Dana White has led the United Fighting Championship (UFC) for nearly 25 years. He will continue to do so after signing a multi-year extension.
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Responding to a question asked by MMA Junkie, White confirmed that he had signed a new deal. His previous seven-year extension had an expiration date in 2026.
"I have been extended," White said while laughing. "...That's a good question. Five years? Another five-year extension, literally, this year."
Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta purchased the promotion in 2001 from Bob Meyrowitz, who co-created the UFC. The brothers, who took weekly lessons in their casino's basement, named White as president of the promotion.
The Fertitta brothers remained the majority owners of the UFC until 2016 before selling to WME-IMG for $4 billion. White remained with the promotion after the sale while continuing to serve as president. The Fertitta brothers remained minority owners.
The UFC and WWE then merged in September 2023 to form TKO Holdings Inc. As part of this deal, Vince McMahon remained the executive chairman of WWE. White remained in charge of the UFC, but he took on the new role of CEO.
Under White's leadership, the UFC has become a global brand. The promotion has put on hundreds of events, the biggest of which operated under a pay-per-view model. He also ran "The Ultimate Fighter," a reality show that provided opportunities for new fighters to land contracts with the promotion.
Numerous fighters made their way to UFC and built careers after appearing on the reality show. This includes Tony Ferguson, Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin, Michael Bisping, and Kamaru Usman among many others.
White will continue to lead the promotion as it moves into a brand-new era. The UFC will no longer have pay-per-view fights. Instead, it will join Paramount+ in 2026 and beyond. The only requirement to watch upcoming fights will be a subscription to the streaming service.
The first fight night under this new era will be UFC 324, which will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 24, 2026. This event will have a main event featuring Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett. The winner will become the interim lightweight champion while current lightweight champion Ilia Topuria steps away to handle some personal business.
