It’s hard to imagine the UFC without Dana White being the boss. Whenever that day may come, the company has been preparing a replacement, whose name is Hunter Campbell.
Here’s a quick bio of possible future UFC boss Hunter Campbell and what you need to know about him. Also, check out our breakdowns of recent UFC news involving Campbell.
Who is Hunter Campbell?
For those of you who don’t follow the business side of MMA, you may not know who Hunter Campbell is. Hunter is the current Chief Business Officer of the Ultimate Fighting Championship(UFC).
Campbell, being the CBO, actively participates in all UFC fighter negotiations. Hunter is the third most powerful figure in the UFC behind Dana White and Endeavor owner, Ari Emanuel.
Hunter Campbell’s Early Life
Hunter Campbell was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada and is highly educated. The current CBO of the UFC attended Washington University in St. Louis as an undergraduate.
After earning his Bachelor’s, Campbell returned home and went to the William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV..
How Did Hunter Campbell Get Into The UFC?
Hunter Campbell started worked with the UFC in 2017. He came on as the company’s chief legal officer.
In a short time, Hunter was promoted to Chief Business Officer and later Vice President. Many within the company and MMA media see Campbell as Dana White’s right had man.
Notable UFC News Featuring The UFC Chief Business Officer
While Hunter Campbell isn’t one of the most vocal UFC bosses like Dana White, he has made headlines. Here are some of the most recent UFC headlines featuring the UFC CBO.
Campbell’s Response To The USADA Partnership Ending The UFC
The most recent news the UFC CBO made was answering comments about the UFC and USADA’s partnership ending. In October 2023, Campbell and Jeff Novitzky held a press conference to announce the UFC’s new drug testing program.
During the press conference, Campbell addressed comments made by USADA regarding the handling of Conor McGregor. Specifically, comments made by USADA CEO Travis Tygart, which noticeably upset Campbell.
Tygart commented: “The relationship between USADA and UFC became untenable given the statements made by UFC leaders and others questioning USADA’s principled stance that McGregor not be allowed to fight without being in the testing pool for at least six months.”
Hunter directly responded to Tygart’s claims with this response from the press conference:
“Disappointingly, they used Conor McGregor as a vehicle to sort of articulate and re-frame a complete misrepresentation of what occurred over the last several months,” Campbell told MMA Junkie and other reporters in attendance at the UFC Apex. “… What I can categorically tell you is, what USADA has put out in the last 48 hours could not be farther from the truth.
Campbell continued with his statement:
“At no point in time did Jeff, myself, or any other UFC representative, Dana – not a single person ever went to USADA and told them anything other than Conor McGregor would re-enter the program when he was healthy,” Campbell said. “In doing so, we would require him to be in the program for six months. There would be no exception to the rule. What I said to Travis on multiple occasions, including the call on Monday, was there would never be a situation where Conor would fight until he had been in the program for six months. And my words were, ‘I don’t give a sh*t if he has 37 clean tests.”
This is one of those cases where Conor was the most tested athlete in the UFC before he catastrophically shattered his leg.
The UFC CBO and Vice President went on to demand an apology from USADA and threatened legal action.
The UFC’s New Fighter Health Protocol
Fighter health protocol has been a subject that many in MMA media have been asking the UFC to address. Lawyer Erik Magraken released a Q&A he had with Hunter Campbell about many health topics.
One of the questions Magraken asked Campbell was the UFC’s stance on CTE and its effect on fighters. Campbell’s response can be read in the link below.
My exchange with the UFC’s Hunter Campbell telling him to be honest when it comes to CTE and combat sports.
“No question. No question” pic.twitter.com/jMlsBG8bdH
— Erik Magraken (@erikmagraken) August 8, 2023
The UFC’s Rules On Fighters Gambling On Fights
Last year, the UFC was rocked with a cheating scandal involving for UFC fighter and coach James Krause. The former fighter received a lifetime ban for betting on MMA fights and affecting the outcome of the fights.
UFC journalist Ariel Helwani shared an official letter the CBO wrote on Instagram. The letter about the incident with Krause was sent to all managers and fighters.
Campbell’s letter states that any fighter connected to Krause or his gym would also be banned from the UFC. A link to the official code of conduct on fighters betting on fights was also added to the letter.
Why Hunter Campbell?
For those wondering why Hunter Campbell’s name gets brought up as future president, it’s because he’s being prepped. Hunter is young and has worked his way up the ranks to become the CBO of the UFC.
Big companies like the UFC’s parent company, Endeavor, always prep potential successors for bigger positions. Campbell also has the approval of not only Dana but also the top boss of Endeavor, Ari Emanuel.
The current CBO has done all of the work and gained the confidence of the top bosses of the UFC and Endeavor.
Is Hunter Campbell The Next UFC Boss?
Many insiders within the UFC believe Hunter Campbell is the chosen one to replace Dana White. However, White has never said when or if he will ever step down as UFC president.
If that day ever comes, we should not be surprised to see Campbell get named the next president. It’s a little weird to think of the UFC without White, but Hunter could very well be his successor.