Final Sale Price and Deal Structure
Dana White sold UFC as part of the full $4 billion acquisition by WME-IMG in 2016, with the promotion later rebranded under TKO Group Holdings. The transaction included the entire UFC operating business, its media rights portfolio, and its live event platform, with White remaining as President and a minority equity holder. WME-IMG, the talent and event-management firm led by Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell, structured the deal as a leveraged buyout backed by private-equity capital from Silver Lake Partners and KKR, with additional debt facilities provided by major banks and institutional lenders Forbes.
Under the terms of the sale, White received a reported multi-million-dollar signing bonus and a long-term employment contract tied to performance milestones, including pay-per-view revenue targets and international expansion goals. His compensation package was designed to align his incentives with the new owners, while his role as President gave him day-to-day control over fighter matchmaking, event production, and broadcast negotiations. The deal closed in stages, with the initial closing in mid-2016 and subsequent regulatory approvals completing the transfer of UFC's operating assets to the WME-IMG-led consortium Forbes.
Who Bought UFC and What Happened Next
The buyers were WME-IMG, a global entertainment and sports-marketing company, which later reorganized under the TKO Group Holdings public company after merging with Zuffa, the parent entity that had previously owned UFC. The transaction created a vertically integrated sports and media platform that combined UFC's live-event business with WWE's broadcasting and content operations under a single publicly traded entity. TKO Group Holdings now manages UFC's commercial strategy, including media-rights deals with ESPN and international broadcasters, while White continues as President reporting to the TKO executive team TKO Group Holdings Investor Relations.
After the acquisition, the new ownership group invested heavily in UFC's digital distribution, international expansion, and athlete-performance infrastructure, including the creation of the UFC Performance Institute. The deal also set the stage for future capital raises and strategic partnerships, with TKO Group Holdings using its public-market access to fund content production and global event growth. Dana White's continued leadership under the new corporate structure helped stabilize fighter relations and maintain the promotion's position as the largest mixed-martial-arts organization by revenue and viewership TKO Group Holdings Investor Relations.
Dana White's Current Role and Earnings After the Sale
Today, Dana White remains President of UFC and a minority equity holder in TKO Group Holdings, receiving a base salary plus performance-based bonuses tied to pay-per-view buys, sponsorship revenue, and international growth targets. His post-sale compensation structure includes cash bonuses for hitting annual revenue milestones, equity-based awards linked to TKO's stock performance, and retention payments designed to keep him aligned with the company's long-term strategy. White's ongoing role focuses on fighter recruitment, event scheduling, broadcast-partner negotiations, and brand partnerships with major sponsors and media platforms TKO Group Holdings Investor Relations.
Compensation and Equity Position
Public filings and investor disclosures show that White's total annual compensation includes a fixed salary, short-term incentive bonuses, and long-term equity grants, with the exact figures varying year to year based on