Dana White News: UFC CEO Says Mexico is 'Very Important' to Him Moving Forward

Dana White spoke highly about Mexico's importance to the UFC in a sit-down with ESPN.

Zain Bando | Feb 22, 2024

Dana White News: UFC CEO Says Mexico is 'Very Important' to Him Moving Forward /

UFC CEO Dana White has a few goals left before retirement, but one of them is the emergence of UFC superstars from Mexico.

White already has two Mexican-born fighters who have held UFC undisputed titles at one point – Alexa Grasso and Brandon Moreno.

UFC News: Dana White Drops Bombshell Vegas Sphere Prediction

In an interview with ESPN Thursday ahead of Saturday's UFC event in Mexico City, White spoke highly about his ambition to create a unique atmosphere inside the Las Vegas Sphere while cultivating new Hispanic talent.

"It's been almost 10 years," White said when recalling the last time he went to Mexico for a fight. "I don't think I've been there since '15 [for UFC 188]. So, yeah, I'm excited. I don't know how much more I can say in this interview, or any more interviews that I do, how much I love Mexico. The people. The culture. The fighting spirit that they have. So, this whole thing has been, you know, a plan for me. I wouldn't say since day one, Mexico has always been a plan since day one. But, you know, probably five or six years into [owning the UFC], once we started thinking about "The Ultimate Fighter" and where we were gonna go, Mexico has been very important to me."

It is essential enough that White plans to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new UFC Performance Institute, which culminates with the event.

White's tentative plan will see the UFC host another "Noche UFC" edition in September during Mexican Independence Day weekend, which would be Sept. 14 in Las Vegas.

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Published Feb 22, 2024

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