Dana White has no problem betting on himself.
On Monday, the UFC CEO announced that his upstart slapfighting promotion Power Slap was moving from streaming platform Rumble to begin airing events exclusively on YouTube with the deal kicking on Friday when Paige VanZant makes her return to action. The deal is powered by a sponsorship with VeChain — a crypto currency firm that is reportedly paying $76 million over the next six years to serve as the title sponsor for Power Slap.
Forbes reported that figure is less than half what Power Slap was previously earning from Rumble at a remarkable $30 million per year. The new deal with VeChain is set up more like a traditional sponsorship so the company is just paying to have their name attached to Power Slap, but there’s no other broadcast deal in place to make up the difference with YouTube.
But White doesn’t seem all that concerned about the change in revenue streams for Power Slap, because the longtime boss at the UFC revealed that he’s currently in the midst of negotiations with two more potential sponsors that would bring the total “rights deal” up to $35 million per year, which is obviously an increase.
That’s not figuring in potential payouts from YouTube for streams accumulated on the Google owned platform that boasts more than a billion active users per month.
White also added that three linear cable channels were interested in partnering with Power Slap once the broadcast rights became available but he ultimately passed because that would have required him to give up control of the company’s linear and digital rights along with any sponsorships obtained.
Maintaining that control gives White the ability to seek out additional sponsors to go along with VeChain while also holding all the cards where Power Slap is concerned.
“You know who I like to bet on? Me,” White told Forbes. “[At Power Slap], we own everything, and we control everything. We are basically creating our own destiny.”
White is banking on Power Slap continuing to create viral moments, which helped the most recent event earn 4.3 million viewers on Rumble.
In addition to the new deal moving Power Slap to YouTube, White is also expanding by taking the promotion on the road for more international shows.
Just recently, Power Slap debuted in Saudi Arabia with the Middle Eastern country already on the hook for three more cards in 2025 plus two more in 2026 with a $15 million site fee attached to each event. White says he has similar deals in place in Abu Dhabi and Qatar with plans to expand into Brazil and South Africa in the near future.
That’s not even accounting for further expansion in the United States with UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell, who is also a minority investor in Power Slap, revealing that more and more states are sanctioning slapfighting with Missouri and New Jersey as the most likely dominoes next to fall.
White has promised that he’s going to continue building Power Slap until it reaches the same heights as the UFC. Those are understandably lofty goals, especially as the UFC embarks on its own broadcast rights deal with the company reportedly seeking more than $1 billion per year from any potential partner.
To get there, White wants to maintain as much control over Power Slap as possible and moving to YouTube maintains that ability as the company moves forward.
“I don’t like to have to answer to anybody,” White said. “We built the business however we see fit. We do whatever the f*ck we want.”
