of all Netflix gets all the credit. for having the balls to do this and not. only do it but do it live cuz comedy had. taken a hit with political correctness. and all this stuff and everybody was. afraid to do a roast these guys did a. roast and did it live I'm hearing that. in the replays edited out the booze.

which is crazy because Kim Kardashian is. not an actress she does reality TV right. I've done reality TV it's totally. different than being an actor and acting. you go on and you you do what you do do. what you do the camera will follow you. 100% now she got booed and she powered. through it right she powered through it. she did her set and whatever it takes a. lot of balls to get up there and do that. and she did it um but you know when you. when you step up and you do a roast like. my second joke that that that I told was.

so I wake up that morning and I start. thinking about what if I start to bomb. right if I start to bomb what what what. H how could I attack the crowd right. right and and and whatever I call Bill. Burr and literally I said to Bill if I. start the bomb how could I attack like. the LA California crowd that's there or. whatever he pauses for like 2 seconds. and says what my my name is Dana is that.

not trans enough for you liberal and I. go oh I'm opening with that one I'm. opening with that I'm not going to right. so so when I when I put the joke in. right that that all the comedians were. telling me don't do that joke don't do. that joke you're not going to get the. response you think I said oh no no I I. literally want to come out and pun this. thing right in the face you know what I. mean and that that was how that happened. did you could you get a sense cuz like I.

say you know Tom you've been around Tom. in a private setting not you know the. the the politically correct Tom so you. know him a lot better than a lot most. people could you did you could you sense. that he got a little uncomfortable with. it or did he just like he was tall he. definitely wasn't uncomfortable okay Tom. Brady you know everybody talks about. Brady like oh you know he's soft and. he's a pretty but he's a [ __ ] beast. man that guy's a Savage and you know. again when when you're in. positions like we are in you don't worry.

about yourself it is you you signed up. for this you know what I mean in life. you do what you do you say things every. day you do multiple podcasts you're on. television you say things that you know. you're going to be attacked for your. opinion or whatever it is it's just it's. hard to see your family get you know. what I mean exactly it's all more about. the kids right um and and you. know there are a lot lot of great things.

that come with being our kids you know. there's a lot of positives but there's a. lot of negatives too and you got to take. the good with the bad not everything's. going to be perfect my kids see it all. the time people say horrible [ __ ] and. people say things who gives a [ __ ] were. you really upset that you only had 60. seconds did you really want three to. five minutes no that was how I it I. wanted six seconds okay I you wanted one. joke and get away I wanted 6 seconds I. didn't want 60 seconds and no I was not. upset the thing is too is that even even. politically like like that that joke I'm.

not really that much of a political. person and I definitely do not attack. people for their political views and. this is America you can believe whatever. you want it was a roast and it was a. joke so so I was [ __ ] thrilled that I. had 60 seconds believe me so so with you. like you get up there it's like man cuz. if I mess up one word the joke's not. going to come off as it intended and. then people going to like it was a great. night except Dana BL then you got three. more more jokes how do you recover from.

that when you're not a professional. comedian a professional comedian can. recover from anything and do what they. do when you're a regular guy and you go. on one of these things and you mess up a. joke you're you're in a downward spiral. death that's going to seem 60 seconds it. would have seemed like 6 hours you know. what I mean it's brutal the 82 game. preseason is in the books and it's. finally time for the real season don't. miss out on any NBA playoff action at. draftking Sportsbook an official sports. betting partner of the NBA from the.

playin tournament through the finals. draftking sports book has you covered. with same game parlays live betting odds. boost and much more download the. draftking Sportsbook app use code. Shannon new customers can bet $5 and get. 200 in bonus bets instantly Bast the Cod. Shannon only on DraftKings the crown is. yours let's get into your upbringing. Dana you was raised in Connecticut. Massachusetts Vegas. Maine as a small kid what was what was. Dana White like as a kid.

I don't know um you know I uh you get in. trouble yeah I get in a lot of trouble. yeah yeah that's a good question yeah I. got in a lot of trouble when I was a kid. um but I I had you know when you look at. your life and you look back on it you. know there were certain things that. weren't you know great about my. upbringing but I always had fun and I. always thought that I was living a a. good life I was always happy always uh. loved where I was and who I was with and. things like that I I I'm I'm I wouldn't.

change one thing about the way how how. would you describe your family were you. middle class upper middle class lower. middle class lower middle yeah a single. mom who was a nurse obviously made good. money but worked 24 hours a day to. support us um and and and me and my. sister were alone a lot you know we we. we sort of uh kind of raised each other. 100% or raised ourselves however you. want to look at it yeah did you fight a. lot of the keid. yeah got into a lot of fights especially.

here in in Vegas Vegas was uh Vegas was. there was a lot of fighting going on. here in the ' 80s like School versus. school like that so did I mean being um. in Connecticut and Massachusetts did you. have that accent did you have that Bost. stonan accent and people make fun of you. well what's funny is because we moved. here in like. 1978 um and I was in fifth grade okay. going into fifth grade okay and uh so. they thought I had an accent here then.

after I was here for a while then they. thought I had an accent when I'd go back. to Boston so I always had this messed up. accent matter where I was so you got so. you got jump you fought and then you. like you got good at it did you get good. at fighting or you just like yeah I well. I liked it I embraced it I I like. probably the way you like playing. football the way that I felt about. fighting growing up I loved everything. about fighting lots of different. fighting you know I was a huge boxing. fan right was a big Bruce Lee fan um you.

know so I liked martial arts and I liked. all kinds of fights I like street fights. I. mean at school there would always be. fights after school at the park right. everybody would be excited to go did you. think you were going to be a fighter is. that something like well you know maybe. I'll be a boxer maybe I'll be a a. martial artist I didn't really think. that until uh I was probably 18 or 19. years old is when I started to think. that that that fighting was something. that I wanted to do for the rest of my. life and not necessarily a fighter but.

in the fight business right I read where. you got kicked out of school was it for. fighting I got kicked out of school. multiple times I was kicked out of. school multiple times I barely graduated. high school and uh yeah between grades. and fighting and lots of other things. you go to college but you don't stay. very long you drop out why yeah I went. to college for for less than a semester. I think just it just wasn't for me I. went to school and and I was just like. this this just it's not me unfortunately.

this this isn't um my future my son is. going to graduate college this weekend. I'm literally flying back to San Diego. tomorrow for his graduation weekend and. and I'm so proud of him and happy for. him it just it wasn't my path it just. wasn't for me right but when you look at. it you look at a lot of people you. dropped out of college Oprah Steve JW. the jobs Mark Zuckerberg Bill Gates. Kanye West Jack dorsy Paul Allen why do. you think a lot of su successful people.

choose that path because we you know we. get go to college you got to go to. college you got to get a degree you got. to yada yada yada and so many people. that are successful chose a different. path I think a lot of the the people I'm. not saying everybody I'm just in my. experience with this a lot of kids that. go to college don't know who they are. and what they want to be and and do for. the rest of their life I was very. fortunate and I think these people were. probably the same knew exactly who we. were and what we wanted a very young age. I mean there's still people that are 30.

walking around trying to figure out who. they are and what they want to do um I. knew I knew and then once you know and. you lock in and focus on it and go for. it it's it's hard not to be successful. right and maybe a college degree isn't a. requirement for what you want to do in. life or what you want to become in life. yeah and I think you know I I I read. this book recently uh Rick Rubin okay. wrote a book and uh it's it's brilliant. it's so good and talks about how um a.

lot of the people that become success. it's like when you go to college you. learn all the rules okay they teach you. all the rules of of of of. uh business business and and whatever it. may be kids that didn't go to college. don't know the rules so they break all. the rules and do things differently than. than the kids that went to college a lot. of time kids that don't go to college. they're willing to take risk that people. that went to college because like you. say you learned the rules like we don't. do that but if you didn't go you don't.

know the rules so you break the rules. and I am an excessive risk taker. excessive risk taker I mean I literally. take risk to a whole another level I. love risk I love um adversity I love. it's like today I mean I don't care who. you are how much money you have what you. have going on when you get out of bed. every day life is standing right there. to punch you in the mouth and you know. you have to overcome all the SE. different struggles in life every day I.

actually love when adversity is thrown. at me and I and I have to deal with this. stuff and and uh it's one of my favorite. things to do so I'm a little sick and. twisted and I like I like the conflict. every day I like powering through the. challenges that life throws at you every. day it's like one of my favorite things. to do is it true you got ran out of. Boston you could call it that yeah um. did you owe somebody money no I know. anybody money but that's the way uh.

that's the if you if you've ever seen. the movie Black Mass or you hear the. stories of Whitey buer yes who's one of. the most notorious gangsters in American. history was in cahoots with the FBI and. you know that's that's where I lived and. that [ __ ] was going on at that time and. it was very real and so you like okay. I'll leave yeah well you know when. you're staring down the barrel of of. those type of people. um you know I just booked a one way.

ticket back to Vegas and so you did you. understand why you was being run out of. town were there something like you owe. money were there something that mean. because you know you have to pay a tax. on Goods or were you trying to run an. operation did you infringe on someone's. territory yeah I mean it was it was a I. didn't owe anybody money but I mean that. was life in in that City at that time. and it's crazy the way that life works. out because I wouldn't have come back I. I think I would have eventually come.

back to Vegas that was always my plan I. wouldn't have done it then and the. timing wouldn't have been right for me. and the fertitas to connect at the. wedding that we were at and the list. goes on and on and I'm sure you have a. million of these stories yourself the. way that life works and all these paths. you end up going down for whatever. reason that led you to sitting in this. chair right now talking to me so you. come to Vegas and you you become a. manager you ain't got no experience in. being no manager you managed Tito Ortiz.

you managed Chuck liddel how I barely. graduated high school yeah so I didn't. have any experience doing any of the. [ __ ] yeah that's why I'm saying you. barely graduated high school and you. thought like you know what college is a. good. idea. so I I I I came out here started doing. what I was doing in Boston in in Boston. how old were you when you came here I. was 25. 25 and. uh.

then it was actually I was 24 it was my. 25th birthday like days after I moved. back to Vegas and I started I just got. back into the boxing I knew what I. wanted to do I was going to be in the. fight business started doing my thing. out here and then um ended up you know. meeting lots of different Floyd. Mayweather I mean yeah me me and Floyd. were together when he got off out of the. Olympics and we're doing stuff together. started doing stuff with Chuck and Tito. and John Lewis who was our jiu-jitsu.

instructor at the time um and the list. goes on and on and it all just started. to build into uh where we are today. because me and the fatias started taking. Jiu-Jitsu with with the the only guy. that was teaching Jiu-Jitsu in in in Las. Vegas at the time a guy named John Lewis. okay that's how we started to meet a lot. of these Fighters and training with them. and then Chuck and Tito asked me to. manage them so I started managing them. and and did they know you didn't have.

any experience in managing people well I. mean I I I was Pro I think they just I. don't know what it was that that you. know ended up getting these these people. to uh to all sign with me but listen I. was the type of guy that got [ __ ] done. right so they knew that right they knew. that being a manager you understand both. parts because now you're the CEO of the. UFC and you're having to neg negotiate. and deal with managers so how was it for.

you being a manager in this for the very. first time and you're trying to extract. as much money from an organization as. you possibly can all the while. understanding that they have to run a. business and at the end of the day. business is business right and and and. being a manager is a very fine line you. walk okay because you want to get as. much money for your guy as you can right. without destroying the relationship with. the or absolutely you know what I mean.

so I uh that's how the whole sale went. down so Tito Ortiz had had had been. screwed over by them and and they were. supposed to pay him money that they. didn't pay him so I was trying to get. Tito a new deal and get the money that. they own from before okay so in that. negotiation the owner at the time Bob. meertz flips out on the phone and. finally says there is no more [ __ ]. money I don't even know if I can put on. another show Da d da and he snaps and.

freaks out on me so I'm like holy [ __ ] I. hang up the phone and I literally picked. it back up and called Lorenzo fertita. and I said I just got off the phone with. Bob meertz I think the UFC is in trouble. I think they're going to go bankrupt and. I think we should buy the company so I. literally had that call with Lorenzo I. gave him Bob meit's number he called Bob. meertz and that's what started the. conversations for us to buy the UFC so I. mean in that. negotiation is what led to us buying the.

UFC Danny you said something interesting. just a few seconds ago you says as a. manager your job is to try to get as. much money as you possibly can without. destroying the relationship and I tell. people that I would rather take a little. less than have somebody begrudgingly. give me more and it ruins everything for. down the road you're absolutely right. and and you know there's this you when. when you're a manager right so you're. trying to get as much as you can for. your client you're try not to damage the.

relationship with the organization yet. at the same time you also realize if I'm. managing you your life literally your. life is in my hands corre right and I. tell Fighters This and other athletes. all the time be careful who you get to. represent you because that is exactly. what they do they are representing you. right any way that that this negotiation. goes. south I can I'm still going to make a. living I got five or six other clients.

but you the one guy that I'm managing if. I burn that bridge and destroy that. relationship I burned your Bridge. correct not my bridge your Bridge. wow you say you picked up the phone you. called the. fatita and how did you before you say. how did you guys become friends how did. you know the the fatias so Lorenzo and I. went to school together in Las Vegas. okay okay we were in we were in the same. class it's not like me and Lorenzo were. best friends growing up in high scho. school we knew each other right he he he.

came from money I did not and uh but the. vertias were. always really good solid human beings. okay you will never meet more. well-adjusted. kind. giving um humans than the fertita family. they're one of the greatest families on. planet Earth and uh they've done a lot. of things for a lot of people and. they've made a lot of people wealthy. right so you pick up the phone you call. them says man check this out I think the.

UFC might be in trouble I think they. might be going belly up I think we'd be. able to get them for a good price and I. think this is something we can really. really did you know you could turn it. into what it eventually became listen we. all believed you know me Frank and. Lorenzo believed there were three guys. that truly believed in this business and. it was us and yes I mean I was just. telling you when we started talking. that every day after school there would. be a fight at the park and the whole. school show up for the fight right after.

after school. and I had this philosophy that no matter. what color you are what country you come. from or what language you speak we're. all human beings right and fighting is. in our DNA we get it and we like it it's. Universal it's like music it doesn't. need to be explained I could be so many. many times we'd be in uh Europe and I'd. be laying a bed flipping through uh. channels and Cricket would come on mhm. okay I have no idea what's going on.

right I don't know I'm never going to. know and I don't care enough to know. about Cricket now I could be in another. country and a fight could come on and. the commentator could be talking about I. don't need to know what he's saying I. don't care this is a fight I understand. it I get it and I like it and I'm going. to watch it in any language right it. just it works everywhere when you find. somebody um I'll give you an example a. Conor McGregor mhm who's from Ireland. right he ignites an entire country and.

and sometimes you know all of Europe. when you have somebody that's a big star. like him right or a Manny Pacquiao yes. where um everybody who looks like him. talks like him and comes from where he. comes from will get behind him and. follow him Brazil whatever it is and. when you have. multiple um Champions or or great. fighters from these different places. around the world it just works man it it. it works and uh that I always believed.

in the $2 million did you think the 2. million dollar price for something that. was about to go belly up did you think. you were paying too much or you felt you. got a good deal because you had the UFC. you had all the branding you had. everything already in place you weren't. going to have to put that up in. hindsight yes it was it it was an. amazing deal but when you really think. about what we bought we bought those. three letters and and an old wooden. octagon and realistically. even those three.

letters hadn't been protect protected. the way that they should have been right. he had sold off the video game rights. all the uh the VHS and Home Video rights. which at the time that was Mone was big. exactly um we only had like I want to. say we had 12 or 13 contracts uh with. guys at the time so uh there was a lot. of work that needed to be done it's easy. to look back now and say oh man they got. the UFC for $2 million that people don't.

really understand or know all what it. really took and all the work that had to. go into turning this thing around but. you had to in you went $40 million in. debt right on the top of the 2 million. that you had spent in order to and. obviously we we know what it's worth now. but we as like you said you only had x. amount of Fighters under contract so and. I'm reading that you like okay you put. all your own money up on like Spike TV. to right so. at the time you know we're we're 40.

million in debt and the only way we. thought we could turn this around was. getting it on free TV and you have to. understand when we bought this it wasn't. allowed on pay-per-view right porn was. on Pay-per-view you could you could you. could buy point you were not allowed to. buy the UFC wow so our goal was to get. it on free television people thought we. were insane and it would never happen. but at the time reality TV was taken off. yes and and it was sort of what we felt.

was our Trojan Horse you're watching you. know UFC right but the fights were taped. what what the network was really afraid. of was live fights and that something. crazy would go wrong and whatever well. these fights were taped so um you could. addit it accordingly exactly it was the. perfect in for us so but wasn't Congress. trying to pass laws to get it banned or. outlawed or something you were up. against that also if I if I if my memory. serves me correct so what happened with. the original UFC was they ran from.

regulation they tried to go to places. you know where regulation they thought. couldn't touch them and then Senator. John McCain came in and put the stamp on. them and and and and and uh you know all. their marketing that they did at that. time hurt them uh we did the exact. opposite we ran toward regulation. Lorenzo verto was a very respected. regulator at the time uh so yeah our. goal was to make this a real sport this. many people want watch a freak show this. many people want to watch a real sport.

with real athletes he believed that it. could be this someday but you never. really our big thing was the Jiu-Jitsu. yes how are you going to educate people. about the Jiu-Jitsu because you know. again you and I are are close to the. same age we came from you know the old. John Wayne movies where you'd hit a guy. yeah and you go over and you'd stand him. back up and hit him again you jump on. top of the guy and start beating the sh. you know that wasn't and and boxing and. and and everything how do you teach. people the ground game right well first.

of all one of one of the the key. components to that was Joe Rogan right. who is the greatest you know UFC play. bypl fight guy ever um he's a guy who's. really educated on the sport is actually. done it loves and respects the sport and. the athletes and Joe Rogan had this. ability to walk you through what was. happening before it actually started to. happen you know and Jiu-Jitsu as a sport. and as a martial art completely took off. and everybody started training in it so.

would you consider Joe Rogan to be the. Howard coel of the UFC 100% I mean he's. better than Howard coell Howard coell. never actually trained in it did it and. and and you know could speak about it. with the love and passion that Rogan. does right did you understand what you. were buying did you understand that the. UFC we're taking a lot of different. disciplines we're taking karate we're. taking M Thai we're taking Street. Fighters we're taking boxers we're. taking whatever the case may be did you.

understand what you were actually buying. when you purchased the UFC we did. because we were in love with the sport. you know what I mean this wasn't just. like if this was an investment you. probably wouldn't have done it right. this was um we loved it we were we were. literally obsessed with it we started. taking Jiu-Jitsu with John Lewis and we. were doing you know three four classes a. week private in our office at the time. and we loved it we when we saw we said.

man imagine if they did this and imagine. if they did that this could be big we. truly believed in it did you take the. jiit jiu-jitsu classes to better. understand that or to see how it would. translate into UFC no we we took the. Jiu-Jitsu just to do it okay and then. once we did it we became obsessed with. it then once John started bringing some. of the other guys in right and we. started to meet these guys we're like. this is boxing had the same story I came.

from the Mean Streets of such and such. abut if it wasn't for boxing I'd be dead. or in jail that was everybody's story. correct that wasn't the story with the. UFC to be involved in in in martial arts. you grew up in a household that had. money martial arts is expensive to go. take these classes and the other base. for for UFC was wrestling so most of. these kids had College educations and um. you know they uh wrestled at at some. college so it was a completely different.

you had Matt Hughes who was this Farm. Boy from the Midwest you had Chuck. Liddell who looked like an Axe Murderer. but actually graduated uh with a degree. in in accounting from calply and and the. list goes on and on of all these Unique. Individuals uh and and and the style of. fighting was much more exciting than. boxing because you could punch kick knee. elbow slam to the ground do subm top. 100% there's just so many different ways. to win and lose it made it was a much.

more exciting fighting style so how did. you how did you learn to negotiate these. TV deals because you're bringing a. product that I mean it went away for a. little while and you you you you know. you reted it and so how do you go into a. Spike TV how do you go into a fox and. says okay this is the product that I. have and this is what I think it should. be worth how do you how do you do that. Dana well think about this when you. asked me about how did you know how to. manage how did you know how when we. bought the UFC in I think it was 3 weeks.

we had our first event me and the. fertita brothers had never done put on. an event ever you know logistically for. the live event forget about TV and. lighting and cameras and all the [ __ ] we. had to learn we had we had to dive in. and we had to figure but here's what we. did know we knew what we wanted we we. knew all the things that we loved about. boxing and all the things that we hated. about boxing because at the end of the. day we were fight Geeks we loved. fighting okay so we knew what we wanted.

then it was just a matter of getting in. there and fine-tuning you know believe. me I went through the there was a day we. we had these guys that worked for us at. the time in production and we had a. fighter who flipped out in one of the. interviews and I loved it I said this is. going to be incredible for this fight. we're do do this this this so I work. with the production the production team. said no we don't like this we shouldn't. do this I said well I don't give a [ __ ]. what you think this is what we're going. to do okay so we're sitting there the. night of the fight and I told Lorenzo.

watch this interview the interview. happens it's not what I told them to do. oh my goodness yeah I literally got up. from my seat went back and kicked the. door of the truck in and went in there. and said if you [ __ ] ever do. this again I'll fire every one of you so. I ended up firing that whole crew anyway. these are the kind of things we went. through you know in the early years to. to build it into what it is today um but. it's all trial and error but on the. business side you know how much I. learned from the fertitas on the.

business side I not just them I'd go and. sitting down and talk to their father. for hours about things and you know. so coming through all of this was my. college right the best way to learn is. to dive in and do it that's how you. learn this type of stuff game time makes. getting playoff tickets even easier and. faster prices on Game Time app actually. go down closer it gets to tip off with. killer last minute deals all prices. views from your seat and the lowest. price guarantee game time takes the.

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prices guaranteed they say in. negotiations in the art of a deal you. have to be willing to walk. away when do you know the right time to. walk away and have you ever walked away. from a deal I've walked away from many. deals many deals recently too you know. how do you how do you know the right. time to walk away. Dana um it's just a gut it's a gut. feeling you know if something's right. for you or it's not right for you. um and you don't jump at the first.

opportunity take your time you pump the. brakes you shop around and see what's. out there and what what's possible but. lately I mean I've talked about this. this recently too I'm at a place in my. life and in my career I'm not doing. anything for money anymore I want to be. in relationships that I'm comfortable. with I want to be in relationships with. people that I'm aligned with and that we. have the same beliefs philosophies and. whatever it might be um especially in. this culture and in this nutty World.

we're living in right now so everything. done with Dana White is about a. partnership it's not so much about. getting a check we're in business. together 100% 100% we're aligned and. you're not going to be calling uh this. office 12 times a [ __ ] year bitching. about [ __ ] and you know you know the way. that a lot of these sponsors think now. and act yeah that that because they they. spent some money with you they can tell. you how how to run your business live. your life how to vote how to do this you.

ain't going for that you got the wrong. guy got the wrong guy I read what you. pay is is it true because I read this. and I don't know I love having people. that that can answer the questions for. me that you paid Spike TV to put on the. ultimate fight you paid them yeah so the. first meeting that we had was Spike. listen we're looking at all these. different options out there Spike TV. pops up it's the network for men could. there be a better fit for us in the UFC. at the time for a reality show so the.

guys came in and they met with us and uh. I remember that day they were going to a. Dodger game okay they could not get out. of this [ __ ] meeting fast enough uh. to go see the Dodger game and we pitched. The Ultimate Fighter for to them and. they didn't love it so they end up. leaving that. day you know the fertitas and I get back. together and the fertitas say you know. what we'll do we'll put up the money for. this for this first season which was $10. million wow and uh this will be our last.

investment in the UFC if this doesn't. work we die yeah so we reach out to. Spike TV we tell them we're going to put. up the 10 million bucks they love that. idea so we Finance the first season of. The Ultimate Fighter and The Ultimate. Fighter is a smash hit right and then. the finale happens and Forest and Stefan. boner put on that unbelievable fight the. ratings go through the roof roof that. night I was like I don't care if we end.

up with Spike or not I know we got. something here and we're going to end up. somewhere the Spike TV Executives take. us out into the alley in the back of the. Arena we literally did the next TV deal. you know the outline for it on a napkin. wow in the alley at the arena but is it. true that WWE could have asked the deal. because you followed them on Monday. night yeah and I will give Spike TV and. their Executives all the credit in the. world for that they literally once we. got in there uh they they put us behind.

the W coming out of the WWE which was a. brilliant move right and that was that. was all Spike TV they did that but how. do you I'm just trying to figure out. because obviously when people see you do. something you have success obviously. you're going to have competitors like. okay maybe we're not going to be as big. but if we can take 10 15% out of the UFC. how have you been able to not only build. from where you came from but. continuously grow. well we we.

uh once this thing took off and started. to to grow um My Philosophy was always. this the old UFC and a lot of other. events that you'll see all they really. cared about was focusing on the. television product okay which is very. important but what about the live event. right because the people who show up for. the live event actually spend more money. most of them fly there they have to get. hotel rooms they buy the tickets they.

have to eat they buy gear 100% t-shirt. eat uh you know this goes on and on I. always want to make sure that the the. live event is better than anything. you've ever seen and most people will. tell you when you come to a UFC live. event it is the best sporting event you. will ever see live it's actually better. than what you see on TV and the TV. product is incredible right so all I. ever Focus on every day when I come to. this office is finding and building new.

upand cominging Talent okay putting on. the best fights that we can possibly put. on and then it's live television. production and live in-house production. if I focus on those things every day you. can't mess this up you can't mess it up. it's impossible but it has to be. because you are very very energetic. person and in the beginning this had to. wear you down the average person when. you're having you're not having the. success out the gate that you thought.

you were gonna have how do you how are. you able to remain so positive nothing. wears me down yes if things wore me down. I'd be sitting in [ __ ] San Diego. right now I'm doing God knows what cuz. believe me getting cure right now today. right nothing wears me down I I I feed. off that kind of [ __ ] I love it I love. adversity I love people saying this. can't be done. that's my favorite thing in life tell me. this can't be done and I'm going show.

you a can 100% is it true that Joe Rogan. he worked the first like 12 13 shows for. free to show you that he could do it no. he didn't do it to show I actually. reached out to him Ivory Keenan W used. to have a talk show Keen Ivory when we. bought the when we bought the um the UFC. right they were based in New York right. so I had to fly out to New York go. through their offices myself figure out. what I was going to ship to Vegas that. we needed and throw away what we didn't.

okay so I'm they they had tapes piled up. to the roof so I'm in there with a VHS. popping all these tapes and seeing what. was what and I pop in a tape and it's. the Keenan Ivory Wayne show and he's got. Joe Rogan who was the Fear Factor guy at. the time yes and he starts talking about. his love for. MMA and it was brilliant the interview. was brilliant and I'm like this is the. guy I need this is the guy that could be. the you know um I didn't know what how.

he fit in but I was going to figure it. out I end up reaching out to Rogan and. uh he's awesome we hit it off and he. says wait a minute so you're telling me. that I can have the best seats in the. House for every UFC event and and talk. about the UFC he's like I'll do that for. free so Rogan comes out he does the. first 12 events for free wow we buy him. a really nice watch to say thank you. whatever Rogan could give a [ __ ] about a. watch now that we really know Rogan yeah.

but that's what started the relationship. and and yeah it it just you know I would. do anything for Joe Rogan and we have an. you know we we we're we're we're tight. would you consider. him even with. Fighters probably one of the two or. three best investments that UFC made. that you made 100% um Joe Rogan was one. of the best moves that I made early on. in in in building this company there.

were a few key people that that I that I. brought in um that I believe helped get. us to where we are today and Joe Rogan. is absolutely positively one of those. people and Joe Rogan we'll go down in. history is one of the greatest Combat. Sports uh play-by-play guys or color. guys whatever you want to call them ever. let's talk about some of your fighters. let's start with Conor McGregor grew up. obviously at one point in time he was. getting government assistant turns. himself into the great fighter he's a.

champion in two different weight classes. he fights Floyd makes a ton of money and. we're going to get to that how and why. you signed off on that deal do you think. Connor can ever be what he once was. having accumulated the wealth cuz it's. hard and you you I can appreciate Brady. I can appreciate guys that make millions. hundreds of million and still go and act. as if they're. broke did you think that 100 million. changeed Conor does he still have the.

desire to go train and punch people in. the face and get kicked in the face like. he did when he was broke it's impossible. for that money not to affect you and. phas you um and and you see it that that. that is and you're so dead on one of the. things that makes Brady so incredible. and and. and unique is that not only not only did. he every year strive to get better and. better he was never one of these guys.

that tried to break the bank and and and. you know be the highest paid guy he. would actually take less money to build. a better team 100% I mean it it's it's. one of the things that now he's looked. at as the goat and that guy will. continue to print money for the rest of. his life absolutely um and and and to be. a young guy and not let his ego get in. the way o of of uh being great and and. and chasing greatness and understanding.

that not one person does anything you. need a team around you and that is one. of the things that I will credit Connor. for too if you ever notice there's never. been animosity. or a beef between UFC and Conor McGregor. right Conor McGregor is brilliant in. that way too he knows what he brought to. the table and he knows his value and his. worth but he also knows that the UFC. it is you know what I mean much like.

Brady the thing in fighting the hard. part about in the Combat Sports World is. once you start to make that kind of. money and you want to say well it never. changed me it's impossible not to change. you it's impossible to go from you know. where you were to where you are today. financially and not be changed but. Connor's one of the very unique. few that was able. to. capitalize on his Fame his personality.

and everything else outside of the. octagon and um this is a all. professional sports I mean you you. played at the highest level to stay on. top of your. game for many many years is very hard to. do um especially once money becomes. involved well it's hard in this sport. because you can't duck can dodge you. can't you're absolutely right you have a.

team around you that where you might. slack a little bit other people can pick. up and carry it you can't get carried in. this right see and see when I look at. Conor and you look at what he is is. craft Irish whiskey and I think he has a. beer now he goes from wearing sandals to. have mink slippers he goes from living. in very meager house to living in an. ivory Tower and he hadn't fought I'm. looking at it last I mean we last fought. January or. 2020 what what do you expect when he.

steps back into the ring he's at a place. in his life and in his career that you. know he shows up every once in a while. but when he does it's fun you know it's. going to be electric people give a [ __ ]. people want to see it and you know you. you can't expect to always be you know. the the best in the world it's hard to. do and and you got to give it I I'll. give you an example people talk [ __ ] and. say whatever they want want to say but. look at Canelo. Canelo is still the man yes you know he.

been for a long long time he he jumps in. there and he does it and he goes to work. and it's hard to stay at that level for. a very long time espe and canelo's. another guy I mean what's this guy. clipping 40 mil a fight something like. that you know what I mean not including. what he's making outside of the of the. ring so um a very unique few can do it. how much do you think because I do think. he's a very talented and gift fighter. but how much is it his ability to sell a. fight his Gift of Gab is nothing like.

we've ever seen in the UFC you have to. go back to an Ali somebody that could. talk that get you riled up I got to. watch this guy fight either he going to. whip somebody or I want somebody to whip. him but I got to see it I always hate to. do this but it it's it's a. fact Connor and Ali are here when you. talk they're equal when you talk about. mental Warfare and the ability to get in. the guy's head the ability to you know. um Talk up a fight he's Ali level he.

really is and. um it's fun man Connor Connor it's fun. having Connor in this company right and. in this sport in general so um I don't. know what you ask me what' you ask me. how how did has the 100 million fight to. your best guest well it's not just a. $100 million fight it's everything came. made I mean. I've heard too in the movie business he. just did a movie he was the highest paid.

guy to ever walk into a movie for the. first time uh you know his liquor. business you and I hope we can do what. he did the liquor business and the list. goes on and on and. on and what this kid has achieved and. continues to achieve so. um. fighting got him into a position where. he could capitalize on all these. different things outside of fighting and. and and very. few I'm trying to think of who else has.

been able to do that everybody else has. had to make all their money in fighting. you know maybe they had a couple things. go on here and there nobody has done it. outside of the Octagon or ring at the. level that Conor McGregor has you're. absolutely right ring is in full bloom. are your finances blooming too with the. Chim secur credit build a Visa credit. card it's easy to start building credit. with everyday purchases on Reg reg Time. payments with no annual fees or interest. and if your credit score grows so could.

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requirements overdraft limits apply out. of network ATM withdrawals OTC Advance. fees May apply also terms and conditions. apply go to online.com disclosure for. details 303 UFC it's going to be in the. sphere right M uh no 303 is Conor. McGregor International fight week the. sphere is in September how Dana how do. you go about choosing where fights will. take. place so normally what we'll do is we'll.

look at a date a fight what's available. where we haven't been in a long time. this whole sphere thing goes back to Tom. Brady Tom Brady called me and said want. to go see you two together they're. playing at the sphere I said yeah I'm in. we go to the sphere I'm sitting in the. sphere and I'm looking around at how. amazing this place is and and the. technology and everything and I'm like I. have to do this I literally when when we.

left I got on the phone and I called my. head of production Craig borsari and I. said you're going to you too next. weekend get the team together whoever. you want to bring and you're going to go. watch this concert we're doing the. sphere wow so why why would I do this to. myself right it's. like this is the kind of things that I. love to do I love to be first okay I. love to push the limits I love to do. things that people think aren't possible. cuz everybody's like how could you pull. off a sporting event in this sphere it. doesn't even make sense well SE watch in.

September I'm going to show you how you. do it right so um we're deep into this. thing now at the time I've been with MGM. forever yes well I don't have the right. to go to the. sphere they [ __ ] me okay they [ __ ]. me mgmd yeah and basically they knew. that I had this whole thing that I was. doing I just built a performance. Institute in Mexico right.

um I I I'm doing Mexican Independence. Day and hats off to Al. Heyman we do the. event MGM got [ __ ] by boxing somehow. right I don't know the deal or how it. went down but they got [ __ ] okay so I. end up getting Mexican Independence Day. okay I go in put on a great event Al. Haymon. I called my guy Monday and said make. sure we got this locked up next year too.

that weekend Al. Hyman slides in and steals the date from. me next year now hats off to you um my. guy calls on Monday and they said no we. already gave it to Hal Al. Heyman I flipped the [ __ ] out fli out. because you do all your fights at the. MGM grade for 20 something years yes. but these guys say we're sorry how can.

we fix it I said give me the sphere I. want the sphere I want the sphere so. MGM gives me the date at the sphere lets. me go to the sphere to do this thing wow. right so the way that this thing played. out is crazy this was meant to. happen so September is going to be first. of all I I'm a big boxing fan and I've. always been a fan of Mexican Fighters. and you know some of the baddest dudes. to ever walk the face of this Earth have. been Mexicans when you when somebody.

tells you you fight like a Mexican it is. the biggest compliment you could ever. get you fight in the fight business. right and this is my love letter to. Mexico the Mexican people and the. history of combat in Mexico and is going. to be done in the greatest Arena ever. built right with the best technology in. the world right now as far as Arena goes. and I'm I'm already $16 million into. this thing this will never be done again.

this will never be replicated anybody. who comes in after me at the sphere is. [ __ ]. [ __ ] telling you right now so this. this is going to be a oneoff the UFC. will never go back to The Spar this is a. one of one one of one one and done and. it will be the greatest live sporting. event anybody has ever seen have you and. if you're Mexican you have to be there. you have to be there have you have you. already got a card in mind we're we're.

working on it and we're tweaking it. every day and yeah answer is. yes oh man I can just imagine who I'm. everybody wants to be on that card. everybody should want to be on that card. believe me when I tell you everybody was. all fired up about UFC 300 this thing is. going to be you know and. again if you are Mexican and you are on. this it's just it's it's going to be. like nothing anybody's ever seen before.

right for a live. event um I had Francis and not to. mention the fact when I talk about. always being first yes nothing has ever. been done live at at the sphere uh. broadcast ever been broadcast live out. of the sphere so everything that I'm. doing there putting on a fight right um. programming the. sphere beaming it live to the rest of. the world right these are all first. nobody's ever done this how many how. many what what's the capacity of the.

spear 20,000 so yeah yeah there'll be. 20,000 people in there that day wow is. there there's not a bad seat in the. house is it well it's different it's. Unique to say there's not a bad seat in. the house for the fight this isn't just. a fight this is a a live yeah because. you going to have theatrical event yeah. yeah you excited about this I'm beyond. excited about this so had you not go. that that obviously the YouTube was the. first to perform in there had you not.

gone had that thought ever crossed your. mind prior to you going to see YouTu him. in the spear all these things that. happened Brady calling me and ask me if. I want to go to YouTu with him I I. wouldn't have gone and I wouldn't I. wouldn't have seen it and done it um the. uh the thing that happened with MGM Al. hymon sliding in there and stealing my. date all the things that have aligned. for me to be at the sphere it was meant. to be it was meant to be this was. supposed to happen yeah and you glad say.

thank you Al I appreciate that exactly. exactly I ain't hating on him listen Al. is a is a sharp sharp dude yep I have. Francis and Gano and his he lost his son. a couple of weeks ago so rest is uh uh. rip to a Francis andano son do you. regret how things played out with. Francis because you talk about the. heavyweight champ and the baddest man on. the planet and and for some reason what. he I think he defended his belt once and.

then his contract ran out and you guys. weren't able to get get something done. are you are you disappointed with how. that played out Dana no because we did. everything in our power to try to make. that John Jones fight and it is what it. is he said that now I'm just going by. what he said he said the UFC I'm assum. assuming if the UFC that's you said J. Jones was afraid of him do you believe. Jon Jones was afraid of Francis not only. is Jon Jones not afraid of Francis Jon.

Jones is the baddest fighter to ever. live ever in any combat sport if you. look at Jon Jones is. undefeated in the UFC right his he's got. one loss on his record he lost to Steve. mazzagatti do you know who that is I. don't he's the worst referee to ever. [ __ ] ref any fight anywhere oh Big. Steve he noted Steve masatti no bigger. than the other guy this isti this is a. guy that should have never ever been a.

referee in Combat Sports okay it was. during a period when the athletic. commission was at its worst and Jon. Jones did not lose that fight John Jones. destroyed the guy that he fought in that. fight and this guy [ __ ] the fight up. Jon Jones is undefeated never lost and. he went through murderer row yeah then. he goes out for three years right sits. out for three years comes back and beats. s Cal Gan like that.

easily in my. opinion he does the same thing to. Francis what what 100% does the same. thing to Francis Jon Jones Francis. didn't want to fight Jon Jones Jon Jones. is the. scariest most badass fighter of all time. Jon Jones has his issues. outside which actually makes it even. more impressive right when you think. about the lifestyle this guy was living. and doing this to the best fighters in.

the world and uh Jon Jones is one of. those guys that won't truly be. appreciated until he's gone right but. that I'm telling you right now when you. talk about who the baddest man on the. planet is two guys get locked in a room. who's walking out it's [ __ ] Jon Jones. all day every time did you know when you. first met him did you know he had these. type of capabilities not really it was.

when we just started seeing him fight. and how he was destroying people at such. a young age and and what he was doing to. guys that were looked at as wow this. guy's the you know and he's running. through him I mean it's not for anybody. to even try to. say Jon Jones wouldn't fight the what. what makes Jon Jones even scarier is. when you put Jon Jones in front of a. camera and he tries to be normal yeah. and he tries to talk to every there is a. dark side to Jon Jones I mean that's.

that's just a. fact and uh yeah Jon Jones is the. baddest in my opinion the baddest human. in Combat Sports. ever he has a fight he to he was. supposed to fight and he to tears a pet. now obviously maybe Steve pay um he John. says he would like to fight Pereira give. him an opportunity to be a three. division champ something that's never. been done in the UF UFC obviously I. think aspel I think that's how you say.

his last name. asol DC Daniel chier says he understands. Jones wanting to fight Pereira because. you know give him an opportunity but he. thinks the better fight will be with. Aspen what the fight and but John says. you know what Steve pay did have the. bill I think I owe him what's the fight. do you think makes the most sense first. of all he has to fight St that's just. that fight has to happen Okay um you. have a guy who's looked at as the. greatest heavyweight ever versus the.

greatest fighter ever right right um. that fight has to happen and I don't. disagree with DC the next. fight should be Aspen all okay. and Jon. Jones I. I most of the people that cover the. sport know nothing about the sport. they're actually. horrendous and they don't know anything. about the sport and they definitely. don't know anything about the business. of the sport um but if Jon.

Jones beats Stipe then Aspen all it's. just it's so he should so if he beats. steepe he beats Aspen he should just. retire because there's nothing else left. for him to prove there's nothing for him. to prove now he already moved up to. heavyweight right and walked through S. gone I mean it it Francis and barely. made it through s g if s Gan doesn't go. for that submission right s gone wins.

that fight. mhm J Jones walked through him he did. like he was Nothing Jon Jones is has. nothing to prove now you know what I. mean I saw Jon arguing with. fans on on on Instagram the other day. Jon Jones has nothing to argue about Jon. Jones has nothing to prove anymore but. the fact that he's still here and still. wants to you know he's going to come out. and fight Stipe and the fact that he. could fight. Aspen it's unbelievable he will not.

truly be appreciated until he's gone so. what so the Pereira fight do you think. cuz Pereira I mean the punching power. that he possessed you don't perea is. amazing I think Jon Jones walks through. everybody. now when Jon Jones gets his hands on you. you're in trouble what makes him so. unique because there are a lot of guys. that can grapple there's a lot of guys. that can submit you there's a lot of. guys that can stand what makes Jon Jones. so unique Jon Jones has a great chin Jon.

Jones is good anywhere the fight goes. and and Jon Jones is a killer he's a. killer Jon Jones doesn't go in and try. to squeak out yeah you know decision I. think that's what you love most about. him you don't like guys trying to. wrestle and just try to get get than. that he's just the he's the best and. there is a dark side to Jon Jones wow. look at look look at the look at the uh. when him and uh Cormier yeah were in.

that interview yeah and they thought. that the cameras were off right and they. start talking to each other back and. forth and Cormier is like you're you're. a piece of [ __ ] I just spit in your face. right now and JN Jones is like and I'd K. I'd kill you you know i' I'd kill you. right like we're not talking about. fighting I'd kill you you know and then. Jon Jones the stuff that's gone on in. his in his personal life when when all. the was going on during and people were. riding and all that [ __ ] J Jones was. walking around the streets of his town.

like. smacking uh spray paint cans out of kids. hands and being like get your [ __ ]. ass home wow stop [ __ ] up my town and. John Jones Jones is a big gun guy shoot. he's got the [ __ ] the dogs that are. trained to you know what I mean yes John. Jones is a bad dude do you ever worry. about him in a face off because you said. he has a or dark. side we see it in the MGM Grand Lobby.

people are checking into their hotel we. doing the weigh-ins in the lobby him and. Cormier Jon Jones goes after him they. get close and Cormier pushes them back. and Jones goes after him big fist fight. right in the lobby of the MGM Grant Jon. Jones is the baddest dude to ever do it. right Dana you guys have made some. positive strides as far as pay because. that seems to be a lot of the fighters. that we don't get in a thing and I think. the last one um you gave $300,000. bonuses instead of the $50,000 bonuses.

for UFC 300 for UFC 300 and um you have. now they get 100 thou 150,000 I think if. that's the case and they can come out. here and train and nutrition and all. that other stuff so what where where do. we stand on this how do we get obviously. they're not going to make football money. they're not going to make basketball or. baseball money but obviously I think. some of the fighters says considering. what's at stake I think the patient be. more well nobody really knows how much a. lot of these guys make and guess what.

these guys don't want you to know how. much they make either right uh you know. there's a narrative from uh you know. people that don't like the UFC don't. like me or whatever it might be. um and these guys don't know what these. guys really make and the other thing is. is that the money is spread out from the. top to the bottom right uh you know we. have guys who would be considered. Journeymen in boxing who've made. millions of dollars right and if you.

don't like the way that it's run. here there's no bar to entry start your. own mixed martial arts organization and. you pay the guys whatever you think you. want them it's been done by many many. powerful Rich smart businessmen and they. don't succeed no I've built a business. that has lasted that has changed many. people's lives and you know if you think. you can do it better than me knock.

yourselves out most of this narrative is. by um scumbag reporters okay who uh have. never built anything in their life have. no idea what it's like to run a business. and who have no idea uh what it's like. for people to depend on a paycheck from. so you I could care less I look at you. guys Dana you're like the NFL you. remember usfl they tried to compete. against the NFL it didn't it didn't work. and we've seen other leagues try to comp.

compete against the NFL and the UFL says. you know what we're going to pay your. comp we going to pay you. more and it didn't. work why why do you think that the. organizations that come up against you. and have all these genius ideas where. we're going to do X Y and Z why do you. think they fail well we felt the same. way I when we bought the UFC we were. like wow this is going to be great we'll. be friends with all the Fighters and. we'll do this and do that but then once. you get into it and you start to realize.

the reality and your $40 million in the. ho and and just trying to fight to. survive um you know we change people's. lives every day in many different ways. um and I'm very happy with what we've. accomplished and what we've done and. what we continue to do not just for the. fighters but for our employees who work. here at the UFC um we continue to grow. the sport we continue to get um more. people involved from other countries uh.

the in and we we reinvest in the sport. you when you look at what boxing did. everybody's like oh boxing. boxing every [ __ ] event that they put. on it's a going out of business sale. let's grab as much money as we can from. everybody we don't care if the event is. good we don't care if the people at home. enjoy what they saw we don't care if the. people who came and bought tickets liked. it right we just want to grab as much. money as we can they never reinvested in. the sport tell me a sport or any. business ever in the history of the. world that has probably made trillions.

of dollars in revenue and at the end of. the day there's nothing there right. that's boxing we built a brand that fans. believe in and Trust they know when they. buy tickets or a pay-per-view they're. going to get what they paid for and. everybody is taken care of from the top. to the. bottom professional sports isn't a job. it's an opportunity right you were given. an opportunity you were good enough to.

get an opportunity where you could go. out in a very short period of time and. make as much money as you could possibly. make and it gave you a platform to be. here today having this conversation that. is what professional sports is all about. and that is what we provide for lots of. different people who are great like. Conor McGregor and people that you'll. never know their name you wouldn't even. know who the hell they are if you saw. them in the street that's what we do. math the less your business spends on. operations multiple systems and. delivering your product or service the.

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we've seen some of the other Fighters uh. Ali I think he wants to he wants to go. into boxing where are you on that. because I you know look it was great. because Conor and Floyd is big time you. got big personality you got Floyd. arguably one of the the greatest fighter. uh uh ever and so you got great where. are you on that now Dana are you I I. don't know if you see people that are. like oh I want to go into boxing I think. that boxing calls out a lot of our guys.

because they know that's where the money. is right um we we built the right model. a sustainable model and a model that. works for everybody and changes. everybody's lives if your opinion is you. know again I think these guys well how. much how much money what's the number. because most of the time most of these. guys in in boxing will say well I want. 40 million for that well how does that. [ __ ] make sense. boxing got so [ __ ]. up that nobody could actually make a.

living out of it and people couldn't. right that Saudi Arabia had to take it. over right a group of people that have. so much money they don't care whether. they make or lose money that's how. [ __ ] up boxing got that that's where. that had to go wow right that's why this. guy is is is making all these fights. that he's making right now like Tyson. Fury versus yusk that's a fight that. should have happened it took turkey to. make that fight right because they have. unlimited funds and whether they make.

money or don't they don't care they. don't care I just saw that because of. piracy that that fight lost like $100. million or something like that or 20 to. 100 million I don't know what the number. was but that's that's what you need for. boxing wow right yeah I do give a [ __ ]. whether I lose money or not absolutely. you're not a nonprofit we we we built a. sustainable business right that can. continue to go on and continue to give. opportunities right to lots of different. people from all over the world Mike.

Tyson Jake Paul I've seen you go back. and forth with Jake Paul before he's you. know he's beat a couple your your. retired or or guys that no longer fight. in the UFC what's your take on Jake yeah. listen the kid's out there and he's. doing his thing and he's he's making. money if you can uh you making real. money D or you making I don't know that. that I don't know I I don't know what. he's really making. um I believe that he was he was making. the money he says he's making Showtime. boxing wouldn't have gone out of. business and and Showtime would have.

made sure they kept paying him right um. but he's doing it you know what do I. think of the Mike Tyson fight yes. Tyson's 58 years old you know what I. mean Jake fought a guy who was his age. and was also considered a boxer and he. lost so if you can keep fighting [ __ ]. 50 something year olds you don't think. have a chance and making a living that I. I think that Mike Tyson has a puncher. chance against anybody Mike's 58 years.

old you know what I mean I hate doing. this because Mike gets mad at me every. time I do this but Mike shouldn't be. fighting I mean because you look at Jake. Paul he fought Tyron Woodley slept him. Anderson Silva I think he fought Nate is. there I mean if he if he wants to be do. boxing why not fight guys that actually. box for a living 100% fight guys that. box for living and guys that are your. age how about that he says he wants to. fight.

Canelo I just say what he hear then why. is he not fighting Canelo Canelo I don't. think Canelo wants to waste his time. yeah I mean it'd be a [ __ ] 30 second. Payday for Canelo so I don't know why. Canelo wouldn't do it you know but but. they probably Canelo can fight real guys. and his credibility intact and still. make that kind of money you know what I. mean. Jake Jake needs these guys Jake needs. Tyson and needs all these other people. cuz that that you know everybody's going.

to tune in to hope that Mike Tyson. knocks him out right they're not tuning. in because they think Jake Paul's a. great fighter and they want to see him. compete you I know you know this guy I. think it reminds me a lot of Butterbean. when Butterbean was fighting guys that. had no chance of beating everybody loved. him but once he got beat the novelty. kind of wore off and I think that's what. would happen with Jake if he were beat. and and and the novelty did wear off. that's why he has to get a guy like. Tyson and to try to get some some.

credibility back when he fought somebody. that was actually his age and was. actually a boxer and was actually his. size he. lost I mean it is what it is I'm not. trying to [ __ ] on the kame I mean I'm I. I I don't care what he's doing but I. mean come on man to be fighting Mike. Tyson and you know another guy you've. had some some some verbal spats with. that's very very publicized is Oscar De. La Hoya and I think it goes back to I. think he said you blocked a fight with. he and J uh George St Pierre is that.

where it started from or talk about Jake. Paul like me and Jake Paul have had. whatever you know Jake Paul's a kid. that's out doing his thing he's trying. to make some money whatever his deal is. Oscar De La. Hoya okay is a [ __ ] is a two-faced. lion [ __ ] nut job you know. and yeah me me and Oscar are never going. to be cool y y never going to be cool. again. never never ever [ __ ] but were you cool.

look at anybody who's ever dealt with. Oscar de Hoya I don't I don't know if. that guy literally has any [ __ ] bud. who's his real friend were you guys ever. cool at any point in time were were cool. I mean. obviously for all the things I think. about De La Hoya personally you know as. a fighter Oscar was a bad he was he was. you know what I mean and Oscar what was. the real deal um but uh as a human. being completely different.

um he and I I I I would go to his fights. I used to promote his fights on my. social watching the fight or whatever. then I go to do Mayweather versus. McGregor and he starts [ __ ] on the. fight yet saying I would fight McGregor. though so yeah he's just I mean if you. look at the history between me and him. you know's I'm going to get into MMA pay. these guys what they deserve to be paid.

no he didn't and you know the guys that. were involved in that fight all got. [ __ ] right uh he didn't pay them more. than they ever made in their careers he. didn't even know half the guy [ __ ]. names on the card um and the list goes. on and on with that guy khabib he. retired do you think there's ever a. chance that khabib would come back and. fight if there if there a number that. you can at uh uh like khabib we got 20. million we got 25 million I threw the. numbers at him trust me khabib has more.

money than than he'll ever spend he he. doesn't need to fight again and I think. that he sort of lost the desire when his. father passed away and and I think it. was a fatherson thing yeah that he had. with his dad and also he's such a good. human being that he is truly. happy um for Islam right and what Islam. is and and he is fulfilled enough that. that was his dad's dream that khabib. would Reign then in would come Islam and.

and it's all playing out exactly the way. they planned it I think khabib's in a. good place in his. life Ronda Rousey yep greatest athlete. I've ever worked with. wow what did she mean for the UFC she. was huge at at at the at the right time. and the right place and women's fighting. is where it is today because of her um. and she was one of those athletes like. anything anywhere anytime she was a. Workhorse great human being um.

brilliant yeah the greatest athlete I've. ever worked with were you sad when she. stepped. away um I was sad that I wouldn't work. with her on a daily basis like we did. but uh I I felt like the timing is right. she had done everything she set out to. do not just for her and her career but. what she did for women uh in fighting in. general right and you see Amanda Nunes. come in and I watch that fight and I'm.

looking at the capabilities that Amanda. had versus what Ronda well what happened. with Ronda was Ronda was very unique in. that she came in and put this this thing. on on on the world stage this thing. being women fighting women fighting she. put it on the world stage corre right at. a level that nobody else could have ever. done it and while she was doing what she. was doing building the sport and the UFC. and women all these other women were.

training to be her you know what I mean. she had taken so much on her shoulders. at the time it was literally impossible. for her to keep growing as as as a. fighter during that period right so now. we see UFC fighters becoming movie stars. we see Ronda Rousey we mentioned to her. Conor McGregor he was in his own movie. ronda's been in s movies MH are are you. pleased with do you like do you like. that your Fighters UFC that they're.

becoming so big that they're able to. Brand out and even grow the UFC even. more well you have Connors and Rhonda. that are very unique it's hard to take. those two and compare them to all the. rest you look at we already talked about. Connor but if you look at Ronda she came. in and blew the UFC up for women uh. opened the doors for all women to come. in she's written books M that that have. been New York Times bestsellers she's. written uh she just wrote a screenplay. for her own story she went into the WWE. and became a star yeah sponsorship deals.

she's done there there's things Rhonda's. done that will never be done again um so. you're looking at very unique very very. unique situations and everybody's not. going to but you know Dana you know. everybody comes with the aspirations of. being if they're female being Ronda. Rousey or being Conor McGregor as you. should um and what happened with nunz. another I love Amanda Nunes we have an. incredible relationship is she coming. back huh is she coming back she could.

come back there's a possibility she. could come back um but again a very. unique individual in her own right you. know uh very powerful woman that is. looked at as the goat now female. fighting um you know married to another. female fighter so very inspirational and. and and big in in the gay and lesbian. Community um you know now a mother uh. you know she blazed her own trail MH in.

in UFC like everybody's journey is. different and not the same you know as. an athlete and as a human I read that. you were the one that really got rock on. in into social media what's your. relationship with the rock I have a. great relationship with him uh you know. we probably talk a couple times a month. and yeah at the time he wasn't on social. media and I was like are you nuts do you. have any idea how big you would be on. social media and da d d and I actually. the people that ran my social media I.

put on his to get him up and started and. kind of get him going and obviously you. know the guy's a a Trailblazer now in in. in social media and one of the biggest. followed humans on earth right and he. loves he loves UFC because he's doing a. dog is he doing a dog like Mark Kerr no. he's do he's doing a film film a film. based on the smashing machine right uh. do you have any. I mean did you have any influence on. that did you like I wouldn't say that I. influenced it that was all him but I've.

obviously help talk behind the scenes. right yeah Power. slap oh I love it I love it I love it I. mean I mean there are very few times. that there are two slaps it's normally. just one slab D no no no it's it's it's. like 50/50 yeah go to decisions or. Knockouts yeah no there's there's way. more back and forth than than people. realize because all you see on social is. the viral side of it but this thing is a.

beast it's the most successful thing. that I have ever been a part of in my. career in such a short amount of time in. 16 months this thing's only 16 months. old we have more more uh followers than. like the. NHL uh PGA uh uh NASCAR and many many. others and we're about to take over. Major League Baseball too here pretty. soon on all social platforms and. billions billions of views in and and.

just um 16 months the eida on this thing. is off the charts the revenue is. unbelievable um and we have more. sponsors in 16 months than the UFC had. in eight years how do you train for. power slant so what's starting to happen. now this is the same these are all the. same questions people ask me about UFC. in the old days oh my God this this is. garbage you jump on top of another guy. you can do this you can do that it's. human [ __ ] fighting now this because as.

soon as money gets involved right and. you can actually start to make a living. doing this right people start taking it. serious and people start so when when. athletes come in to slap we put them. through the performance Institute and. they go through go through the same type. of training we we uh measure them for. force velocity speed you know and people. are actually starting to train and take. this thing serious because there's real. money involved now I mean I'm just I. mean and this thing was Global overnight. this thing started in Russia right and.

Poland right that's where I started to. see the stuff coming from and uh you. know we pull massive numbers in places. like southeast Asia um India Brazil. there's already two knockoff leagues in. Brazil um and you know you're starting. to see these smaller leagues popping up. all over the world now so when you first. saw it you like so when you first saw P. lap what was the first thing that went. through Dana White's M this is crazy. what the hell is this exactly and I was. fascinated and I started to watch it and.

I started to to dig deeper and take a. deeper dive into it and I was looking at. some of these numbers that were coming. out of Russia and Poland 350 million. views on on uh YouTube and stuff like. that and our YouTube channel is massive. now right and you want to re realize. something so I started putting this. thing on UFC's YouTube yeah number one. two 3 and four alltime video views or. power slap on on UF YouTube when you. think about Conor McGregor khabib you. think about Brock Lesnar Ronda Rousey.

some of the big stars that we've had in. some of the big moments yeah so the. second biggest thing on my social media. ever now is Max. Holloway um knocking out Justin Gage UFC. number one is power SL when he called. him in I massive number one. right what about celebrities. participating in power slab it will. eventually happen hell no it what the. hell Shannon I'm going to have you. pretty. soon hell. no I don't want I don't want to be in no.

UFC I don't want to get choked I don't. want to get kicked at least in boxing. data I ain't got to worry about but two. two these right here in UFC you got to. worry about kick but that slap man I. know I know and they got your hands. behind your back yeah and they already. know what's going to happen because they. got two people to catch you cuz they. know you about to go down these guys are. so tough man so tough and and and and. the the the balls it takes out there and. perform on the world stage and do this. when you know it's going to be the.

biggest thing virally on earth nah well. I don't I tell you what I hate to be the. first I hate the the first athlete. because he go he's GNA be the biggest. that's going to be the most biggest. viral moment cuz when you get an athlete. that does that a profession an ex. professional athlete this thing's been. around for 16 months and we have 6. billion views over six billion views. yeah right think about that the first to. get SLA he going do the world 8 billion. people in the world we have 6 billion. views in 16 months wow I mean when you.

really rap your head around how big. Power slap is and the numbers that it. pulls it's absolutely fascinating and I. love it because it's another one of. those things that people said uh-uh this. won't. work give me three football players and. three basketball players that you. believe would be great MMA fighters you. got to well you got to start with the. two goats okay first of all Brady man. you know Dam well Brady Ain going to be. no MMA 5 I'm just telling you if you. think about the mindset that it takes to.

be great that's that's number one it. starts with the mindset you got to go. with Brady and you got to go with Jordan. okay so let's get those two out of the. way Jordan is a killer okay I I've spoke. about Michael Jordan many times never. met him don't know him don't want to. meet him I like him too much I respect. him too much I love his Killer Instincts. don't want to meet him respect to death. so take those two then now let's get. into the the the the next four which is. going to be tougher.

um uh when you talk about big explosive. P so marcedes Lewis he's a huge UFC fan. yes obviously an unbelievable athlete. and and whatever um has the mindsets. been in the game forever I'm I'm going. to go with him too okay just because. he's such a huge fan of the sport and. gets it and and uh you know you look at. all his attributes uh as far as a. physical um basketball basketball these.

days is tough because they ain't as. tough as they used to be I guess you'd. have to go with lamb beer right let's. let's go with lamb beer take World meta. piece I'll take him too no you probably. want to take Charles Oakley yeah. Oakley's another good one you're right. Oakley Big Baby. Shaq man Shaq too big too big yeah. because you got Shaq 71 probably 350 now. imagine Shaq on top of you though Shaq. in his Heyday we're not talking about.

Shaq today are we 320 well he's 325 I. mean you got a limit you sh in his ha. when you see Shaq back in the day oh. yeah Shaq used to [ __ ] over 4 pound you. know the speed the agility the power but. you got a limit you can only be. 265 yeah Shaq was 265 at high school I. now I got to pick weight classes holy. [ __ ] I mean no yeah if I just talking. about guys that could that could go in. and you think kick your ass Shaq would. definitely be one of them yeah uh then. when you go back to to football too and.

I think about some of these I mean. there's so many probably you know big. talented physical athletes you'd have to. look at grank too uh you'd have to look. at Payton right Walter pton um it's. definitely a. mindset that's why I started with the. guys that had the mindset first you know. Jordan and Brady both have the the. winning whatever it takes to win um the. mindset Jordan to me is Jordan is the I. mean in any sport yeah when you look at.

the way Jordan was and when you look at. some of the clips on how physical it got. with him and and and you know he didn't. care no no he didn't he was sick at 104. degree temperature whatever it was. everything about Jordan equals winner. but he's like that in every aspect of. his life and that's what I hear people. that know him he can't do he can't do. anything for fun right it's got to be a. competition and there got to be. something involved normally a large of.

money or he has to be pissed at you oh. yeah he has to be pissed at you and not. like you he has to create conflict yeah. for him to have to want to come if you. beat him in something he's pissed at you. so now now he's going to double the. stakes you know and I don't know if this. is a fair comparison but a lot of people. compare you and not in this aspect. because we know what transpired off the. thing is that you and Vince McMahon have. a lot of similarities with the way you. conduct your business as far as him. running the WWE he's no longer in charge.

there and you running the UFC how did. you learn how to run a business not ever. being in business I did I did run. businesses myself when but not at this. level not at this you know the type of. finances is it the same Dana is can you. can you run a business a lower level. business and then take the same mindset. and run a bit a multi-billion Dollar. business I think you can um I think you. can but I was just very fortunate in. that um two things that I've done I.

always learned from other people you. know the ability to learn and. uh see things and learn from certain. people but I've also I'd say my biggest. talent is building a team nobody does. anything by themselves you build a team. around you that you can count on so I've. built a team of people that when I say. this is what I want I have the right. people who can Implement what I want and.

get [ __ ] done um that I don't have to. tell somebody something twice that's. that you can't have those type of people. around you if I got to tell you. something [ __ ] twice it doesn't work. here and the other thing is I I've also. had the ability. to. um when I. say I want this [ __ ] done I want it. done now if I call you at 2: in the. morning. I expect you to answer the phone if you. work for me and all this other stuff yet. I also want my people to not miss their.

kids practice not K miss their kids play. not miss their kids you know a lot of. the things that happen in life while. you're building a business so it's a. very it's a weird a veryify line yeah. yeah it's it's it's true but when I tell. people and people talking about sh. you're crazy I say you have to have. people as equally obsessed as you are in. order for this thing to work people have. to be bought in on the vision especially. in the early days yes it's easy to get.

people on board for the vision now yes. but for me to hire Craig borsari my head. of production away from Fox for me to. hire some of my guys that are here. legally from Big law firms and you know. greatest PR person in all of [ __ ]. business over there the chair yes to. keep her from going to somewhere else. right um The Talented production people. that I have here The Talented sales. people that I have here that work in.

sponsorship all those jobs are in New. York and La they're not in Vegas right. you have to have people bought in on. your vision and and and uh and and like. you said be obsessed and love this as. much as I do obviously NBA NFL Roger. Goodell uh Adam. Silva have you ever spoken to those guys. do you take any notes from how they. conduct their league and what you can. learn or did you take anything or they.

so different different. um and it I I wouldn't put this on those. guys it was their their predecessor the. guys before. them I would look at the things like. them reading canned statements from. lawyers that I always hated them being. too corporate I always hated um so I did. learn a lot about the guys before this. them and and people always try to ask me. oh Roger Goodell doesn't do this that. and everything you could run the NFL I.

wouldn't want the. NFL because you got 32 bosses you're the. boss I touch the NFL okay and credit to. him for what he say whatever you want. about Goodell and silver and all these. guys those leagues continue to go like. this they continue to make money they. continue to thrive they continue to do. well. um I I don't I don't point the fingers. at anything they do and and I don't look. to them for guidance or advice at all. you're a very generous man though well.

thank you you very generous to your. workers to people that believe in that. believe in you and that see your vision. like you said I call I expect you to. answer the phone because I'm I'm. compensating you handsomely I expect. that but you where did that generosity. come from well it's not even that that. I'm compensating you it's it's this is a. very unique business and that this isn't. a 9 to-5 this isn't a you know this is a. yall hear that it's true though this is. a 24hour a day 7day a week.

365 mad [ __ ] mad house I guess I. would call it and the hard part about. this job is it's like Groundhog Day. right every Monday is fight week and we. you know you get into this hamster wheel. so to keep it fun and to keep it. different and to keep growing and to. keep going to different levels you need. I I need people that that work here that. that are accessible and and creative and. uh can do things on the Fly and can turn. things around in a minute fight fighters.

fall out all the time we got to rip all. the Billboards down we got to change all. the marketing we got to sell a new fight. we got to do this you need people that. are are ready to go and uh but also I I. understand how hard these people work. and and the sacrifices they make and uh. I try to reward them in many other ways. other than compensation we do lots of. fun things around we throw killer. parties out in this this backyard we we. do concerts over in the in the uh the.

arena that we have next door right and I. try to do fun things and involve their. families in it I want the people who. work here I want their kids and and and. their significant others to like the UFC. and be a part exactly you know I hear. stories where these big corporate. companies will throw parties and they. don't even have a plus one it's just the. people who work there having parties. with the people who work there right no. that's not what we do here do do the. employees when they're coming on do they.

understand what's going to be asked of. them and then what's demanded from them. do they do you explain that to them or. do do are they given a great explanation. do you understand what you're about to. Embark upon I think they do yeah and I. think I think it's at a level now where. people realize you know we have an. intern program here too okay and in my. opinion we have the best intern PR. program and all of sports kids come here. and actually do stuff they actually. learn and are Hands-On with with real. business that's happening in the UFC and.

every time the interns come they meet. with me right and then when they leave. they meet with me and uh We've hired. many interns wow yeah many interns work. here my right-hand guy who is my. right-hand guy started here as an. intern wow yeah he is in the day-to-day. [ __ ] with me. all day every day professionally and. personally he was an intern here at this. company you live in.

Vegas we know us the strips are just. right up the. street you like to partake in gambling I. do I've heard the story that you've won. couple of million dollars and they've. asked you not to come back and partake. anymore yeah that's happened a few times. actually what's your game well Blackjack. I've been playing pretty much my whole. life I just started to get into bakara. now okay and uh money really changed. hand in bakar I love it it's been it's. been fun I've been playing for like two.

and a half three months and uh yeah I I. gamble almost every night every night. almost every night I can't say every. night but but hold on that how do you. live in Vegas you how do you live in. Vegas and you stay at the casinos I told. you that I love adversity I love. conflict I love uh if I don't have it I. create it so um yeah gambling is is is. one of my favorite hobbies I love to do. it I I should probably take up [ __ ]. bowling or Bird.

walk not only do I love everything about. gambling I love everything about this. city this city first of all I love. America I love this country and one of. the things that I love about this. country is that it is truly the land of. opportunity right you and I are both. proof proof of that right doesn't matter. where you come from or how you were. raised or anything else if you have the. right mindset and you go after something. it can happen in this country I look at.

Vegas as like a little America Vegas is. exactly like America when you come to. this city and you have the right idea. and you're willing to work hard enough. anything is possible in this city and. there's nowhere else in the world that. you can go out with 200 bucks have a. great dinner go out and party all night. have a blast see some shows do this and. that and come home with $1,000. there's no other place in the world that. you can do that this city you can do. that but on the flip side this is also. one of those cities that if you don't.

have the right mindset can chew you up. and spit you out in two seconds right I. can't tell if this city was built for me. or if I was built for this city but I. love it and I couldn't imagine living. anywhere else when you play Blackjack. are you playing single hand or you have. the table to yourself or you at at the. table with buddies I have a table to. myself and I play double deck you play. double deck yeah and my strategy is this. I want to bet as much as I possibly can. in one hand let me bet as much as I can. my my goal before I die is to bet a.

Million Dollar Hand million they hold on. the only I don't know if they still liot. that we used to be bions down on. Freemont right how do you know this you. are absolutely right it's one of the. greatest stories that's never been told. there should be a movie about Benny B. yeah okay I met his grandson I wasn't. cool with his grandson okay well his. philosophy he was an old school Vegas. gangster type dude okay you didn't [ __ ]. around in the Horseshoe you didn't go in. there and cheat you didn't do any of. that kind of stuff and and guys would.

walk in and say what's the limit and he. would say your first bet is your limit. how gangster is that yes whatever you. compare whatever you put that he cover. it whatever your first bet is that's. your limit so if you wanted a million. dollar limit your first bet was a. million none of this $5 $5 $5 a million. right I love that I mean do you know the. story about Arie that came in there and. he almost bankrupt uh uh bions I do I do. there's so many great stories out of.

bions back in the day I used to go take. the pictures they had all the ,000 bills. million dollars yeah it was a million. dollars yeah but how do you have this I. used to I'm not going to lie I used to. have the stomach to be able to go and I. play I wouldn't play like you played I. play you know maybe 5,000 here maybe. $10,000 hand there but I don't have the. stomach anymore because you can't look. at that when you're playing you can't. look at that as money right. because you got to just look at that. like this is a glass [ __ ] it's it's.

not a denomination at that point in time. right and that's what I was always. fascinated in when I was younger I would. go watch these guys play high stakes. blackjack and I would equate every bet. to what you could buy with it you know. that's a car that's a this that's a. house and I've always been fascinated. with it and and now I'm one of those. guys but um like I told you earlier when. we started talking I have a crazy high. tolerance for risk I love clearly I love. risk and and do you give yourself a.

limit says okay I'm going to here I'm. going to play whatever the case may be a. million dollars if I lose a million. dollars I'm out if I win a million. dollars I'm out yes so my strategy is. always this let me bet as much as I. possibly can right let's say it's a. $300,000 hand right you win two or three. hands and you leave. they let you do that yeah yeah you don't. stay there and and and play for hours. uhuh and what a lot of these casinos try.

to do and this is the reason that I'm. not allowed to play in some of these so. I beat the Palms twice for $1.6 million. I got kicked out both times I literally. have the heavyweight championship belt. they gave me in there um it's I was 16. and0 1.6 million and they asked me to. leave twice and the way that they ask. you to leave is they drop your limits so. you can't bet that much anymore so. they did it the Mirage did it to me um. the win they're the worst go to eat it. the win eat it the win and hang out they.

get the greatest restaurants but. gambling at the win they're the biggest. [ __ ] on the strip in my opinion for. for what a big Casino they are um but. Caesar's. Palace the. balagio and the Venetian those are the. three real real casinos in town that. that you can play Big in and they don't. sweat you they don't act weird when you. win or any of that stuff but yeah I. don't oh so what I was saying is what. most of the casinos do they fly you in.

they put you up in a hotel and then they. make you play for a certain amount of. hours yeah [ __ ] that I'll go in and buy. my own room I'll pay for my own dinner. and I'll walk out when I want to it's me. versus you right right I'm one little. guy you're a big Casino company me. versus you oneon-one and I'll play one. two or five hands if I want to so you do. realize that you could potentially mess. up their quarterly report it just. happened yes I do realize that and it.

just happen and you love that too I love. it when we're off camera I'll show you. the quote during their earnings call. that that that this just happened wow in. in the month of uh April I [ __ ] up. their entire. quarter do you ever worry about getting. canceled. Dana what what does that mean actually. actually canceled canceled by who you. know what I mean canell by who I. obviously have in the UFC and in life.

you have a fan base of people that that. believe in you that love you regardless. and do whatever it is that you know that. are in with you um outside of those. people in my circle that I give a [ __ ]. about I could care less I could care. less and and and I've seen people talk. about oh well he has [ __ ] you money and. all that other. stuff I equate it to being gay. okay think about this in life back in. the 80s if you came out and said you. were. gay it could destroy your career it.

could destroy imagine living a life. where you can't be who you really are. correct it's it's got to be a horrible. thing. right [ __ ] that I I I am who I am if you. like it or you don't like it I don't. give a [ __ ] right that's your problem. not mine so you're going to have people. who who who who do like you and don't. like you this whole trying to cancel. people thing even the thing when when I. did the the the uh the rast no the.

interview with with Theo Von okay and. the guy from pelaton I don't know if you. saw this but the guy who was running. pelaton was sponsoring his show he just. stepped down from pelaton actually. within the last month and he had uh. theovon had um uh Kennedy on his podcast. right right they called and said you. need to take that episode Down MH what. he's a [ __ ] Kennedy right and he's a. Democrat right and he's an American.

citizen right and he has the right to. say and [ __ ] think whatever he thinks. you sell stationary [ __ ] bikes for a. living and you think because you spend. money with Theo Von you have the right. to tell him to take another [ __ ]. American down off his platform who the. [ __ ] do you think you are you arrogant. [ __ ] piece of [ __ ] now I'm not trying. to cancel pelaton or tell people but I. ripped the pelons out of my [ __ ] gym. here at UFC did you ripped them out of.

the gym that day you know what I mean um. I can't stand that stuff that stuff. makes me crazy you don't like you don't. like cor corporations or companies that. bully people and dictate what someone. can say or what they can show say show. talk about promote vote for any of that. stuff man it's like I uh you know I Le I. was very liberal when I was younger. right I lean more conservatively now. because I'm I'm all in for common sense.

I want common sense but I don't judge. anybody by their politics right I don't. uh discriminate against people you know. who I discriminate against. douchebags okay if you're a. douchebag I probably don't like you okay. but other than that all this political. [ __ ] and trying to cancel. people I'm I'm I'm not I'm not in man. not in do could you see yourself being a. part owner of another professional like.

an NFL team or an NBA team not really I. I'm not I'm I'm not I couldn't see. myself in that uh in that sort of. corporate structure what me and the. fertitas like to do yeah we take Sports. Niche sports that nobody thinks will. work and we we build them into billion. dollar businesses that's what we do is. it true that you move the birth date of. your child for a Chuck lale fight I did. yeah so my son was supposed to be born. you know they give you the due date when.

you think it's going to happen and it. was a big Chuck L fight and I'm like. yeah that's not going to work for me. we're going to have to we're going to. have to we're going to have to go and. pull him out a little. early when people they saw the incident. and you and your wife what happened with. you and your wife how were you able to. get past that Dana because that had to. be the toughest time that you had ever. gone through in your life it wasn't Co. was really yeah Co was way tougher than. that but the the the thing was it wasn't.

about getting through it publicly yes it. was about getting through it personally. okay with my kids me and my wife me and. my wife were fine me and my wife had. whatever we you know my kids the kids. had never seen that before it was on the. world stage we embarrassed them you know. and and and no no kids want to see that. [ __ ] with your parents everybody else. can go [ __ ] themselves okay it had. nothing to do with them right it was.

about my family right that's that's. what's important the people who know me. and know. her they they know us and and we're fine. it was it was my kids that was something. personal between me and my family right. so listen people are going to have their. people still talk about it and people I. would have an opinion too right of. course I would have an opinion seeing. that you know what I mean if that. happened. there on New Year's Eve basically on.

stage at a club in Mexico that probably. isn't the first rodeo you know what I. mean I would say the same thing but I. know exactly who I am my kids know who I. am my my circle of people that I give a. [ __ ] about know who I am and that's What. mattered to. me he's Dana White not Joe Rogan thank. you Dana. appreciate you bro thank. you my. myice want a slice got the roll a dice.

that's why all my life been grinding all. my life all my life grinding all my life. sacrifice Hustle the price want a slice. got the roll a dice that's why all my. life I've been grinding all my life. [Music].