2024 might have been a great year for the UFC when it comes to revenue, but they weren’t immune to controversies. Some former fighters filed an antitrust lawsuit due to Dana White and Co.’s questionable market practices and low fighter pay. As a result, the Las Vegas-based outfit agreed to a $375 million settlement. Well, now, the 55-year-old has a new challenge, but his organization isn’t the only one that’s found itself in a predicament.
As we all know, 2025 is the year that the UFC’s broadcast rights with ESPN will come to an end. Much like last year, when UFC switched from USADA to Drug Free Sport International, Dana White and Co. are looking for a suitable replacement for the new TV deal. But for that, the CEO wants a billion dollars, but things aren’t looking good for the UFC as of now.
On the other hand, one of the biggest rivals of the UFC, the ONE Championship, faced a major setback. They had plans to keep expanding their base from Asia to North America, with a specific focus on the expansion in the USA. Dana White’s rivals signed a monumental deal with Amazon Prime Video back in 2022, which was a 5-year deal. But recent reports suggest that ONE Championship moved its global production hub back to Thailand, which raised some concerns.
CEO Chatri Sityodtong claims the revenue of ONE Championship is up from $148 million to $200 million. This might sound like great news, but the MMA Draw newsletter has reported that Dana White’s rivals won’t be seeing their Amazon Prime Video deal renewed this year, marking the end of their partnership and ONE Championship’s USA expansion.
As reported on The MMA Draw:#Amazon is walking away. Prime Video won’t renew its #ONEChampionship deal in 2025.
The pivot to #Bangkok is a retreat, not a resurgence. Recently employee restructuring also indicates that ONE Championship is abandoning its US expansion. https://t.co/msckFj23F7 pic.twitter.com/TZLEtTaaVc
— Blake “Axe” Avignon (@bobby_s_axelrod) July 2, 2025
Besides, the non-renewal move from Amazon wasn’t necessarily surprising because they are looking for a big fish. And this could, in turn, prove to be beneficial for Dana White and his promotion. Let’s take a look at that front.
Could Dana White land a deal with Amazon for the UFC?
Since ONE Championship signed the deal in 2022, it has struggled to deliver. Why? Well, some of their biggest stars are gone. From Demetrious Johnson hanging up his gloves to former champions like Reinier De Ridder jumping ship to the UFC, the losses have piled up for Chatri Sityodtong. But this is where Dana White’s UFC could come in, as Amazon is now looking for a more “proven” organization, such as the UFC.
“ONE failed to deliver scale, star power, or meaningful traction in the U.S. market. For Amazon, the focus now is on reallocating capital toward proven properties rather than experimental ventures,” the MMA Draw newsletter stated. Moreover, there are reports that the interest in UFC is not just limited to Amazon because Netflix, Warner Bros., and Discovery are also vying to land a deal with the UFC.
However, the big question mark is Dana White and Co.’s requirement for a $1 billion deal. Could that amount turn off the UFC’s potential new partners? That remains to be seen, but in the meantime, let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.
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