Dana White, UFC president front and center

LVSportsBiz Podcast Episode 3 Preview: Dana White, Tuesday 6-7 PM Live Video Stream

June 10, 2019 Alan Snel Dana White

By Alan Snel

LVSportsBiz.com

The topic of major league sports teams has assumed the center position of the Las Vegas sports industry.

But I always thought one of the most under-reported sports subjects was the business of UFC, the Las Vegas-based fight show promoter headquartered at an impressive campus off the 215 beltway in the southwest Las Vegas Valley.

Here’s why — the MMA fight event organizer sold for slightly more than $4 billion in 2016, a stunning payout for the Fertitta brothers and UFC Dana White, who reportedly owned nine percent of the fight show organization. That’s twice the amount of what NBA teams sell for.

White is the promotional face of UFC, the president who served as chief ringmaster, fight matchmaker and UFC’s chief man on ESPN, UFC’s media partner.

While sports league commissioners wore suits and ties and carefully measured their comments, White usually shows up in jeans and T-shirt and is brash, blunt and brutally honest.

LVSportsBiz.com will chat with White Tuesday at 6 PM for an hour to catch up as part of a 4-podcast series to celebrate LVSportsBiz’s second anniversary.

On Monday at 7 p.m., LVSportsBiz.com will talk with Las Vegas Lights FC owner Brett Lashbrook.

Alan Snel

Alan Snel brings decades of sports-business reporting experience to LVSportsBiz.com. Snel covered the business side of sports for the South Florida (Fort Lauderdale) Sun-Sentinel, the Tampa Tribune and Las Vegas Review-Journal. As a city hall beat reporter, Snel also covered stadium deals in Denver and Seattle. In 2000, Snel launched a sport-business website for FoxSports.com called FoxSportsBiz.com. After reporting sports-business for the RJ, Snel wrote hard-hitting stories on the Raiders stadium for the Desert Companion magazine in Las Vegas and The Nevada Independent. Snel is also one of the top bicycle advocates in the country.

July 5, 2021

LVSPORTSBIZ.COM, launched June 2017: We are a digital magazine providing market-leading news, intelligence, enterprise and breaking info on Las Vegas’ sports/stadium industry. Our stories are quoted nationally and we set the sportsbiz news agenda in Las Vegas. Publisher Alan Snel has reported on the business of sports and stadiums in Denver, South Florida, Seattle and Tampa besides Las Vegas and is considered a national authority on the topic.

ADVERTISEMENT: Please shop at Jay’s Market at 190 East Flamingo at the Koval Lane intersection east of the Strip. Jay’s Market is the official presenting sponsor of LVSportBiz.com’s stories.

Hirings and Firings:

Las Vegas Aces President Nikki Fargas said the Aces are not renewing the contract of General Manager Natalie Williams. The Aces hired Williams as the team’s general manager in April 2022.

Vegas Golden Knights said the NHL club has signed defenseman Shea Theodore to a seven-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $7,425,000.

Our coverage of the Athletics stadium project in Las Vegas.

Mark Rosentraub on A’s stadium site on Strip.

Big League Sports With Small Town Politics

Man of Many Hats

Athletics’ long, strange journey for new ballpark

Athletics consultant Jeremy Aguero is eye of Las Vegas’ sports hurricane

How Deal Was Made For A’s Ballpark On Strip

Bally’s Corp, Gaming & Leisure Properties team up with A’s for ballpark on Strip

Bally’s Corp Chairman Wants Hotel Open When A’s Stadium Is Ready In 2028

To contact LVSportsBiz.com Publisher Alan Snel or buy his book, Bicycle Man: Life of Journeys, email him at asnel@LVSportsBiz.com

LVSportsBiz number for 2024: $1,178,161,041. That’s the amount of debt Las Vegas (actually, Clark County) owes for its public share of building the Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium.