Dana White isn’t concerned about the newly announced merger between Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and the Professional Fighters League (PFL).
The deal, revealed on Thursday, will eventually see PFL rebrand as MVP MMA, with the full transition expected to take place in early 2027. While the move has generated significant discussion across the combat sports world, White made it clear that he doesn’t view the merger as a threat to the UFC’s dominance.
Ahead of UFC Belgrade, the UFC CEO was asked for his reaction to the blockbuster announcement. In typical fashion, Dana White didn’t hold back.
“I don’t know anything about what they’re doing,” White told The Mac Life. “It probably makes sense. When s*** isn’t working for anybody, we should probably get together. Let’s take two organizations that don’t sell tickets and nobody watches and let’s merge them together and make a bigger company that we won’t sell tickets to and that nobody will watch.”
The merger between MVP and PFL creates one of the largest combat sports organizations outside the UFC. Many observers believe the combined company could provide fighters with another major platform and potentially increase competition within the MMA landscape.
Despite the attention surrounding the deal, White insisted that he doesn’t view either organization as a direct rival to the UFC. He pointed to the UFC’s position at the top of the combat sports industry and argued that the promotion operates on a completely different level.
“Listen, I’ve said this 100 times, and I’m just f****** around,” White said. “I don’t look at any of those guys as our competition. We’re in a whole other f****** stratosphere now. I mean, I’m competing with all the majors.
“Those guys aren’t my competition. So good luck to them all. I wish them all the best.”
The merger arrives after MVP successfully entered the MMA space earlier this year. The promotion’s debut event on Netflix, headlined by Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, reportedly drew massive viewership and generated widespread attention.
Meanwhile, PFL continues to build its roster and global reach after years of positioning itself as one of the leading alternatives to the UFC.
Jake Paul, one of MVP’s co-founders, has already hinted at pursuing top fighters from other organizations once they become free agents. That strategy could eventually create intriguing opportunities for athletes seeking options outside the UFC.
Still, Dana White appears unconcerned about any potential shift in the competitive landscape. This isn’t the first time Dana White has dismissed rival promotions. He previously made similar comments when PFL acquired Bellator in 2023, questioning whether the move would significantly impact the sport’s hierarchy.
White has consistently maintained that the UFC’s real competition extends beyond MMA promotions. Instead, he often points to major sports leagues and entertainment properties that compete for fans’ attention on a global scale.
While the MVP-PFL merger represents a major development for combat sports, White’s stance remains unchanged. In his view, the UFC continues to operate in a category of its own.
