Dana White reacts to Donn Davis claiming PFL will be 'co-leader' with UFC after buying Bellator: 'It's f****** hilarious'

03/12/2023 14:00

It's safe to say Dana White isn't sweating the competition when it comes to PFL buying Bellator.

After the deal was closed for the PFL's acquisition of Bellator, company founder Donn Davis proclaimed that the merger will eventually make them a "co-leader" with the UFC. He even went as far as proclaiming White is "worried" about the competition the UFC now faces.

While PFL certainly has a deeper roster now than it had previously, as well stars like Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul on the roster, the UFC CEO doesn't seem all that impressed by the deal, much less concerned that the UFC has a legitimate threat on the horizon.

"It's f****** hilarious," White said at the UFC Austin post-fight press conference. "Good for them. I wish them all the luck in the world."

White also doubled down on previous comments he made after he was first asked about rumors that Bellator was up for sale and the PFL was the most likely buyer. At the time, White didn't really see the value in purchasing Bellator. That opinion hasn't changed now that the sale has closed.

While the UFC produced another record-breaking card on Saturday night in Austin — on the same day that the University of Texas competed in the Big 12 championship game — White said he hasn't seen much from the PFL or Bellator to convince him that his promotion has anything to worry about.

"I've covered this before," White said. "One s***** organization that sells no tickets and nobody watches buys another s***** organization that sells no tickets and nobody watches. Sounds like a f***** winner to me. Woo!"

Pressed further about the merger as a possible threat to the UFC, White only asked, "What do you think of their ticket sales … what do you think of their TV ratings?"

Of course, the UFC remains the biggest and most profitable MMA promotion by a sizable margin, and that gap could grow even wider with the promotion expected to begin negotiations on a new broadcast deal in 2024 that will likely be worth multi-billions.

The UFC currently counts ESPN as its exclusive provider including pay-per-views — the same broadcast partner as the PFL — but it remains to be seen what will happen with the new deal coming soon. That could potentially set the UFC apart from any other combat sports promotion and put them even closer to other major sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, and Major League Baseball.