Has Dana White's position changed after the UFC and WWE merger? A look at the new title he will go by under TKO group

Dana White will no longer be introduced as the UFC president. Following the merger between the UFC’s parent company Endeavor, and premier pro wrestling organization WWE, a new entity, TKO Group, has been formed. The executive structure will be reorganized, and White will have a new role going forward.

As per reports, Dana White will occupy the CEO’s post in the UFC going forward. Meanwhile, Lawrence Epstein will remain the senior executive VP and COO of the UFC. TKO Group will have an 11-member board of directors, but neither White nor Epstein will be on it. White's new position was revealed in an Instagram post on his personal account.

TKO is expected to boost the UFC and WWE’s growth by joining forces, helping both organizations achieve a greater degree of success. Together, the WWE and UFC hold more than 1 billion fans together and have viewership in over 180 countries. The WWE is expected to benefit from Endeavor’s expertise in areas like media rights, ticket sales, and operations.

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Dana White and Vince McMahon join hands to ring the NYSE bell

The UFC and WWE merger is finally complete, and the shares of TKO Group have started trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, under the symbol TKO.

Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel was presented with the honor of ringing the bell to open trading at the New York Stock Exchange. During the ceremony, he was joined by Dana White and former WWE chairman Vince McMahon. Other notable people who attended the event include Nick Khan, Paul Levesque [Triple H], and former UFC two-division champion Daniel Cormier.

Watch the video of the ceremony below:

Vince McMahon is set to handle the responsibility as the chairman of the TKO Group, while Nick Khan will be the WWE president. Both men, along with Ari Emanuel will be among the board of directors. Sharing his thoughts on the merger, Vince McMahon stated:

“This is the culmination of a decades-long partnership between Endeavor and WWE across strategic initiatives including talent representation and media rights. Given our collaborative, trusted relationship and Endeavor’s incredible track record of success growing UFC, we believe WWE is optimally positioned for future growth and success as part of TKO. Our focus remains on delivering for our fans across the globe as we take the business to the next level alongside UFC and Endeavor.” [H/t Variety]

While the executive structure of the TKO group has been revealed, it’s not clear how this merger will impact UFC fighters yet.