TKO president draws parallels between Dana White and NBA’s David Stern in superstar development

Dana White: The David Stern of the UFC

Former NBA commissioner David Stern is widely recognized for transforming the struggling basketball league into a global powerhouse. His ability to identify talent and turn them into superstars was unparalleled. Now, Mark Shapiro, president of TKO Group Holdings, believes that UFC President Dana White is following in Stern’s footsteps.

Shapiro compared White to Stern during a recent conference, praising White’s knack for recognizing fighters worth signing and developing them into household names. Just like Stern with Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson, White has propelled fighters like Conor McGregor, Israel Adesanya, and Sean O’Malley to superstardom.

Shapiro credits White as the driving force behind the UFC’s exponential growth in recent years, pointing to the record revenue the promotion has generated. He highlighted a recent deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where the UFC secured almost double the rights fee for an event scheduled in June.

While Shapiro acknowledges the entire UFC team’s contributions to the promotion’s success, he emphasizes that White is the key to their massive gains. White’s leadership, marketing prowess, and talent for matchmaking have been instrumental in the UFC’s rise to prominence.

As Shapiro puts it, “Dana White is all that and then some. He’s a marketer, a star all by himself, an unbelievable leader, and an incredible matchmaker. But the best thing he is, he’s a star builder.” Just like Stern did for the NBA, White is shaping the future of the UFC and cementing his legacy as a transformative figure in the world of mixed martial arts.