Dana White rips notion that UFC lacks big stars entering massive Paramount deal

Dana White is lashing out at those who claim the UFC has a problem building new stars.

The UFC has made significant business moves over the years to take control of a substantial portion of the combat sports market. The promotion scored a $1.5 billion deal to have its fights air on ESPN, and has now secured an even larger deal with Paramount. The deal with Paramount will last for seven years and is worth $7.7 billion.

Despite the business success, some feel the UFC still has a superstar problem. It’s a notion that White strongly disagrees with, and he explained why during an appearance on the “IMPAULSIVE” podcast (via MMAJunkie).

“That narrative has been around since f*cking – I was hearing this sh*t about Chuck Liddell leaving and Georges St-Pierre. ‘What are you going to do?’ People nonstop talk sh*t,” White said. “You just started this interview talking to me about a $7.7 billion dollar TV deal. I could go through the metrics of this business from top to bottom, and I just told you that (Power) Slap guys have made $10 million over the last two years, and the list goes on and on.

“The problem is that literally nobody knows anything about this f*cking business. They all have an opinion, but they don’t know jack sh*t. … The UFC just signed this deal. We’ve got Power Slap. We’ve got boxing. You’ve got three of the biggest fights in boxing history. I was a part of two of them, and I’ve only done two. There’s a formula to the stuff. So when I listen to sh*t like ‘we have a superstar problem’ or we have a this problem or a that problem, my response to that is: ‘Believe me when I f*cking tell you, we have no problems.'”

The UFC’s next pay-per-view event is scheduled to take place on Oct. 4. The promotion will end the month of September without a PPV, but there will be two next month. Once the deal with Paramount begins in 2026, all numbered UFC events will air exclusively on the Paramount Plus streaming service.