In talking about the UFC’s new deal with Invicta to start airing its events live on Fight Pass, Dana White said that they were in discussions with a number of companies to add live content, and that those discussions include other combat sports.
UFC President Dana White strongly hinted Thursday at a media scrum before UFC 174 that the deal with Invicta events airing on Fight Pass is just the beginning of working with other promotions.
“We’re going to keep adding content to this and that was one of them,” White said. “They don’t have a television deal and women’s MMA is very important to us. The girl who runs that show (Invicta promoter Shannon Knapp) is sort of a one-woman band, trying to do everything she can. We thought it would be good for Fight Pass. We’re not invested in it. We don’t own a piece of it.”
He also said while the UFC would help promote the shows, they would not be producing them. “No, it’s her show,” he said.”
No date has been announced for the first event, but Knapp and Marshall Zelaznik, UFC’s Chief Content Officer, had pegged the late summer for a first show. But White indicated they are talking to other companies as well for Fight Pass content. While he wouldn’t elaborate on it past that, he did indicate it was not limited to MMA.
“You might see a lot of combat sports and other things,” White said. “We’re out doing a number of deals, including non-MMA, there’s tons of potential.”
White, who hinted at a possibility of the sport of wrestling when it was brought up, did rule out one thing.
“No, no pro wrestling,” he said.
White attended a recent major legitimate wrestling promotional event, the “Beat the Streets” show in Times Square a few weeks back that featured some of the best U.S. wrestlers against international competition. UFC has also sponsored Grapplers Quest submission wrestling events during UFC Expos in both Las Vegas and Toronto.