Dana White remarks in reaction to PFL taking over Bellator - "Sh*tty organization that sells no tickets" 

Dana White is not threatened by the Bellator-PFL merger. White has been critical of the business practices of other MMA promotions and never holds back from sharing his opinions on the matter. He has raised questions over the relevance of Bellator and the PFL from the commercial point of view on several occasions.

On November 20, 2023, the PFL announced that they had acquired Bellator MMA. PFL chairman Donn Davis claimed that the combined talent pool would be comparable with the UFC roster. While attending the UFC Austin post-fight press conference, Dana White was asked to share his thoughts on the PFL claiming to be the ‘co-leader’ in the industry. White said:

"Good for them. I wish them all of the luck in the world... One sh*tty organization that sells no tickets and nobody watches buys another sh*tty organization that sells no tickets and nobody watches. Sounds like a f***in' winner to me, boys! Wohoo!"

Dana White countered with a few questions challenging the PFL’s commercial success to conclude the argument:

“What do you think? What do you think of their ticket sales? What do you think of their TV rankings?"

Watch the interaction from the 04:38 mark of the video below:

Dana White’s remarks on the PFL and Bellator merger came right after the conclusion of the UFC on ESPN 52 event. Also known as UFC Austin, the fight night card produced phenomenal performances, with rising young contenders defeating the experienced veterans.

In the main event, Arman Tsarukyan knocked out No.4-ranked lightweight Beneil Dariush in the first round to score the biggest win of his career. Meanwhile, other young contenders Jalin Turner and Sean Brady bounced back from losses with dominant wins over veteran fighters Bobby Green and Kelvin Gastelum respectively.