Ronda Rousey hasn’t fought within the UFC in practically a decade however she maintains a detailed relationship with Dana White all these years later.
The UFC CEO speaks glowingly concerning the former bantamweight champion and Corridor of Famer and he or she typically returns the favor each time his identify comes up. In actual fact, Rousey believes White is the beating coronary heart of the UFC and the day that he decides to name it quits is when the promotion might now not maintain onto that No. 1 place in all of fight sports activities.
“When Dana’s accomplished, I believe the dominant MMA group title shall be up for grabs. I believe Dana is it. With out him, it’s simply three letters.”
It’s exhausting to argue with White’s affect over the game after he teamed up with Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta to purchase the promotion in 2001 for round $2 million earlier than remodeling the UFC into an organization that finally bought to Endeavor for over $4 billion. The corporate is now valued at greater than triple that a lot and only recently inked a large $7.7 billion deal to maneuver the UFC’s broadcast rights from ESPN to Paramount in 2026.
In accordance with Rousey, that additionally speaks to White’s dedication to the enterprise the place he all the time places the UFC first versus a boss she had after turning into an expert wrestler in WWE. Following the ultimate battle of her profession in 2016, Rousey crossed over to grow to be a celebrity in WWE when Vince McMahon was nonetheless operating the present. Rousey discovered rapidly there was an enormous distinction between working for White and dealing for McMahon.
“Dana White needs his firm to be as profitable as doable and make as a lot cash as doable,” Rousey stated. “I believe he’s received loads to show in that area. He’s received that new cash sort of veneer. He needs to earn his respect in that area with all of his friends.
“I believe Vince didn’t actually care how profitable the corporate [was] or how a lot cash he was making. He cared about how a lot affect he had on different folks culturally. He was attempting to impress his viewpoint on the world on everyone else by that. The underside line be damned.”
That stated, Rousey positively most well-liked working for White if for no different cause that she clearly understood his motivations.
“I imply I’m a capitalist,” Rousey stated. “So [I pick] Dana.”
