Dana White is incredibly busy in 2026.
Over the past few years, White has worked together to expand its combat sports brand beyond MMA alone. White’s pet project, Powerslap, was the first such initiative, but he will start the UFC BJJ again this year, with plans to expand into boxing sets next year. This coincides with the UFC’s new seven-year, $7.7 billion television rights deal and Paramount, meaning White will have his hands full in January.
“Next year, looking at what we’re doing now, we’re going to have 44 events in the Paramount deal between fight night and numbered pay-per-view events,” White said. Impulse Podcast. “We will be holding 12 Power Slap Events next year. We will be holding 14 (UFC) BJJ events.
“And the new boxing deal we’re working on in 2026 – think about this. Boxing is not on TV right now. No one is doing TV trades. They’re doing some dazn fights. They cut TV trades for boxing.
Everything said, it’s between 86-88 events, White will oversee next year and not included Candidate Seriescurrently hosting 10 events, but White suggests that the number could double.
And not to mention the special one-off UFC White House event scheduled for next summer. Events of that size require a special focus. So White has already rolled the ball into all logistics and vision.
“It’ll be live free from the White House on CBS,” White said.
“…I built this arch like the St. Louis Arch, and the lighting grid goes above the Octagon, so when I filmed this fight, this whole background would be the White House. And when the camera moved and fought like this, it’s a Washington monument on this side. To take over DC for a week.”
It’s a big event for the UFC in an even bigger year, but White has the greatest confidence to pull it all away with his team.
“We need to build a great team,” White said. “No one does anything on his own. You have to build a great team, you have to create a vision of what you’re building and what you want to do. And the people who work with you either buy it or not. And you have a team like me.
“My production team now comes to me with the spots and things we’re doing, and when they come to me that rarely changes, this is a very oily machine.”