Earlier this month, Dana White, Ari Emanuel, and Vince McMahon settled a deal to merge the UFC and WWE to progress both brands.

Many are concerned with how the merger will affect both companies, worried that working together will take both sports away from their roots; Dana White does not agree.

He spoke confidently at a conference shortly after the merger stating, “doesn’t change anything around here.” He goes on to explain that the collaboration is mostly for marketing and sponsorship purposes, and that both companies will still function independently of one another. 

Dana White continues in the post-merger press conference praising partnering businessman Ari Emanuel for his skill in facilitating the merger and striking a record breaking deal between the two companies

“Ari is going to add a ton of value to the WWE whether it’s sponsorship licensing and a lot of other things he can do when he touches a business,” White says.

Ari’s contribution to WWE’s expansion and production is not the only splash for the league; both companies plan on going public with their stock to create a unitary $21 billion dollar conglomerate which they hope will dominate sports markets across the globe. This move to public domain is a game changer for the brand as the leagues have the ability to expand their economic reach tenfold. 

The owner of the WWE, Vince McMahon is excited for the deal, “This is the biggest thing that Ari Emanuel and Vince McMahon have ever done.”