UFC President Dana White recently spoke on the “Unfiltered” show about how the company’s strategy of avoiding “woke” culture has helped to create a massive following for the sport. He also shared his thoughts on the appearance of former U.S. President Donald Trump at a recent UFC event.
White credited UFC’s strategy during the COVID bans for the growth of the business, stating that the organization was the first major sport to fill stadiums again.
He noted that during the COVID bans being lifted, UFC’s business grew by around 70% due to being the only thing to watch.
White made it clear that the global, multi-billion-dollar enterprise does not buy into anything “woke”. This approach appears to have been successful as it has helped UFC to avoid controversies that other organizations have faced when they have waded into “woke” issues.
But is it even true?
UFC celebrated PRIDE month in June of last year.
To avoid any political backlash, the UFC opted to ban all stars from carrying flags during their walkouts. National pride has been a key component in many stars’ performances in the past, but the organization felt that it was necessary to take this step to avoid controversy.
The UFC has also come under fire for its decision to offer athletes the option to celebrate Pride month on their kit. In addition to this, the organization is also selling PRIDE merch.
This decision has sparked controversy among stars and fans, with many feeling that the organization is trying to profit off the LGBTQ+ community without taking meaningful action to combat bigotry.
UFC also celebrates Black history month.
When former U.S. President Donald Trump made an appearance at UFC 287 in Miami on April 8th, the crowd went wild. White noted that it was an incredible experience to walk with Trump, and that the entire place erupted when he made his appearance. Trump was seated front row outside the octagon with White, Mike Tyson, Kid Rock, and other high-profile figures.
It was announced in April that World Wrestling Entertainment would merge with UFC’s parent company Endeavor Group to form a public company. White views the merger as “real good synergy” as the deal will shape the future of wrestling and mixed martial arts (MMA).
The head of Endeavor, Ari Emanuel is an infamous liberal whose op-ed led to cancellation of Kanye West sometime last year.
And even prior to that UFC was releasing guys due to their Conduct Policy prior to 2016 for an assortment of misdeeds mostly tied to domestic incidents.
UFC’s claim of avoiding of “woke” culture has helped the company to create a massive following in recent years. This, coupled with the company’s successful strategy during the COVID bans, has enabled UFC to continue growing its business. With the merger between WWE and Endeavor Group, the future of wrestling and MMA is shaping up to be an exciting one.