Back in 2017, a landmark event took place. Conor McGregor faced Floyd Mayweather in a cross-disciplinary boxing match. While the fight was a monumental success, it also sparked bad blood between UFC president Dana White and ex-Showtime President Stephen Espinoza. White claimed the bout was the top-selling domestic pay-per-view event ever, while Espinoza insisted it ranked second, behind Mayweather’s 2015 clash with Manny Pacquiao, sparking initial friction.
Their professional worlds also conflicted—White representing mixed martial arts, and Espinoza, as Showtime’s president, representing boxing. Over the years, the two have exchanged barbs through social media and interviews. However, while the UFC continued to thrive and expand, Paramount Pictures, Showtime’s parent company, shut down its boxing operations in October 2023, leaving Espinoza without a job. Two years on, White finds himself in an interesting spot!
If by some miracle you haven’t heard by now, the UFC is saying goodbye to its broadcast partner ESPN at the end of 2025. Replacing ESPN is the very company Espinoza worked for—Paramount—which has signed a staggering $7.7 billion agreement with the UFC for the next seven years to air their 13 numbered UFC events and 30 Fight Nights exclusively in the United States, with Paramount’s CBS set to simulcast select numbered cards.
This deal effectively puts an end to the pay-per-view model for UFC in the US, while boxing continues to struggle with relevance, clinging to its PPV system. Although Dana White’s Contender Series still doesn’t have a home, the agreement was big enough to become the talk of the moment—even during the post-fight press conference of the season premiere of White’s Contender Series just hours ago.
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During the presser, a reporter brought up Stephen Espinoza, and White didn’t miss the chance to rub salt in the former Showtime executive’s wound. “Are you going to bring back Stephen Espinoza for a job at Paramount?” the reporter asked, aware of the long-standing tension between White and Espinoza. “Is he looking for a job still?” White responded during the post-fight presser, laughing before adding a dismissive “Good,” knowing Espinoza is currently jobless. Yet the 55-year-old’s LinkedIn profile lists him as an SJE Advisor.
While Espinoza hasn’t responded to White’s mocking yet, UFC fighters seem ecstatic about the UFC’s new deal.
Michael Chandler shares his take on Dana White led UFC’s deal with Paramount
After the news of $7.7 billion deal hit the internet, UFC star Michael Chandler weighed in, urging patience amid concerns in the MMA community about whether fighters will receive some of that money. While appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show, Chandler praised the UFC’s fairness, saying, “I think the UFC is a lot more fair than people give them credit for.”
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He acknowledged the pressure the promotion will face after such a massive deal, yet emphasized, “Things take time. This thing just got announced a little over 24 hours ago. Let a little of the dust settle.” Chandler also encouraged fighters to focus on their own growth, stating, “Make yourself an indispensable asset… when it comes to building a fan base outside of just punching people in the face.”
While the UFC grapples with the ongoing fighter pay debate, Dana White has emerged at the top, looking down on his rivals. White hasn’t just won the race to success—he’s also proven he’s better than Espinoza, a mental victory in its own right. But the question remains: was it just a little cruel?
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