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VIDEO: UFC CEO Dana White Rips PFL-Bellator Partnership: "Two S***** Organizations"

Dana White laughed off the news of the PFL purchasing Bellator.

Zain Bando

VIDEO: UFC CEO Dana White Rips PFL-Bellator Partnership: "Two S***** Organizations"
VIDEO: UFC CEO Dana White Rips PFL-Bellator Partnership: "Two S***** Organizations" /

When a competitor to the UFC does anything, UFC CEO Dana White is quick to react.

It was no different Saturday night in Houston, Texas, as the UFC held its last road Fight Night of the year, featuring highlight-reel finishes and an upset in the main event.

Despite the event's success, White, who has run the UFC with an iron fist since 2001, was asked about the PFL purchasing Bellator, which occurred less than a week after Bellator 301, the promotion's final event on Showtime Sports.

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White said while he hopes the partnership is successful, he doubts its long-term success.

"[The partnership], it's f****** hillarious," White said at the UFC Austin post-fight presser. "Yeah, good for them. I wish them all the luck in the world."

White followed up by making his stance even more crystal-clear, sarcastically calling it a good business decision.

"One shitty organization that sells no tickets and nobody watches buys another shitty organization that sells no tickets and nobody watches. Sounds like a f****** winner to me," he said with a laugh. 

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This isn't the first time the UFC has been in or scoffed at the acquisition business. The promotion famously bought PRIDE, the WEC, the WFA, Elite XC, Strikeforce, and others on its road to becoming the most well-recognized brand in MMA.

At press time, the UFC has no plans to go after any others that may be out there, but its quest to remain No. 1 is obvious, as its 2024 calendar year, including UFC 300, is right around the corner.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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