Aim Bigger: How Dana White Built the UFC by Refusing to Think Small
- Austin Jones
- 14 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Aim Bigger: How Dana White Built the UFC by Refusing to Think Small
“I want to dwarf soccer… Those are where I set my standards. Not these other goofy f*ing leagues like PFL.” – Dana White
In business, there are two types of leaders: Those who fight over crumbs… and those who aim for the whole damn loaf.
Dana White has never been interested in crumbs. While every other MMA promotion thinks about beating each other, Dana thinks about beating global sports.
And that mindset, not luck, not timing, not chance; is the reason the UFC stands where it stands today as the largest, most valuable, and most globally dominant combat sports organization in history.
“Bigger Than Soccer.” Why That Mindset Matters
When Dana White said his goal was to make the UFC bigger than soccer and the World Cup, critics called him insane.
But that’s the point.
Entrepreneurs who win aim higher than anyone thinks reasonable. They set targets so big that even falling short changes the entire world. Maybe the UFC won’t surpass global soccer viewership.
But aiming that high has put the company into the same conversation as global giants.
That’s the mindset every business, especially in combat sports should emulate.
A Brief History of the UFC: From Almost Bankrupt to a Global Empire
2001: The Fertitta Brothers Buy a Sinking Ship for $2 Million
The UFC was illegal in multiple states, banned on TV, and seen as bloodsport.
Dana White wasn’t fighting competitors as he was fighting irrelevance.
The Athletic Commission Push
He pushed for unified rules, weight classes, doctor oversight, sanctioning, and the foundation of modern MMA.
The Ultimate Fighter (2005)
This show saved the company. The finale between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar created a mainstream explosion.
Expansion Into Global Markets
Brazil, Europe, Australia, Asia, African: the UFC didn’t just go where MMA was popular, they went where MMA wasn’t and made it popular.
Multi Billion Dollar Deals
$4 billion sale to WME–IMG in 2016
Multi platform broadcast deals
International Performance Institutes
A global roster of over 600 fighters
More PPV revenue than boxing, WWE, and almost all other combat sports combined
All from a promotion that once struggled to sell tickets.
That doesn’t happen by aiming low.
That happens when you aim for everything.
The Lesson for Other Promotions: Stop Measuring Yourself Against Small Competitors
Dana doesn’t worry about PFL. He doesn’t worry about ONE. His competition is:
Soccer
The NFL
Global entertainment
This is why he wins.
Great companies don’t obsess over their neighbors. They obsess over becoming the biggest version of themselves.
Other promotions fight over scraps with TV deals, aging stars, regional markets.
The UFC fights over continents.
That’s the difference.
The Business Lesson for Everyone Else: Shoot Higher like Dana White
Marketing agencies, fight promotions, gyms, media companies: all of them can learn from Dana’s approach:
✔️ Don’t aim to beat the guy next to you
✔️ Aim to beat the best player in the world
✔️ Dream big enough that even “failing” puts you ahead of the industry
✔️ Focus on vision, not noise
✔️ Don’t chase competitors, set the pace and make them chase you
Dana White doesn’t think in inches.
He thinks in lightyears.
And that’s why he built the most successful combat sports empire on the planet.
FIGHT.TV Breaks It Down
Whether you love the UFC or criticize it, one thing is undeniable: Dana White’s philosophy of thinking massively bigger than everyone else shaped MMA into a global phenomenon.
Business leaders take note, If you aim for the stars and only hit the moon. You still end up higher than everyone who never left the ground.
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By Austin Jones — CMO & Lead Editor at FIGHT.TV
Austin Jones is a business strategist and combat sports expert. As Chief Marketing Officer and Lead Editor at FIGHT.TV, he covers everything from behind the scenes controversies to dynamic industry breakdowns of promotions, to the satirical side of fight culture. He is also the founder of Business Goals Group LLC, a marketing and consulting powerhouse that provides businesses with expert guidance.