Dana White says Endeavor can take WWE to another level

Dana White says Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel helped UFC get to another level and he can do the same for WWE. 

Endeavor purchased UFC in 2016 for $4.02 billion. According to a CNBC report earlier this month, the company now has enterprise value of $12 billion. 

White, who owned 9% of the company at the time of sale, remained on as UFC president and says he only has “positive, incredible things” to say about working with Endeavor. 

White appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday and was asked about the WWE and UFC merger. 

White said:

That’s one of the great things about Ari [Emanuel] and why he’s such a great partner and why he’s so good to work with. He came in and he bought the UFC, they asked me to stay and Ari’s one of those guys that lets you run your business, he lets you do what you do. 

He also revealed that he met with the McMahons and told them what working with Emanuel is like. 

White continued: 

I actually met with the McMahons the last time I was in New York. They wanted to know what it was like to be in business with him and everything else and, obviously, I couldn’t say anything but incredible, positive things about it.

Emanuel will serve as the chief executive of the new company created through the WWE and UFC merger. White doesn’t believe the merger will impact the UFC at all but will be very beneficial for WWE. 

White said:

How this is going to affect our company, it won’t at all, we’re going to keep doing what we do. How it affects WWE is I think there is a lot of value that Ari can add on the business side whether it’s licensing, sponsorship, and the list goes on and on, he’ll help grow those different areas of their business. They’re valued at $9 billion, watch and see what they are in five years. 

We always knew there was room for growth and what we wanted to do, and the Fertittas were really good about this, just like Bob Meyrowitz who sold it to us, Bob Meyrowitz felt like we were guys that could take it to another level and the same thing happened when we sold to Ari. You want to sell to a guy who can help grow the business and take it to another level and that’s exactly what Vince has done too.