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I've already built the biggest fight brand to ever exist.
Search this video
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The UFC was purchased for $2 million.
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And if the Lakers sold for 12.
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5 billion, then the UFC is worth 50 billion.
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And every day that I show up here, I'm here to win.
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When I'm dead, it's going to be impossible to beat what I built.
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And I am addicted to chaos.
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And if there isn't any, I create it.
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From UFC fighters to CEOs of multi-gazillion pound companies to world leaders, I see in you a man that is truly obsessed.
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Early on, I knew exactly who I was and I knew that I wanted to be involved in fighting.
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That's what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
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>> Was there any athlete that you sort of put in a class of their own?
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>> Conor McGregor, Habib Mamedov, and Ronda Rousey, but I didn't want women in the UFC.
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But Ronda Rousey grabbed me said, "Can I get 15 minutes with you?"
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And she came in with the whole [ __ ] bravado and I'm like, "Holy [ __ ] I think I'm going to do this."
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And she's the one to do it with.
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If there were principles that you would most attribute to the success of the UFC, what would it be?
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>> When you decide who you are, what you want to do, what you're going to accomplish, and you work toward it.
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It is impossible for you to fail.
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Do not be afraid to take the risk.
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But some of these kids that think they want to be entrepreneurs, they don't know what it really takes. And there is a formula. And guess who has it?
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And we can talk about this.
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>> And then this is a book your mother published about you unauthorized as a biography.
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She's critical of you at certain points.
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I I don't go on shows to speak negatively about my mother, but I mean that's one of the grossest, most disgusting things.
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You couldn't even imagine possible until it happens to you.
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And sometimes family is the worst.
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And that was the beginning of the end with me and her. Have you forgiven her?
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>> Um, here is a strange fact.
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Most of the people watching this right now, about 58% of you aren't yet subscribed to this channel.
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Statistically, that is probably you.
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So, could I ask you a small favor?
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If this channel has ever given you any value at all, please could you do me a favor and hit the subscribe button? It costs nothing.
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It helps us more than you could know.
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And the bigger the channel gets, as you've seen, the more we can invest in the guests and the production.
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So, thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy this episode.
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Dana, you know more than anybody that to become a great fighter, often times you have an anomalous upbringing.
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And I have some of these fighters in front of me like Khabib and Islam and Mike Tyson.
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And when you look at their backgrounds and where they came from, they have atypical origins.
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And when I look at you, I consider you to be a great fighter in your own regard.
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So that's my question is what is that early context that's made you the fighter that you are? >> I don't know.
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Uh, you know, I I I always have trouble when we start talking about me and my upbringing and psychoanalyzing me.
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I I I don't know how to really answer those questions. Um, I don't know.
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It's not like I grew up like these guys grew up, but >> early on I knew exactly who I was and I knew that I wanted to be involved in fighting.
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That's what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
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>> In terms of your mom and dad, I I I listened to you talk about your dad and his absence and his difficulty with alcohol.
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Divorced at 8 years old, >> left with your mother and that was also a turbulent relationship as you as you grew up.
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Is there anything from that early context that you look back on?
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I know you don't like being psychoanalyzed.
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I've heard you try I've heard you respond to like Pierce Morgan and others who who have talked about your childhood before, but is there anything from that early context that you think did shape you into this sort of like%.
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>> You know, I I always say that, you know, you see these people that play the victim, you know, the victim mentality.
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It's like, oh, I didn't have any role models when I was growing up. Yes, you did.
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You just didn't look at it the right way.
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when you grow up, everybody who's involved in your life, they're all role models in good and bad ways, right?
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I I used to look at, you know, some of my uncles and and and and my dad and some I was like, "Yeah, we don't we don't want to go in that direction.
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Let's let's go in this direction."
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And in America, you you can start drinking when you're 21. >> Mhm.
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>> I quit drinking when I was 21.
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I believe that that I wouldn't be able to accomplish all the things that I wanted to accomplish if I was drinking.
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And I saw a lot of, you know, family members and other people where drinking had had been detrimental to their life.
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And and uh, you know, I I think I had some pretty talented, you know, family members that could have lived a different life had they not drank. >> You and your sister?
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>> Yeah, it's me and my sister.
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>> If I was a fly on the wall during that period of your life, what would I have seen? >> I don't know.
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I I don't really remember.
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Me and my sister, you know, now that we're getting older, we talk about this stuff a lot.
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Me and my sister are super close.
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You know, both our parents are dead and it was just us.
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So, yeah, my mom was an animal.
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My mom worked her ass off and, you know, if she wasn't working, you know, and picking up extra shifts. She was a nurse. She was going to school.
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And she effectively raised you on her own. >> Definitely.
4:59
>> Because your dad was he he was absent.
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I I remember he reciting a story of you him taking you to the cinema drunk. >> Yeah. Yeah.
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And just I mean what I got from that was I guess carelessness.
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The story of him taking you to the cinema, telling you asking you if you wanted something, throwing $20 your way, telling you to go get it for your sister. Yeah.
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The >> himim him embarrassing.
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>> It's one of those moments and you know you have these these things that you remember from your young life.
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And I have I have a few with my dad, but you know the the movie was Beverly Hills Cop.
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It had just come out and it was like the biggest movie in the world. And we got there late.
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He showed up drunk to pick us up and take us to the movies, you know.
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So getting there was was a whole, you know, scene on its own.
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And then we get there, the place is packed. There's no seats.
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He walks in and screams, "We're going to have to start moving some people, you know, and throws money at me to go get to go get food and popcorn or whatever."
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In my opinion, my dad was a very selfish guy.
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And uh, you know, he lived the life that he wanted to live and everybody else didn't matter.
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Did you ever understand him as you People always say that when they get older they understand their parents better.
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>> Well, what I understood was once I became a parent.
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I was like, "Holy [ __ ] this is the way you're supposed to feel about your kids and this is the way you're supposed to, you know."
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So, yeah, I I think that my parents made me a better parent.
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>> You've got a very atypical drive in you.
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There's a certain relentlessness that I've seen.
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I mean, I've seen it all.
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And one of the sort of defining traits when I think of Dana White is this sort of relentless insatiable ambition.
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So my line of questioning isn't really to psycho analyze.
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It's really just to understand like how that comes to be the case.
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One would guess that there's some kind of chip on your shoulder in to some degree. >> Yeah, it's true.
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But I try to I try to focus on I like to win.
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Winning is fun and everything in life.
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But uh you know I also make sure that the obligations that I have you know I I I pay attention to those too.
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Like listen nobody's perfect but I've tried to do the best I could to be >> the best at everything I could at work at home with the kids you know.
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>> And if id asked you when you were a young boy like some of these photos what you going to be when you grow up would you would you have had an answer for me?
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>> I didn't really know that until I was in my late teens.
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you know, literally walked out of a job that at the time and in the place a lot of people would kill for.
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Um, and had checked all the boxes and made cash every day, got a paycheck every week, 401k, full dental and medical and, you know, all the things that people are looking for.
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But I I didn't like working for other people.
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I I always felt like working in the hotel industry was incredibly disrespectful, the way that they would treat you and talk to you and and uh I never liked it. it was never for me.
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So, I walked out one day and I said, "I'm going to get into the fight business."
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At the time, I didn't know exactly what that meant or, you know, at what level, but that was my goal.
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>> Have you always had a problem with well, an issue with, dare I say, authority? >> You have? >> Yes. Very, very much so. Yeah. It was never for me.
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>> Where does that come from? Do you know? >> I don't know.
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I honestly don't know the answer to that. But I never liked it.
8:10
I never liked working for other people.
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I never liked being told what to do and and I don't treat my employees like that.
8:20
>> Did you think you were going to be successful in your life when you were I don't know 14?
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>> I did when I was younger.
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I I believe that I would be. Yeah.
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>> Based on >> I sort of had these you know these ideas in my head which at the you know at that time you don't know exactly what it means or at what extent but let me tell you what.
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So when we worked when when I lived with my mom me and my sister were just talking about this the other day.
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So my mom worked all the time or was at school and me and my sister were home alone all the time, but we had chores that we had to do.
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I mean, we were mow the lawn, you know, cleaning the pool and trimming the bushes and all that.
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And I was like, let me tell you what, the day I make a dollar, I'm never doing this [ __ ] ever again.
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>> So that's probably an important lesson she taught you. >> No doubt about it.
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And I I you know, I try to do this with my kids, too.
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My kids have been great and done everything the right way.
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And I've told this story before, but my son Aiden, my youngest son, flies home from college one weekend and says, "I I don't want to stay in school.
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I have an idea for this business that I want to do." And whatever.
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I said, he lays it all out for me.
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And I'm like, "This is a pretty good idea. I get it. I like it.
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But you're not going to quit school and just try to do this.
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This doesn't this won't chew up 8 to 10 hours of your day.
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M >> you're going to go out and you're going to get a job and you're going to put out you're going to go put in applications and you're going to try to get a job because if I die tomorrow, >> that's what you're qualified to do.
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And he did it and he went and he worked at U-Haul and you know, you got to have those kind of jobs.
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My son right now, my oldest is getting his master's degree in Boston right now.
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And when I lived in Boston, I used to work for EJ Paving Company. They pave roads.
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I actually want my son to go do some days at at this paving company.
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>> What is it you're trying to teach him?
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>> Well, what hard work really is.
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So, people like I run around, I don't sleep much, and everybody's like, "Oh, you work so hard. You work so hard." No, no, no.
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I'll show you what hard work is.
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Hard work is construction. Hard work is concrete.
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Right up the street here, I don't know how many days this summer were 115 degrees out. 115 degrees out.
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These construction guys are out there working in 115 degree week.
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Like hard work, real work.
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And then in the winter, people don't realize this in Vegas, but it gets down into the 30s.
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These guys will be outside working when it's 30° out.
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So, and hard physical labor every day, and then you go home, you you eat and you go to bed, you start get up the next day, and you go do it again.
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In your life, to figure out what you want to do, you have to figure out what it is you don't want to do.
10:59
I have um a bunch of quotes here that you've said if you just wanted to look at the first one.
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>> There's no such thing as a day off when there's no such thing as a day off when you run your own business.
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You know, there's no birthdays, there's no Christmas, there's no Thanksgivings.
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Bad [ __ ] will happen every single day that you need to deal with.
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But when you like what you do, it's fun.
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>> A lot of people, especially young people these days, want to be entrepreneurs.
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You know, I'd really like to work for myself and own my own business because I'd love to plan my schedule.
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How much Oh, you're you're you're going the wrong way.
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What you need to do is find a 9-to-five job where you have weekends and holidays off and you know that's that's your move.
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If you're looking to start your own business because you want more time to yourself, you are picking the wrong thing to do. I promise you that.
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The key to becoming a good uh entrepreneur is you have to find solutions to problems every day.
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The universe was trying to [ __ ] with me the other day. I got out of bed.
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I had to be at a board meeting at 9:00, right? I go in, I got a shave. Both my razors died. I use electric razors. They both died. Get through that.
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I get in the car and I'm driving and and the sensor says, "Your back right tire is low.
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Stop the vehicle immediately."
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I said, 'Yeah, no, we're not [ __ ] stopping. We're going. That's just life, right?
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When you get up and it's life standing there to kick you in the face and and you got to get through all this [ __ ] Then you get to work and there's a laundry list of problems and things you got to deal with.
12:35
And this younger generation that think you can work from home and build a successful business. It's impossible. You can't do it.
12:44
I'm in the office from 8:30 in the morning and I don't leave the office till 7 8 9 10 sometimes. still to this day.
12:50
There are times when I go to work and my schedule's planned out for the day.
12:54
But people will pop in my office and we start talking about things and you know when when you have people a good group of people like I have at the UFC and we get in a room and you start talking things pop up that you would never expect and things happen and a lot of good ideas come from everybody being at work.
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Has being kicked in the face by business over the last couple of decades changed you? >> Definitely.
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I don't freak out the way that I used to.
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I've been through it all >> and I'm way more calm now.
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I see this with a lot of guys.
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You become uh I don't want to say you get weaker, but you do get weaker as you get older.
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There's there's a softer side to you than you had when you were in the early days of building your business.
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And I don't ever want to be that guy. You know what I mean?
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I try not to be that guy.
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But you do relax and chill out. And you don't.
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The things that you used to flip out about when you were younger, you don't when you're older.
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I mean, I went through a phase where I ripped through like 10 secretaries in two years.
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Like I need people around me that can keep up.
14:05
You got to have people that can keep up and can handle handle the load of work.
14:09
You know, it's probably the busiest year for me this year because I have Zufa Boxing, Power Slap, and the UFC that I'm I'm running these three companies.
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And then there's a ton of other things that that I do, too.
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So, we'll be on the road, you know, I think we just got off the last two months.
14:24
We were home for like 4 days in the last two months.
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Then I get home and I don't stop.
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I just I go out and I do things and you know, these guys that are with me, they have to they're with me and it's tough.
14:38
Nobody owes you anything.
14:40
So, you know, we talked a little bit about my parents and whatever.
14:42
I had this kid that I grew up with and you know this we we were 12, 13, 14 years old.
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And I remember his dad had done really well and you know, they had a beautiful house, they had cars, you know, he had all the [ __ ] that you you would want growing up.
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And I remember him telling me one time his dad ran into hard times and his dad had put a million dollars away for him in an account.
15:05
And then his father ran into hard times and his father took the money.
15:10
He's like, "My father stole a million dollars from me."
15:14
And I remember thinking, "Are you out of your [ __ ] mind?
15:20
The fact that your dad even thought of you that way, that he would put that money away from for you is incredible.
15:26
But that was never your money.
15:26
You didn't earn that money. that wasn't yours.
15:29
I remember thinking that way when I was 12, 13, 14, right?
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I'm like, that is definitely the wrong type of mentality. Entitlement. Brutal.
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And that guy grew up exactly the way you would expect that guy to grow up.
15:44
He's just, you know, nobody owes you anything. Nobody.
15:47
listen to to to have to be set up in a position where somebody can make some phone calls for you and do some things, but then once they do that, you have to go in and deliver.
15:58
There's going to be a ton of people listening that want to be entrepreneurs.
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Do you do you think most people are cut out for it? >> No. No.
16:10
To be an entrepreneur is very a very unique thing.
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I mean, you have it's hard enough for a lot of people to get up every day and depend on themselves >> to take care of themselves.
16:21
>> When when you're an entrepreneur, lots of people depend on you.
16:23
Lots of people feed their families and and I take that that role very serious.
16:28
I mean, when I got into this business, not a lot of people believed in it.
16:33
That's why we bought the UFC for $2 million, right? Let's be honest here.
16:37
The UFC was purchased for $2 million.
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And if the Lakers sold for 12 a.
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5 billion, then the UFC is worth 50 billion. Okay?
16:49
So the people who did believe in this and and did, you know, when I was trying to hire production people, production people don't want to live in Las Vegas, Nevada, especially 25 years ago.
17:00
They want New York or LA, right?
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Um I was trying to hire sponsorship people, New York and LA.
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they don't want to live here.
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And then I had a group of people Craig Borsari who is my uh you know my head of production who is an absolute rock star, the best in the business.
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He was a rising star at Fox.
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He left Fox and came here because he believed in the vision and and what was happening here.
17:30
When you think back from on that journey of buying it for $2 million and then let's say it's worth $50 billion now if it was valued, you know, relevant to the Lakers.
17:39
If there were principles, if there were like a couple of principles that you would most attribute to the success of the UFC when at the time nobody wanted to put on the fights anywhere.
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Everybody thought it was like too barbaric. >> Matchmaking. >> Matchmaking. Yeah.
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>> Is number one, the live event production. >> Okay.
17:59
>> And the television production.
18:01
>> And then on the business side that you think, you know, if we'd gotten that wrong, we definitely wouldn't be here.
18:08
The big problem, if you look at how 25 years ago when we bought this, you're never going to compete with boxing.
18:14
Boxing is too established.
18:14
It's been around too long. It's this and that.
18:17
Boxing became a going out of business sale.
18:20
Every time these guys would put on a fight, they try to grab as much money as they can and run.
18:23
I am now involved in boxing.
18:26
I have the only global television deal right on Paramount.
18:30
All these other guys are on a streaming service called literally every promoter.
18:37
What they've done is they've chased everybody out of the business.
18:42
Television networks don't want to deal with it anymore.
18:44
Sponsors don't want to be a part of it anymore.
18:46
What we have done over the last 25 years is built a brand that not only the consumer trusts, >> but sponsors, television networks, the list goes on and on.
18:58
So, I make sure that when people show up to my live event, which is super important.
19:06
The people who pay to come to the live event spend way more money than the people on TV.
19:10
And they got to buy flights and rooms and pay for their dinners.
19:15
Every time we put on a live event, I want the people walking out of there going, "God damn, that was a good time.
19:20
I'm I'm glad we did this tonight and I would love to do this again."
19:24
>> And how do you make sure that's the case?
19:26
I heard somebody saying one time, Dana acts like there's a formula to this.
19:30
If you look if you went back, I don't know the actual number, but it's a it's a long list and a big number of guys with a lot of money who are really smart and have done good things in life that have tried to get into this business and couldn't do it. Couldn't make it work. There is a formula. >> And guess who has it?
19:50
One of the things I've learned as I've gone through my business career that I didn't know at the start of my business career was how much of success is actually determined by the the people you're able to assemble.
19:57
I think at the start of my career, you think if I work weekends and I work really hard and have good ideas myself, then I'll be successful.
20:04
And somewhere along the way, I realized that it's really about like assembling people and binding them with the right like philosophy or culture, whatever they call it.
20:11
And the question I have for you is, have you noticed the same?
20:14
Have you have you noticed that one of the like obvious but seemingly unobvious things about business building is the quality of people you hire?
20:23
>> There's no doubt about it.
20:23
No one guy does everything.
20:24
When we first bought the company, I was the everything guy.
20:28
There was like two employees, me and somebody else.
20:30
And you know, you wear all the hats when you start.
20:33
Then you start going out and you start building a team.
20:37
And there are people who fit and people who work and people who don't.
20:43
And you have to be really good at figuring out who fits and who works and who doesn't.
20:47
And over the last 25 years, if there's a superpower that I have, it has been picking the right people to surround myself with.
20:57
And I knew when there wasn't.
21:00
We had a we made a big decision when we sold on people that we brought in and I knew right away the people that didn't fit and I fired them.
21:09
>> What are you looking for in great people?
21:10
First of all, you have to have talented people.
21:12
You have to have talented people that are not only really good at what they do, but are hard workers, too, and have the drive.
21:17
But everybody has to be on board with the vision and and has to be, you know, on the same page.
21:27
I am at a place right now with my production team when we do spots and we do vignettes and we do they'll bring them into me and there are very few changes.
21:37
>> What is your talent there?
21:37
Like if if I ask the people that work closest with you, and I know this is a little bit of a weird question to answer, what is Dana's three skills that are rare relative to other people?
21:49
>> I am a fight fan to the core.
21:49
25 years later of doing this, I am still a hardcore fight fan.
21:54
And when we put something together and we nail it, I I know we got it.
22:00
And now what I do is I push my team whether it's production, matchmaking, sponsorship side, whatever it is.
22:09
I push all these guys every day to get us to where I know I want to be. >> You are the customer.
22:18
>> Yeah, I am the customer. >> Yeah.
22:20
And you have been since I saw in your your sort of early um sort of mid20s, you you were captivated with boxing at the time, I believe. >> Yep.
22:27
Every time when we go to an event, there's a red phone on the on the table where I sit and it goes directly to the to the truck and there's that our producer's name is Zack.
22:38
>> The truck where the producers are. >> Yeah. Zach runs all the shows.
22:40
He has the freedom to do what he wants and he tries.
22:46
So I'll pick up the phone and go, "What was that?"
22:48
And he's like, "I thought we tried that."
22:50
I say, "Yeah, let's never [ __ ] do that again." Okay, bye.
22:53
And there's no hurt feelings.
22:55
there's no whatever or we'll do something.
22:58
I'm like that was incredible. Yeah, congrats. That's incredible.
23:00
And you know, once you get to that level with your team, there's a woman sitting out here. Her name is Len. She's the head of PR.
23:10
>> I don't really make a move without talking to her anymore.
23:12
I trust her so much and she's so smart and she's so talented that she's involved in a lot of different aspects of my life.
23:20
Craig Borsari who I talked about who is the head of production, my head of sponsorship.
23:26
Once you build this like rockstar team, it's all just like it becomes a welloiled machine where everything just starts to work the right way.
23:38
Like when we were going through co these people that I'm talking about, you know, when you go through something like this, who the hell knows how long this is going to last?
23:47
And as crazy as the world was during that time, here here's one thing that wasn't going to happen.
23:52
I don't give a [ __ ] We were not going to lay off our employees.
23:57
These people that have been here with me and and that I'm super close to saw this quote from I I don't know who the CEO was, but says, "Anybody that's trying to sell you that we're a family and is is full of [ __ ] This is transactional and it's the I don't know who wants to run through a [ __ ] wall for that guy."
24:15
But he's full of [ __ ] Okay, my team.
24:18
That is the way I feel about my team. And I do care.
24:24
And I will never pick money over people ever.
24:30
Scariest time in our lifetime was co.
24:34
You're looking at the numbers and going, "Oh [ __ ] you know, we uh we got to let go of some people. We got to what?"
24:42
During the scariest time in in human history. No.
24:44
Your job as the CEO is to figure out how to keep your business running and to take care of all your people, right?
24:52
Here's what you don't do.
24:55
Oh, we're looking at hard times.
24:56
Let's just start [ __ ] putting bullets in people who have missed their kids' first step, didn't go to a [ __ ] game, missed this and missed that to help build this company.
25:06
It is your job as the CEO to take care of these people and figure out how to make money.
25:12
That's the way that I look at it and that's what we did.
25:17
>> The reason why people have a problem with this whole like uh you know my team are my family thing is because they always say well you don't fire your family and and what you're saying is actually those that have been loyal to you are the ones that you treat like family I'm hearing. >> Yeah.
25:30
If you don't have loyalty >> what do you have? Right.
25:34
If if you work in a place where you feel like the rug could be pulled out from under you at any minute for no reason other than the numbers don't look good.
25:44
You think you want to be an entrepreneur and you think you want to be the CEO of a company.
25:51
Every day when your foot hits the floor out of bed, you're going to war.
25:53
There's people trying to take what you have.
25:59
There's people trying to screw you over.
26:02
You know, people are coming after you every day.
26:03
And the more successful you become, the more people that are coming after you.
26:07
And I look at the UFC and other businesses that I run as a battleship.
26:14
And me and my team are going to war.
26:14
And we either all go down together or we don't go down at all.
26:21
>> I guess in that context, if you are at war, then you need, you know, your brothers in arms.
26:24
You need >> you need soldiers. >> Yeah. You need soldiers. >> Yep.
26:27
And I'll tell you this, so I know lots of different stories coming out of CO the day that everything started to shut down.
26:36
I literally got all my employees in a room together downstairs at our dining room and I said, "Listen, I don't understand this.
26:43
I don't know what's going on, but if any of you feel unsafe or feel that, you know, you have loved ones at home that could be unsafe from this whole thing, you can go home." Nobody walked out. Nobody walked out.
27:00
I said, "We're going to figure this out.
27:01
We're going to get through this together."
27:02
And uh you know, every week I had weekly FaceTime calls with all my employees.
27:07
And it sounds weird now, but I was like, "If you need anything, if you need groceries, toilet paper, uh you loved one of yours gets sick, make me the first call.
27:18
We'll get through this together."
27:20
And and then, you know, it was only a couple weeks and I said, "We're going. we're going to work.
27:25
And everybody, men, women, they all said, "We're with you. Let's roll."
27:34
>> Do you know what's interesting is the last time I heard a founder or CEO of a company say this to me, um, they also had a very turbulent childhood where they didn't have a family.
27:44
>> And and he ended up admitting to me, he goes, "You know, I guess to some degree, as an adult, I've been able to build my own my own community family that I really never had."
27:52
And so I I was just wondering as you were speaking there if there's if there's a link there at all >> well between how you treat >> No, here's the link for me.
28:00
If if I had again psychoanalyzing me, I've worked for companies >> that you go in and you give your time and your energy to and they treat you like you don't even [ __ ] matter, right?
28:12
It's like, well, if you don't like it, there's 10 other people right behind you that would love to have this job.
28:17
Wow, that's how much you value me and what I do here.
28:20
>> Yeah, it goes both ways, right?
28:20
>> Yeah, it goes both ways, right? I I I've been in those positions before and I've red phone um reminds me of another quote that I read from you which is that you are always in the weeds and one would think you know Dana you're 57 >> yeah 57 >> 57 years old very very successful made a
28:37
lot of money in your life peak of your powers one would assume that by this time you'd be a little bit out of the weeds and dare I say even I don't know delegating and enjoying yourself a little bit more I mean that's presumptive the word enjoying yourself but would be out of the weeds by No. >> You ever hear the saying, "It's easier
28:52
>> You ever hear the saying, "It's easier to get to the top than it is to stay on top."
28:55
True words were never spoken.
28:55
When you're when you're at the top, everybody's gunning for you.
29:00
And everybody's looking at your blueprint and saying, "How do I how do I use what he's done and how he's built this to beat him?
29:09
>> How do I steal his people?"
29:10
>> It's like being a world champion.
29:10
So, you become a world champion and then everybody starts studying you and how you fight or how you play or how you do, trying to figure out how to beat you.
29:20
And uh I love that [ __ ] >> How do you respond to that?
29:23
Because it >> because it's easy to get distracted when there's that many people gunning for one guy >> and don't get distracted.
29:28
You know what get distracted on?
29:30
You get into a business like this, right?
29:32
And and lots of goofy [ __ ] starts coming at you like, "Hey, we want to do a movie about this.
29:39
Hey, we want to do a thing on your life.
29:41
Hey, we want to There's three things that I focus on every day, and I'm not going to say it."
29:47
But >> you're not going to say it. >> No. Why?
29:49
>> There's three things that I focus on every day.
29:51
And if I don't [ __ ] this up, >> you can't you can't mess it up.
29:56
>> Why wouldn't you tell me?
29:57
>> It's part of the formula.
30:00
It's part of the formula.
30:02
>> Three things you focus on every day.
30:05
>> There's lots of ancillary things that come around the brand of the UFC, right?
30:09
That if you start diving into all the, you know, and let your ego take over.
30:14
you let your ego get into, you know, all this [ __ ] that you can't mess it up because I've seen other companies that are so big and massive and have been around for a hundred years and you make a couple of mistakes and then somebody else is is coming trying to eat your lunch, man.
30:32
And and and uh nipping at your heels.
30:35
>> Nobody's nipping at my heels.
30:39
All these other guys that are out there, we are not the same.
30:41
Okay, this thing has gotten to a level now.
30:44
My competitors are the NFL, Major League Baseball, the NHL, and the NBA.
30:51
We did an 8 billion deal with Paramount.
30:56
Right now, I don't know this for a fact, but I know this for a fact.
31:03
The NFL are a bunch of animals, right?
31:08
Soon as that deal was announced, all the powers that be at the NFL got in a room and said there was $8 billion out there that we didn't get.
31:15
We'll do games on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. You know what I mean?
31:22
>> And if you look at me now, we're sitting in my arena.
31:26
>> Next door, I have the performance institute and our headquarters.
31:27
We have everything that the NFL and the Major League Base, all these guys have.
31:32
We are part of the the four major sport uh organizations in the United States.
31:40
>> Dana, can you give me one of these three things?
31:44
>> Um, no, no, no, no, no.
31:48
It's it's it's part of the formula, but you know, we have gotten to a level now where we are one of the top four major.
31:55
All these other promoters and all these other guys putting on fights and all this [ __ ] they don't matter.
32:00
But on this point of being in the weeds, >> is that important for, you know, people out there that are >> So here's what can happen, you know, and people say this to me all the time. We did the $7.
32:11
7 billion deal with Paramount and they're like, "Wow, that's incredible."
32:16
You know, you didn't [ __ ] make it. You never make it.
32:17
You don't make Do you know why Paramount did a 7. 7?
32:22
Because they believe that we can impact their business.
32:25
Now, my job over the next five years is to make sure we do that because guess what I want?
32:31
I want 10 billion after we get out of this deal, right?
32:38
>> And the way that you do that is you added value to their company and and you know, >> is it not tiring though constantly having to be in the weeds for 25 years and now you're rich and you've you made all this money? Like, is it not?
32:51
>> I could understand for some people maybe, but not me.
32:53
I mean, I'm I'm I'm 57, and I'm sure to a lot of young people that seems old, but 57 isn't that old.
33:01
And and and what the hell would I be doing?
33:03
I am addicted to chaos and and you know, and if there isn't any, I create it.
33:10
It's it's a weird thing, but I'm definitely an addict. Yeah.
33:14
>> There's a particular quote in this pile of quotes which I think is really relevant. >> Yeah. I love the haters.
33:21
The haters are the best, man.
33:23
There's nothing better than haters.
33:25
Haters will lay out what they think is wrong with your business and how you're not, you know, doing this or doing that.
33:32
And you know what this used to be called was, you know, the critics or the whatever.
33:37
Now these days they're called the haters.
33:39
And and I I love the haters.
33:42
>> Do you listen to the haters? >> Yeah. Yeah.
33:43
It's not like you don't listen to the haters, you know.
33:45
It's not like you don't you know you know what you know what is real and you know what's just [ __ ] They're just, you know, but you have to have these guys.
33:56
They they they they sort of keep you on your game.
33:59
>> Now, most people would say I drown that.
34:01
What I drown out is like the media that covers our sport.
34:04
I don't look at them as haters.
34:07
I look at the every [ __ ] thing they say is wrong.
34:10
And when I look at what they say, it's like it's amazing that you could be involved in this business for 25 years and know nothing about it, you know?
34:19
But I guess that's why, you know, we've never had any real competitors cuz when you think about what we're doing, it's never been done before.
34:28
So what I'm thinking and what's coming next, these guys could never know.
34:34
So all literally all the guys that cover our sport, I block them out of my feed. I don't want to hear.
34:38
They're all wrong and everything they say is wrong and it's a it's a waste of my time to even listen to anything they say.
34:45
But the hardcore fans, you know, uh, and the people who hate and the people who say we're great and all this, I like that information.
34:57
I like hearing what they have to say.
34:59
The two points you just made, this one and the point before um, brought to mind this point of focus.
35:03
You talked about these three things.
35:04
You talked about blocking out the haters.
35:07
When you're at the top, there are so many things screaming for your energy. >> Sounds right.
35:12
>> There's a Everybody's going, "Look over here, Dana.
35:14
Give me five minutes of your thoughts and energy."
35:15
Then you've got a journalist over here.
35:17
Then you've got this fighter saint coming out making a comment over here.
35:19
And so I wanted to understand what your relationship with like focus and how important this idea of focus has been to your success. >> Yeah.
35:27
That's why you have to uh like I was saying you have to figure out what you pay attention to and what you don't pay attention to.
35:36
>> Kevin Olir called this signal and noise. >> Yeah.
35:39
>> You told me about great film. >> Yeah. >> The noise.
35:40
You got to block out a lot of the noise.
35:43
The problem is these days anybody with a [ __ ] phone, all right, can can consider themselves an expert and and I'm criticizing what they do, but it's it's just it's always wrong and it's always just such a waste of time.
35:54
I want to hear what the fans think.
35:57
I don't want to hear what these guys who are trying to start a podcast or a website or a [ __ ] Instagram account, you know, on the business think.
36:05
I want to hear what the real fans think.
36:07
And when when you have been doing this long enough, you can sort of go through and tell what's what and who's who, right?
36:15
So when when I feel like somebody has made a really good point or an opinion on the show or the match, it's like when we put together a fight, and I've been saying this since day one, they're like, "This card sucks."
36:30
You can't say the card sucks until it's over, right?
36:33
Cuz these are obviously all really talented people that are on the card.
36:37
Maybe some of them are, you know, are younger and haven't proven themselves yet, but you can't judge a card until the card's over.
36:45
And believe me, if the card sucks, I'll be the first one to say that the card sucked.
36:49
So, there's just lots of things that are that make sense and things that don't.
36:55
>> What has made the the biggest difference to you in terms of your energy, your health, and making sure that you can show up really well every day?
37:00
because I'm I you're the reason I heard about Gary Breer and then I brought him on the show and he did really really well on the show and then it was that watching you talk about some of the impact he had on your life.
37:11
He's a health expert that transformed your life.
37:15
>> But I I say all this to say that in my life I noticed this variance between my good days and my bad days in terms of energy level, my ability to articulate myself.
37:22
And so I'm longing to like get to a high baseline.
37:27
>> So I'm wondering for you like what has that been for you?
37:28
Yeah, he completely changed my life.
37:30
When I hit 50, Gary Brea changed everything.
37:32
So, I have two doctors, one in Vegas, one in LA.
37:36
They're both great doctors.
37:36
So, when I started the whole Gary Brea thing, they they called me up together.
37:40
They're like, "Dana, what are you doing?
37:42
What are you doing with this shit?"
37:44
And I said, "Listen, man."
37:46
The guy said, "Give me 12 weeks and I'll change your life.
37:50
We'll see what happens in in in six weeks."
37:53
I was like, "Wow, I feel incredible."
37:56
and all these things that they couldn't fix.
37:59
They just kept switching up the pills and all this [ __ ] And one of them that was real bad was sleep apnnea.
38:04
I was waking up almost every night and throwing up from from from sleep apnnea, right?
38:13
>> And how how did you meet him?
38:13
Someone referred him to you and >> Carrie Kasem Carrie Kasem was like, "I want you to meet this guy.
38:20
I'm telling you, he'll do this and that."
38:21
I didn't want to meet him.
38:23
And then the the weirdest thing ever is that my son turned 21 and I had his 21st birthday down in Miami >> and Gary Brea lives in Miami and he says, "Well, we do IVs so we could do all the IVs for you guys down there and whatever."
38:39
And I said, "All right, cool."
38:39
So, we would go out and drink and, you know, then do the IVs.
38:42
And then one day we're doing the IV.
38:44
And he says, "Let me let me take your blood and let me uh let me do your blood work for you." >> Gary said, "No." >> Yeah.
38:50
And Gary had this thing that he could predict, you know, when you would die.
38:55
And then I became obsessed with that.
38:58
I said, >> he gave you 12 years. >> 10. >> He gave you 10 years.
39:02
>> So then, so then he he he said, "Uh, give me 12 weeks. I'll change your life. It's going to be hard."
39:07
And I said, "It won't be hard."
39:08
Once I set my mind to it, I'll I'll do exactly what you tell me to do. It took 6 weeks.
39:12
6 weeks in, I was like, I I never felt better.
39:15
and clarity legs and all these other problems I have and then sleep apnnea gone.
39:23
Me and my wife truly believe that he's wrong. I didn't have 10 years.
39:26
We thought I had less because of the way that I would sleep and all the [ __ ] that was going on with me.
39:31
And uh you know this guy is a is a life changer.
39:35
I wouldn't be doing all the things.
39:39
I mean I'd probably still be doing UFC, but I wouldn't be doing all this other stuff that I'm doing.
39:43
I wouldn't be able to run at the level I run at right now without him.
39:47
I hear another one of your quotes here. >> Yeah.
39:51
It says, "You either have the killer instinct or you don't." And it's so true.
39:57
So, this happened with Ian Garry.
40:00
>> You know, >> I saw your interview.
40:02
>> I felt like Ian Garry in that fifth round, you have this opportunity.
40:04
You're fighting possibly the greatest fighter of all time.
40:09
And you did a damn good [ __ ] job for four rounds.
40:11
And you know, he was battered.
40:14
His whole right side was busted up.
40:17
His face was busted up, but he was beating you as far as rounds go.
40:21
Now you're the younger, bigger, rangier fighter.
40:24
You just fought four incredible rounds.
40:27
Get out there and put it on.
40:30
You go out and start shaking his hands and hugging him and do that when they're strapping the belt on you.
40:36
Show Islam all the love you want when the fight's over. This is the fifth round.
40:42
You have five minutes to shock the world and and you know everything you ever [ __ ] dreamed of and worked for can happen in this next five minutes and you didn't do it.
40:54
>> Does that mean he doesn't have the killer instinct? >> I don't know.
40:56
You know, he's a classy, really nice guy, but that's not the time or place to be it.
41:01
You you have to go out and you have to you have five minutes left to you know, he didn't show it.
41:08
If he does have it, he didn't show it.
41:10
any any guy, company or person that wants to be a sponsor of ours. I'm not a logo slap guy.
41:18
You just take your logo and slap it in and let's hope this works out. No, I want you to win.
41:26
When you're with me and and your name is on our canvas, I want this to be a mutually beneficial deal for both of us. I want you to win.
41:35
And I want you to go, "Damn, thank God I spent my money on the UFC."
41:41
>> And you have to get up and you have to you have to kick ass every single day.
41:46
Not just for you, not just for your employees, but for your sponsors, the network, and you know, you're never out of the weeds, I guess, is the answer.
41:54
You have to be an absolute savage in business.
41:56
I mean, that goes right along with what I was just saying.
41:59
You You >> Are you a savage?
42:02
>> I don't like to You know what I mean? I don't know.
42:05
I would let other people judge whether I am a savage or not.
42:07
But yes, I will tell you this.
42:09
I absolutely positively have killer instinct.
42:12
And every day that I show up here, I'm I'm here to [ __ ] win.
42:20
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42:23
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42:35
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43:10
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44:19
There's going to be some people listening that are at the start of their careers and that they'll be inspired by you.
44:25
They'll want to win like you've won.
44:27
They'll want to climb to the the sort of peak of the mountain in whatever pursuit they go after.
44:30
And I'm kind the question I'm kind of wondering is like is there a way they can learn this savagery, this killer instinct?
44:38
Do you have you ever seen someone go from not having it to having it, whether they were a fighter or someone else?
44:43
>> H that's a good question.
44:43
I don't know if I've ever experienced somebody who didn't have it and got it.
44:48
I don't I don't think that I have.
44:51
But here's what I do know.
44:54
If you want to get into business for yourself, you have to have a certain mindset and you have to be a killer, man.
45:01
You have to and you have to not just think about yourself.
45:03
There's a lot of other people that you have to think of more times than less before you.
45:13
>> Do you think you have to have a chip on your shoulder?
45:14
Uh, I don't know if you have to have a chip on your shoulder, but you know, I most guys you see do, but it's because you get up every day and it's you versus the world.
45:23
I mean, everybody's coming at you.
45:26
And the more successful you get, I mean, if if you look this up, I mean, every business that's ever been successful, right?
45:34
There's a army of scumbag lawyers out there that will find a way to figure out how to sue you because you know you did something wrong.
45:44
Or the other thing that happens is people that are involved in your business that don't become successful. It's never their fault.
45:53
>> It's somebody else's fault on why they weren't successful.
45:54
And you know there there's always a there there are groups of lawyers like companies out there massive companies and smaller ones too that actually fund you can go in and you can invest in a lawsuit with them and and be a part of it.
46:08
So every day when you get up there's just you know scumbags regular people good people that are all coming after you. question then.
46:18
Which person would you of all the entrepreneurs and killers you've met, which one would you not like to compete with >> as it relates to business?
46:27
H I don't think I I I want to compete with them all. >> But is there anyone?
46:33
>> Listen, we're we're at a level now where I was saying to you the NFL and >> yeah, >> Major League Baseball, these guys are all, you know, first of all, they've been around for a hundred years or more or less or whatever it is.
46:43
And I'm I'm at a level now where we're competing with the elite of the elite in sports.
46:50
>> Who is the most badass entrepreneur you've ever met? >> Uh I don't know. That's a tough one.
46:55
Like there's guys that there's guys that that that I like and respect like the the Michael Jordan's uh Carl Icon.
47:00
I I like guys like that, you know.
47:05
>> What about athletes that you've worked with?
47:06
Was there any that you you sort of put in a class of their own in terms of >> Conor McGregor, Hhabib Ngamedov, Chuck Liddell when you know it was his time.
47:14
Ronda Rousey, you know, people people that you know want to talk [ __ ] about Ronda Rousey.
47:18
Now let me tell you what Ronda Rousey came to me.
47:20
I didn't want women in the UFC, right?
47:23
And and the reasoning is I was trying to sell men to networks and sponsors and they were like this is too whatever women.
47:31
Ronda Rousey grabbed me at an event, said, "Hey, I'm Ronda Rousey.
47:36
Can I get 15 minutes with you?"
47:39
We went into my room at the at the arena and I don't know, minutes into the conversation, I'm like, "Holy [ __ ] I think I'm going to do this."
47:49
And she's the one to do it with, you know, and she came in with the whole [ __ ] bravado.
47:56
You want to talk about a chip on your shoulder? I mean, she had it.
47:57
You know, so many people now want to hate on her. She is a [ __ ] unicorn.
48:04
>> What do these people have?
48:04
The Connors, the Kabibs, the Ronda. What is it? >> Conor McGregor.
48:07
I went to dinner with him when we signed him. I left that dinner.
48:12
I called Lorenzo Fertitta.
48:12
And I said, "Dude, I don't know if this guy can fight or not, but if he can even throw a punch, he's going to be a massive superstar. He's he's incredible." >> What was it?
48:25
>> Well, the number one factor in this business, can you fight? >> How good are you?
48:30
Number two is that is this this mentality of manifesting and just sitting there and you're telling me what you're going to do and how it's going to happen and how it's all going to play out.
48:42
And I've only had a handful of these meetings in 25 years. A handful.
48:48
>> Do you believe in manifestation in that regard?
48:50
>> Oh, manifesting is real and I'm a I'm a big believer in in manifesting.
48:53
When you decide who you are, what you want to do, what you're going to accomplish and you get up every single day and you work toward it, it is impossible for you to fail.
49:06
>> Some people just take one side of that bug and they'll say, "I'll just sit here and think about it.
49:08
I'll make my vision board."
49:10
But then they won't get out and press the pedal. >> Right.
49:12
>> It's kind of like getting in a car in your garage and setting the satnav, but not, you know, putting your foot down. >> That's exactly right. Not stepping on the gas. You're right.
49:19
Yeah, you go in there and you program your [ __ ] you know your GPS system and then you never step on the gas and you never [ __ ] go anywhere.
49:26
But yeah, if you lay out your plan, you know who you are, you know what you want to do, it's impossible to fail.
49:32
And then then what does failure mean? >> Mhm.
49:37
>> What what what does failure mean?
49:37
My thing about success in life is are you happy?
49:42
Do you get up every day and love what you do?
49:45
You know, I know a lot of billionaires that are miserable, miserable human beings. >> Why? >> I don't know why.
49:51
It's just listen, being happy is a choice. Do you love what you do? Do you want to get up?
49:54
Do you want to be happy every day?
49:56
And and to me, that's the key to success.
49:58
I actually I'll tell you a story of my son.
50:01
My oldest son called me the other day and he's like, "Dad, I need some direction.
50:05
You know, I'm thinking about this d and I always tell my kids, I want you guys to be happy."
50:12
He goes, "Dad, don't give me your [ __ ] happy speech. He's beat.
50:17
I need some [ __ ] direction and help me figure this out.
50:19
So, I think we had a good conversation and uh he seemed happy when we got off the phone, but yeah.
50:27
>> What did he want direction on?
50:29
>> Yeah, just just life choices that he's he's looking down the barrel of right now.
50:34
Don't be that guy that's laying in the hospital bed dying saying, "I wonder what would happen if I tried." Yeah.
50:39
I don't want any regrets.
50:42
I don't want to be, you know, I I I don't want any regrets. And I don't right now.
50:48
I I I don't regret anything.
50:50
If you if you pushed me hard and said, "Tell me one thing that you regret."
50:57
I don't believe that I have any.
50:57
I don't believe that I have any.
51:00
>> I know you don't like it when I go here, but I wanted to wanted to ask you if you have any of that.
51:04
Your parents have passed away a couple years ago.
51:06
>> Well, that's the thing.
51:06
>> Well, that's the thing. when you when you talk about like you know this podcast diary to CEO I I don't think that >> that it's all you know cookie cutter and stamp everybody has their own things you grew up different than I grew up all you
51:21
grew up different than we grew up and there are things that >> you know obviously had big impressions on you when you were young but I hate the past I don't I don't like the past and it's not just my childhood or anything like that [ __ ] the rearview mirror, it doesn't matter. Whatever
51:37
Whatever happened yesterday means nothing today.
51:42
And some of these kids, you can never let the past affect your future, right?
51:48
So people say to me, "Hey, do you ever look back and go, wow, we did this and no, [ __ ] that.
51:52
Cuz whatever we did back then got me to here." >> Right? We're here.
52:00
>> What just happened a few hours ago doesn't mean [ __ ] anymore. It's gone. Right? What's next? what's next? What's next?
52:07
I don't ever look back and let you know, you learn some things and you learn some lessons and you know, good and bad or whatever happens.
52:13
But these people who sit around go, you don't understand my dad did to my mom and [ __ ] who gives a [ __ ] [ __ ] everybody went through that stuff. Shut up.
52:23
That doesn't matter anymore.
52:23
Don't let the past affect your future.
52:26
So people will say, "Do you ever just sit around and reflect?"
52:30
[ __ ] no, I don't reflect.
52:32
reflect. I'm thinking about what's happening tomorrow and what's going to happen and you know who's going to come after me in the next [ __ ] few days and you know how do we build and how do we get bigger and how do we get better you know I'm 57 but I want to be better tomorrow than I was today in every way
52:50
that you can possibly be better >> have you always been like that >> I think so I think I've always been that way yesterday never mattered to me you know you took whatever lessons you had from that good or bad right it's like it's Like these kids that grew up and said they didn't have any role models, you know? Oh, yes, you did. Oh, yes, you did.
53:09
>> Does that mean you had tons of them?
53:10
>> Does that mean that you can't You're not hurt by things? >> Never.
53:13
>> You're never hurt by things. >> Never hurt by things. >> Really? >> Never hurt by things. Yeah.
53:15
And people always, you know, people that are close to me would like, "When's the last time you cried?"
53:20
[ __ ] I don't even know the last time I cried. What does crying do?
53:24
What does How does crying [ __ ] help in any way, shape, or form?
53:26
And you know, maybe for some people crying's great.
53:30
Crying doesn't [ __ ] work for me. I'm not a crier.
53:32
And it's pretty [ __ ] hard to hurt my feelings.
53:35
And I'll give that to my mom and dad, my uncles and aunts.
53:40
I mean, we had a [ __ ] tough crew.
53:42
When people who were supposed to love you would say the things that these guys would say to you, you know what what is [ __ ] this guy over here.
53:49
I think I give a [ __ ] what this guy thinks.
53:52
It's like when we talk about getting cancelled.
53:54
Who can really cancel you, right?
53:56
Oh, the New York Times doesn't like that.
54:00
I [ __ ] the New York Times.
54:02
Give a [ __ ] about the New York Times.
54:04
I have a group of people in my life that mean something to me, right? That I care about.
54:08
Their opinions, you know, my relationships with them, whatever mean a lot to me.
54:17
And if one of them went away, that that would bother me, right?
54:20
other everybody else would I give a [ __ ] what you know three guys on the [ __ ] internet think or you know some guy who writes for something or the [ __ ] New York Times which you know through co New York Times was on my ass like crazy but this this is what I always think about.
54:40
>> And are you saying that came from the fact that people that were supposed to say nice things and be super affectionate and cushy when you were younger they were saying horrible things so it kind of built a resilience in you?
54:50
>> No [ __ ] doubt about it. No doubt about it.
54:52
They built me for this for this life and this uh you know and I always say I wouldn't take back one thing from my childhood or want different parents or a different family or a different setup. It was incredible.
55:06
>> What were they saying to you?
55:08
>> Uh I don't listen I I I'm a ball buster.
55:11
I like to bust balls and and whatever even with my friends and my crew and that's the way my family was.
55:15
My family was a hard group.
55:17
Like my grandmother w- which I love.
55:20
Both my grandmothers on both sides were incredible.
55:22
You know, there's nothing better in life when you're young than to have great grandparents.
55:27
I mean, everybody watching this right now, everybody thinks of their grandparents and like, "Ah, yeah, your grandparents were the best and all that shit."
55:34
Like my grandmother, my Irish grandmother on on my that >> you say, "Hey, I love you, Graham." [ __ ] nothing back. Good to see you. See you later. Really? Yeah. Yeah.
55:42
There was none of that type of [ __ ] growing up. Yeah. Yeah. There you go.
55:48
>> I when I heard about this, I thought, "Oh, shit."
55:49
So, this is a book that your mother >> I've actually never seen the actual [ __ ] book.
55:54
>> This is a book your mother published about you unauthorized as a biography. >> Yeah.
55:58
And put a bunch of pictures in here of me when I was a kid and all this [ __ ] But I think, you know, this happens a lot.
56:03
I mean, she put my [ __ ] wedding pictures in here and [ __ ] >> And she didn't ask you to publish this book. >> No.
56:09
Put [ __ ] wedding pictures in here and all this [ __ ] [ __ ] I mean, I I you know, I saw some Kobe Bryant stuff where Kobe had to like sue his mom.
56:15
She was selling his [ __ ] from his bedroom and and you know, it happens, man. It happens.
56:24
It's unfortunate and it's I've actually never seen the book.
56:26
It's the first time I've ever seen the book.
56:28
>> I'm not going to read it out or anything, but um in the book, she's critical of you at certain points.
56:33
Specifically, the last page, which I read, she >> she says critical things, and I was wondering where along the way did that happen?
56:40
>> Well, I've never read it.
56:40
And that's the first time I've ever seen it.
56:42
And I was just flipping through like the pictures like, you know, it's it's bat [ __ ] nuts. Bat [ __ ] nuts.
56:52
Where along the way did that happen that you fell out with her?
56:55
>> I was on a trip one time.
56:55
You know, this this was before uh um you know, I didn't have emails and all that [ __ ] on the road.
57:03
And I was with Lorenzo Fertitta, my partner, and we were in London for like two weeks.
57:08
And when I got back, I checked my emails and I have like a bunch of emails from her like threatening me.
57:15
You're going to send me this much money by you have two options.
57:21
You can give me this all up front or you can pay me payments over the next [ __ ] whatever.
57:25
I'm I'm looking to buy a a bar or whatever it was.
57:28
And then she wasn't getting responses because I was in London.
57:35
And then the email started getting nastier and nastier and nastier by the end.
57:40
And I was like, I [ __ ] just blew up.
57:43
And that was the beginning of the end with me and her. Yeah.
57:50
So these things happen when when you become successful.
57:52
It's not just uh listen, sometimes family is the worst.
57:55
M >> sometimes family's worse than you know like like when we talk about things that are being said in newspapers and things like that pale in comparison to what you can get from some family members.
58:10
But I have a whole another group of family like cousins and you know me and my sister super I mean listen I I say this all the time.
58:19
We all fail at certain things in life.
58:22
In my opinion, if you fail as a parent, it's the ultimate failure.
58:29
>> It's the It's the ultimate failure.
58:32
My mom passed away without me or my sister talking to her.
58:35
My sister had her own set of issues.
58:38
You know, with me it was money.
58:42
With my sister it was other things.
58:44
So, we didn't we didn't talk to either one of my parents.
58:49
>> Have you forgiven her? >> Um, yeah.
58:51
Listen, I I didn't I I don't go on shows to speak negatively about my mother.
58:55
You know, I was telling you earlier, I wouldn't change anything.
58:57
And you know, people say, "Do you think you are where you are today because of your parents?" Absolutely, 100%.
59:02
You know, good, bad, whatever, however you want to look at it.
59:06
You know, my parents passed I don't want to tell bad stories about my parents, but I mean that's one of the one of the grossest, most disgusting things that you couldn't even imagine possible until it happens to you.
59:19
And you know what are you going to do?
59:24
You're going to [ __ ] cry about it and oh, you don't understand my [ __ ] Well, >> you got you got an opportunity.
59:30
>> It happened and and it you know, it is what it is.
59:32
The thing that that that's bad about that and what she did is a lot of other people I think she hurt in that book.
59:38
She didn't hurt me, but other people that, you know, a lot of things that aren't true and a lot of people that didn't do anything to her in that book that, you know, and again, I've never read it, but I've had lawyers tell me about it, [ __ ] like that.
59:56
And then the, you know, the the the personal private pictures that she just threw out there that, you know, she really didn't have the right to do.
1:00:03
Um, you know, it just it just it's one of those things that when you become successful, this type of [ __ ] happens to you.
1:00:17
You have a wonderful partner like I do.
1:00:19
How would you on PS Morgan you talked about her psychoanalyzing you?
1:00:22
My fiance does the same thing.
1:00:25
I think my fiance deep down thinks I must be [ __ ] up and is is in constant search of evidence that I am [ __ ] up in part because she knows of my my childhood and my my relationship with my parents.
1:00:33
So, she assumes that I must be [ __ ] up and it's everything is confirmation of it.
1:00:39
>> Well, she'll get into this thing where she'll start telling me she's like she'll try to talk about my feelings.
1:00:44
She's like, "How do you feel about this?"
1:00:45
And and that's why when Pierce Morgan was I said, "You sound like my wife.
1:00:48
You know, it's impossible for you not to be able." Yeah.
1:00:52
I said, "It's not impossible and no, you're wrong."
1:00:54
And then and then once you do an interview like that, and it'll happen in this interview, too, it's like then people start going, "Oh, this this guy's got to be a psycho not to fucking," you know, and maybe maybe that's true. Maybe you're right. I don't know.
1:01:09
>> You didn't need different.
1:01:10
>> But I don't like to talk about this kind of [ __ ] cuz it doesn't matter at the end of the day. It doesn't matter.
1:01:14
Like I said, the rear view mirror means nothing, right?
1:01:18
Let me tell you what's not going to you're not going to get rear ended in [ __ ] life unless you did some horrible things in your past that are going to come back and [ __ ] get you or whatever.
1:01:26
The the the rearview mirror means nothing to me. I learned from it.
1:01:30
I I had these experiences, some incredible, some not incredible, but they all built who I am today and and and that's all that matters.
1:01:42
matters. I think therefore it does matter because a lot of people think they go through life thinking that if this happened to me I can't possibly have a future be successful I can't possibly move forward and so hearing someone that went through in my view an objectively very tumultuous very
1:01:58
difficult upbringing and has been able to separate themselves from it and and look forward I think means it does matter because it shows that it's possible >> well I don't ever want to sit down and and talk about things where I I'm like some victim I'm the furthest thing from a victim victim. And I think that
1:02:12
And I think that especially if you grew up in the 70s and ' 80s, a lot of bad [ __ ] happened to you in a lot of different ways.
1:02:18
It just it was a different time, a different place.
1:02:21
And I think that my parents and my grandparents before them, they grew up in a different world and different times.
1:02:28
And you know, things things weren't easy for them either.
1:02:32
They went through some [ __ ] that got them, you know, to to to where they were. And I don't blame them.
1:02:37
I don't have any ill feelings toward, you know, me and my sister will talk about my mom and we'll be like, "How the [ __ ] did she do it?" She was a single mom. My dad was what he was.
1:02:51
Single mom, worked her ass off, you know, did all this stuff and and she did it.
1:02:56
She ra she raised two kids, right?
1:02:58
no matter all the bad things or whatever that happened, the the book and all that, she she raised two kids by herself and moved across country from Boston to Vegas, you know, with two kids and a dog and a car.
1:03:11
We drove cross country, you know.
1:03:13
I remember we were going through the Midwest and there were tornadoes coming and [ __ ] and like all the stuff that we did and we went through, she did it.
1:03:19
She did it by herself and and my sister and I, even though we didn't talk to her for years, you know, at the end of her life, um, we credit her and respect what she did.
1:03:34
>> Ann is a little bit right, isn't she?
1:03:35
Cuz my partner is a little bit right. I don't tell her. >> Yeah. She's Italian. >> Your wife an >> Yeah.
1:03:41
you know, they're all together all the time and, you know, but when when you have that that type of a family structure, which is the complete [ __ ] opposite of what mine was, it it's cool to see.
1:03:52
So, I have sort of the the best of both worlds and her family's great, you know, anytime while I was building this business, her family was helping with the kids and they all worked together and they all did all this.
1:04:01
So, you know, I I I've been lucky that I've been able to experience both.
1:04:08
There should be a button just down below here.
1:04:10
And if it says subscribed, you're already subscribed.
1:04:12
If it says subscriber, that means you're not yet.
1:04:15
And if you're not subscribed, please could you do us a favor and hit that button?
1:04:18
It helps the show more than you know.
1:04:19
And according to the algorithm, you're someone that watches our show, but you haven't yet hit that button. Thank you so much. Okay, we got two more. Here we go.
1:04:30
Trust your gut, not the focus groups. Yeah.
1:04:32
Everything that I've ever done has been off based off my gut and what I felt would I mean the power slap thing.
1:04:39
I mean you want to talk about the critics I mean you know UFC huge sold all this money and and I remember seeing people he's going to he's going to destroy his legacy by by doing this and that and all the [ __ ] that they said about the UFC they then said about power slap.
1:04:54
Anything new that people don't understand or uh or don't get they they attack and go after.
1:05:00
>> But sometimes your gut is wrong. Yeah.
1:05:02
Sometimes you you're sometimes you get things wrong.
1:05:04
You think something will be >> Yeah. There's no doubt.
1:05:06
Well, luckily, not not in business it hasn't yet.
1:05:09
So, >> not the big things. >> Yeah.
1:05:13
>> But I think that sometimes because I'm quite weary of the fact that we sit here and we give people advice to trust their gut.
1:05:19
But like some people's gut is like not good. >> Yeah.
1:05:22
But if your gut is wrong, here's what I always think.
1:05:25
What's the worst case scenario?
1:05:29
>> The worst case scenario is you go back to work.
1:05:30
You learn something as well, I guess. Yeah. >> Right.
1:05:32
If your gut is wrong or if you don't make it and you don't want to, your worst case scenario is you go back to work.
1:05:41
>> It's not a bad worst case scenario.
1:05:43
>> And speaking of work, >> right?
1:05:44
I used to think the day that I walked out of that hotel, I was 19.
1:05:50
If this whole thing doesn't work out, I'll have some great experiences, but if I have to go back and go back to work, I tried. I gave it a shot.
1:05:58
I can't wake up when I'm 40. And that was the thing.
1:06:05
When I was a Bellman, I was making great money, right?
1:06:06
I was able to have a good life for myself.
1:06:09
But then I saw these guys that worked with me.
1:06:11
One of the guys was 45 years old.
1:06:16
He made the same money I made.
1:06:16
He had the same benefits that I had.
1:06:18
He had the same schedule that I had.
1:06:21
So, what's the worst case scenario?
1:06:26
I'm 45 and I come back and I, you know, I do the same thing.
1:06:29
It's not a bad worst case scenario.
1:06:32
The worst case scenario is you never try. You don't try to do it.
1:06:37
And then you wake up and you're 45 and you're like, "Fuck, man.
1:06:39
I wonder if what when I had no kids, no no no no no nobody depended on me for anything and I never gave it a shot.
1:06:48
If you're only in it for the paycheck, you've already lost.
1:06:53
Yeah, it's absolutely true.
1:06:53
Nothing I ever did was based on money because if I did base it on money, I'm still standing in the hotel lobby because that was the much better option at the time. 401k, right?
1:07:08
all the you check all the boxes, dental, medical, cash, checks, all these [ __ ] things at 19.
1:07:13
If the money was the deciding factor, I'm still standing in the lobby of the hotel.
1:07:23
Now, when I left and said, "I want to be in the fight business," everybody told me it was [ __ ] stupid. Right?
1:07:26
And when you say that, what does it mean?
1:07:32
Does it mean where I am right now and what's going on right now?
1:07:34
You could never predict that.
1:07:36
You could never you couldn't even [ __ ] dream it up.
1:07:38
The [ __ ] that I've done and the things that I've been a part of >> in your wildest dreams this wouldn't be it.
1:07:44
>> Where does luck fit in this equation? >> A lot I think a lot.
1:07:46
And I wouldn't call it luck. I'd call it timing.
1:07:52
Everything in life is about timing.
1:07:52
So there was this kid, his name's Adam Corgan.
1:07:58
I went to high school with him and he was a rich kid in high school. I was not. And I didn't have a car.
1:08:03
all that [ __ ] This guy would pick me up and drive me to school every day, right?
1:08:09
And think about this and and this is the way I always think.
1:08:14
For him to come get me, he had to wake up 45 minutes to an hour earlier, get ready, drive over, get me, and then we both had to be to school on time.
1:08:24
And I had this blanket pol, like I told you, I quit drinking when I was 21.
1:08:29
>> And I also had this blanket policy in my 20s.
1:08:31
I didn't go to anybody's wedding.
1:08:34
Everybody you ever knew was getting married when you were in your 20s heading toward your 30s, right?
1:08:37
And it first of all, you have to fly somewhere.
1:08:43
You know, I lived in Boston.
1:08:43
You know, you had to fly somewhere.
1:08:44
Takes a bunch of time out of you that to go to.
1:08:47
So, I would No, I wouldn't go to anybody's wedding.
1:08:50
So, then Adam Corgan is getting married.
1:08:53
How am I not going to go to Adam Corgan's wedding with all the things that he did for me when we were in high school? I go to his wedding.
1:08:58
And who do I run into at his wedding?
1:09:02
Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta.
1:09:07
>> Who you end up >> I hadn't seen in 10 years or more.
1:09:08
So Lorenzo comes up to me at the wedding and says, "Hey, how you doing?
1:09:13
I just got on the on the Nevada Athletic Commission and I heard you're you're you know, you got a boxing gym you train.
1:09:19
I want to come in and train with you."
1:09:21
He came in on Monday and me and Lorenzo have been together ever since.
1:09:26
And Frank >> and you bought the UFC together for $2 million sometime thereafter. Mhm.
1:09:31
>> So, if you hadn't been loyal to your friend from school and gone to his wedding, then I mean, who knows? >> Yeah. >> Sliding doors moment.
1:09:40
>> Everything in life is about timing.
1:09:42
>> Do you believe in karma? >> I do. I don't believe in much.
1:09:43
Like, I'm, you know, I'm not religious.
1:09:46
I don't believe in God, the devil, ghosts, goblins.
1:09:50
I don't believe in any of this [ __ ] But I believe in karma cuz I've seen it play out good and bad. I've seen karma.
1:09:59
There is a there is a big fight coming up um big UK fight coming up between AJ Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.
1:10:04
One of the biggest fights in boxing, you know, over the last at least the last decade for sure.
1:10:09
>> Definitely in the heavyweight division. Yes. >> Yeah.
1:10:12
>> Who do you think is going to win?
1:10:14
>> They both had tune-up fights that were very very sketchy. So, we we'll see.
1:10:16
You know, it's not like either one of them completely dominated in in their tune-up fights.
1:10:23
So, it's an interesting fight to see.
1:10:25
And obviously, you know, two of the biggest, most famous, most popular heavyweights to ever come out of the UK.
1:10:32
So, if you had to pick, if I had to pick, I don't pick.
1:10:37
>> You were about to pick.
1:10:38
>> You didn't tell me the three things. You can tell me this.
1:10:42
>> You're getting nothing from me that you actually want in this interview. What a waste of time. >> I guess so. There is this empty one.
1:10:48
I wanted you just to write one more >> that's front of mind for you.
1:10:53
And again, this is just a a principle for all my audience who are various ages that are thinking about how to be successful in their own whatever they're doing in their lives. Um, it can be anything. Okay. What did you write?
1:11:06
Do not be afraid to take risk. Okay.
1:11:12
You will never accomplish or achieve anything that you want out of life if you're not willing to take the risk.
1:11:20
You know, and it's always easier to do it when you're younger, before you get married, before you have kids, but don't be afraid to do it then either.
1:11:29
What is your worst case scenario?
1:11:31
To me, the worst case scenario is always laying on your deathbed and going, I wish I would have >> when I built my house here in Las Vegas, right?
1:11:42
I was like, this is the last [ __ ] house I'm going to build.
1:11:44
And and you know what I don't want to do?
1:11:45
I don't want to wake up some morning go, damn, I wish I would have.
1:11:48
So, I went way over budget, you know, the whole deal.
1:11:51
And I wake up every day in my [ __ ] house and I love it.
1:11:53
And I've I've been there eight years and I've never said, "Damn, I should have." Never. You know what I mean?
1:11:59
I'm just saying in everything that I do in my life, I don't want to wake up and wish that I had, you know, do not be afraid to take risk, you know?
1:12:08
And if there's something out there that you feel like you want and you, you know, [ __ ] go go go get it.
1:12:15
What's the worst thing that can happen?
1:12:17
you end up back at work, right?
1:12:19
That's the worst case scenario.
1:12:23
And it's not a bad worst case scenario >> in a way.
1:12:27
We kind of do live like we're going to live forever when you think about like cuz really, you know, neither of us know how long we have left.
1:12:33
>> So, um there's a movie that really impacted my life when I was a kid.
1:12:36
It was called Vision Quest.
1:12:37
And it's a wrestling movie.
1:12:39
You know, this kid's in high school and he feels like he never really accomplished something.
1:12:43
He's, you know, he wanted to leave his mark in high school.
1:12:47
So, he's going to drop a couple weight classes and try to beat the greatest wrestler in like the country or something.
1:12:52
The chute was the guy's name.
1:12:54
But he's in class and there's this, you know, it's like his poetry teacher, his English teacher, whatever it is, is telling a story about a poem and he says, "What does this mean to you?"
1:13:04
And the kid, Loud and Swain is his name.
1:13:07
Loud and Swain says, "You know, this little girl's walking through the park and all the leaves are dying and falling off the tree."
1:13:12
And then she realizes that she's going to die someday, too.
1:13:16
And then there's this this one of the greatest scenes in a movie of all time.
1:13:20
So he works at a hotel in high school.
1:13:23
He works at he's a room service waiter.
1:13:25
The head chef that works with him every night is always like he's cutting weight and doing all this stuff.
1:13:31
And every time he's around this guy, this guy's negative.
1:13:33
Like what are you doing this for?
1:13:35
Pick up the [ __ ] thing and eat it. Eat some food. Do this and that.
1:13:39
And it's always like [ __ ] on him.
1:13:40
So he gets to a place where he's getting ready to wrestle the shoot and he meets this girl, falls in love with her and all this [ __ ] and he's willing to blow it all and give it all up and she leaves because she sees that this is happening and she leaves him and he's all [ __ ] up. So where does he go?
1:13:56
He goes to the chef who's always [ __ ] on him because he knows he'll talk him into quitting. [ __ ] it.
1:14:04
You don't have to do this.
1:14:06
You don't have to do that.
1:14:08
He goes to work and the guy's not at work.
1:14:10
He's supposed to be working.
1:14:10
So he goes to his apartment, knocks on his door, and the guy's dressed up with a [ __ ] dress shirt and a tie.
1:14:15
And he's like, "What are you doing? What's going on? You're not working."
1:14:18
He's like, "Aren't you wrestling to shoot tonight?"
1:14:22
And he's like, "Yeah, but you're going to they're going to dock you a day paid work."
1:14:26
And this guy goes into basically I'm [ __ ] sitting in this apartment alone one night and I'm watching TV and there's a guy named Ple.
1:14:34
Have you ever heard of him?
1:14:36
>> And he says, "I watch this guy.
1:14:36
He flips upside down and backwards and kicks the ball into a net and rips his shirt off and runs around the place and the [ __ ] crowd's going crazy and is rough.
1:14:49
Look, I get goosebumps telling you the story.
1:14:51
So he says, "A human being, a species that I'm actually a part of, you know, I'm sitting here alone in my apartment and I start crying."
1:15:00
You know, it's not the six minutes, it's what happens in that six minutes that matters.
1:15:07
But basically, this movie spoke to me like nothing had ever spoke to me before. And uh I got it.
1:15:12
You know, we don't have time.
1:15:16
There's not a lot of time.
1:15:18
And it does seem like we're going to live forever, but we're not.
1:15:19
And to these younger people, like 30 years old seems so [ __ ] old to me when I was 18. >> You're 30 like that. Don't waste your time.
1:15:31
Don't be afraid to take a risk.
1:15:34
Don't be the guy sitting home alone at whatever his age was at that point in your [ __ ] apartment thinking, "I could have done more than this.
1:15:41
I could have been bigger than this.
1:15:42
I could have been better than this."
1:15:44
That is that's that's the [ __ ] worst thing that can happen to anybody.
1:15:48
You don't want to be that guy.
1:15:50
And listen, not everybody is built that way or for that.
1:15:54
I told you some people listen, they want that city job, 401k, the benefits and all that [ __ ] They want weekends off and they want holidays off and there's nothing wrong with that.
1:16:05
We we need all types of people in this world to live.
1:16:08
But if you believe that you are an entrepreneur, you believe that you in something that you want to build, do not be afraid to take the risk.
1:16:17
It's going to cost you though. It's funny.
1:16:20
I was thinking about you talking about your big house in Vegas, but then also the fact that you were there for 4 days in the last 2 months. >> Yeah.
1:16:26
>> That's actually that behavior that got you the big house. And >> True. Yeah.
1:16:30
And I wouldn't change a second of it.
1:16:33
I love this [ __ ] I still get up every day and I'm fired up to get in here and get to the office.
1:16:38
And I love like you don't want me to get into this [ __ ] It's too long or whatever, but you know, I'm working on something right now that I just became [ __ ] obsessed with.
1:16:47
I became obsessed with it.
1:16:47
And I got these guys Tucker at my office.
1:16:50
I I I got this kid Maramman at my office and all these guys that are really talented, creative people.
1:16:58
And I I I get them in a room with me and we start talking about it and I tell them what my vision is and then they get into it and then they start doing what they do and building the and then it's just like [ __ ] I just I love it man.
1:17:10
The team that I have built you know when I get in a room with these guys and we start talking it's incredible what you what you can build and what you can do and what what's available and what what you can accomplish.
1:17:23
And Ari Emanuel, Ari is this guy, you know, the ultimate all-time super agent.
1:17:29
You know, he came in and did the deal for the UFC, got the WWE and many, many other things and people he's built in his lifetime.
1:17:35
And he's the guy that when I come up with something creative and I call him and I'm like, I need $30 million. I want to do this.
1:17:48
He's like, I'll get you the money.
1:17:50
So, I've gotten to a point now where I have all these people that are part of my [ __ ] team.
1:17:54
And when I come up with something, we all get together and then we make it [ __ ] happen.
1:18:02
>> Is there a destination in your mind? >> No.
1:18:04
>> There's no destination.
1:18:06
>> Bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger. >> And then what? >> Right. Well, think about this. Then I die. Then I die.
1:18:14
Who gives a [ __ ] Right?
1:18:14
It's just I can't picture myself like, hey, I made a bunch of money.
1:18:19
I'm going to [ __ ] retire and do what? And do what?
1:18:23
You know, I I probably take four, not this year.
1:18:26
I'm [ __ ] this year, but I'd take four great vacations a year, right?
1:18:30
And and if my wife had her way, it'd be 15 days.
1:18:33
But I, you know, we're we're her and I are battling over over a vacation this year.
1:18:38
But I couldn't imagine by the time I'm done with my vacation, I can't wait to get back to work.
1:18:46
I'm so excited to get back to work.
1:18:48
And >> do we have vacations? >> Yeah. Yeah.
1:18:51
It takes me a couple days, right?
1:18:53
I mean, anybody who who who runs a big business and and understands this.
1:18:58
You get there and and you're shaking off the [ __ ] that's going on, all this stuff, and then by like day three, I'm in.
1:19:04
You know, I enjoy myself.
1:19:04
I enjoy hanging out with my kids.
1:19:08
And then by the end, I'm back on the phone going, "I'm coming home.
1:19:13
Everybody get [ __ ] ready. I'm coming home."
1:19:17
>> One of the things that is obvious speaking to you is that self-awareness really um is the advice that you've you've sort of given today because >> I imagine a lot of people wouldn't like your life.
1:19:26
They would find it miserable.
1:19:28
Whereas you find it so exciting. And I think that's true.
1:19:31
It's a really important point of nuance when we have these conversations, which is you're not necessarily saying from what I hear that everybody should have your life.
1:19:38
You're saying just like be aware of like who you are and this is who you are and you're just giving it everything to what who you are. >> Yep.
1:19:44
And even when we hire at the UFC like the woman on the other side of this wall right here, Len Breenidge, animal and brilliant and and just [ __ ] I have so much respect for her.
1:19:54
Then I got Craig Borsari.
1:19:56
I I I I got Hunter Campbell.
1:19:59
I I have all these guys that that that work for me and they are all killers, right?
1:20:04
Then you go and there's people that come in and they work 9 to5 and they it takes all types.
1:20:09
I'm not looking for 650 [ __ ] killers, >> but the ones that work close to you. >> Yes. They need to be close.
1:20:17
>> You can't be within a [ __ ] a mile of me if you're not a [ __ ] killer. Yes.
1:20:22
>> But it takes all types.
1:20:22
And and and I and like you said, I'm not saying my life is the life for everybody.
1:20:26
It's the furthest thing from it.
1:20:28
So that's why I say some of these kids that think they want to be entrepreneurs, they don't know what it really takes.
1:20:34
And there's plenty of guys who have been entrepreneurs and made that, you know, the kids call it the bag.
1:20:43
They made the bag and they [ __ ] run and they that's it.
1:20:47
It's a wrap and they they go do other things that they they want to do.
1:20:51
But the but this beautiful thing, so I'm a big motorcycle guy, right?
1:20:53
And I remember I always used to say when I get to a certain point I'm going to get my buddies together and my cousins and we're just go on these incredible rides all around the United States.
1:21:06
And then I started getting older.
1:21:09
I'm like [ __ ] I'm in my 40s.
1:21:11
When do I think I'm going to do this?
1:21:14
So every year I don't give a [ __ ] I carve out and we go to a destination and we [ __ ] ride motorcycles.
1:21:21
Now, everybody that I've known once they get to a certain age, when I say men start to get softer when they get old, they feel like they can't handle the bikes anymore, right?
1:21:29
And and they stop riding.
1:21:34
If and when I get to that point, I don't know if that will happen to me, but if it does, I own like 30 [ __ ] motorcycles.
1:21:40
I'm going to ship them all to Italy.
1:21:42
Like, if this is Italy, I'm going to ship them to the top of Italy.
1:21:47
I'm going to have a truck have all my bikes in it and I'm going to ride them all the way down to the Amalfi Coast and then I'll just leave the keys in them and leave them on the side of the [ __ ] road in Italy.
1:21:55
I'll leave them all there.
1:21:57
That's going to be my last [ __ ] ride of my life.
1:22:02
>> Send me a text when you do that and I'll be I'll be waiting down. >> Yeah.
1:22:06
>> Dana, we have a closing tradition on this podcast where the last guest leaves a question for the next not knowing who they're leaving it for.
1:22:09
The question left for you is, if you could only complete one more major goal, what would it be and why?
1:22:19
>> I've already built the biggest fight brand to ever exist, you know.
1:22:24
Um, now I'm getting into boxing. I got Power Slap.
1:22:32
My goal over the next, it's a seven-year goal because I have seven years in my Paramount deal. Mhm.
1:22:40
to build the biggest combat sports brand that is I already did, but to a level that that it just can't be replicated again.
1:22:51
It's just like when I'm dead, it's going to be impossible to beat what I've built by the time my life is up.
1:22:58
>> Speaking of haters, there's a lot of people saying that you can't do it in boxing. It's different.
1:23:01
I've heard them all say, "This is 150 years old.
1:23:02
You can't do what you did in UFC in boxing." >> How about power slam? >> Yeah. Right.
1:23:08
I mean, you want to see something that people think doesn't work and isn't right and isn't possible.
1:23:11
But again, that that's that's I love it.
1:23:16
That's all the fuel that I love hearing that and people telling me what you can't do.
1:23:20
And everybody who's watching this right now is going to deal with some level of people telling you what you can't do and what's impossible. Nothing is impossible.
1:23:28
And literally at UFC headquarters, the only thing you can't say is no. I don't accept.
1:23:38
No, don't tell me this can't happen.
1:23:41
You know, on Craig Bor again, I dropped Tom Brady hit me up and says, "Hey, I'm in town.
1:23:47
You want to go to YouTube?"
1:23:48
I'm like, "You where's you?" The sphere there first.
1:23:50
I went to the sphere and I saw it and I was like, "Holy [ __ ] the star of this show is a sphere." I called, "We're sorry."
1:23:58
I said, "I don't know what you're doing next weekend, but cancel it.
1:24:01
You and the crew are coming to the YouTube concert. Come. I want to do this." And we did it.
1:24:04
The president leans over to me and says, "We should do a fight at the White House." >> Yes, sir. I agree.
1:24:11
We should do a fight at the White House.
1:24:13
And then now Craig Borsari came to me with his own idea that I think is [ __ ] brilliant, and I'm working on that one now.
1:24:18
But we don't say no at the UFC, it just we we always whatever people think is impossible and can't be done.
1:24:24
Not only will we do it, we'll do it at the level that just blows people's minds.
1:24:29
Why will you win at boxing?
1:24:32
First of all, boxing was my first love, >> and I knew the sport was broken.
1:24:37
And as it started to decline, and I I just I know how to fix it, I I I know what to do.
1:24:47
>> You and I got to get together again in like 5 years and talk about boxing again.
1:24:51
And and watch what we do.
1:24:51
Watch what we do over the next five years.
1:24:53
I mean, I'm already two years ahead of where I thought I would be because this the the guys that are doing it right now are just so bad at doing it.
1:25:01
And I should have known that going in.
1:25:05
But, you know, I I I give everybody the benefit of the doubt.
1:25:09
And I don't look at anybody and say, "Uh, oh yeah, let's not take this guy serious."
1:25:15
I take everybody serious and and I love to compete.
1:25:19
And if you say you want to compete with me, I look at competing as a fight.
1:25:23
Are you talking about Eddie Hearn?
1:25:25
>> Talk about all of them. Every one of them. Eddie Hearn is weak.
1:25:27
I'm I'm Eddie Hearn his dad built that business. His dad's a real guy.
1:25:31
Like his dad's as As I get deeper into this thing, his dad is the His dad is the guy.
1:25:36
And I see it in Frank Warren.
1:25:38
Frank Warren just came out recently.
1:25:40
He he hasn't talked any [ __ ] He hasn't said anything, you know?
1:25:42
He's He's been completely silent through this thing.
1:25:47
He said, and I just saw an interview with him the other day.
1:25:49
Frank Warren is like a Frank Warren's the real guy.
1:25:54
Eddie's Eddie's not the guy. Eddie's dad is the guy.
1:25:57
And I'm not saying this to [ __ ] on Eddie. I'm just being honest.
1:26:00
And I And I don't dislike Eddie. I don't dislike him. Um but he's not the guy. His dad's the guy. And Frank Warren. Frank Warren.
1:26:08
I just saw this interview with him and I was like [ __ ] love it.
1:26:13
>> Why make He's just like, you know what?
1:26:16
All this [ __ ] talking and all this [ __ ] [ __ ] Let's [ __ ] fight. Let's start.
1:26:20
You know, he's like and I'm like, "Yeah, that's a guy."
1:26:22
And a few other things that I've seen with Frank Warren.
1:26:26
Frank Warren's like a [ __ ] real guy.
1:26:28
Eddie Hun's work rate is impressive.
1:26:31
I just remember seeing him one day in New York and I remember him standing there for like six, seven hours with the media just doing like every single blog and going, "What the [ __ ] is he doing?"
1:26:40
He just did every on this rooftop in the in the >> He's responding to every little [ __ ] thing that's going on.
1:26:46
And it's just like the the truth is nobody's done more to try to hurt the AJ Fury fight than Eddie Hearn.
1:26:54
It's like he's he's I don't know.
1:26:57
May I hope AJ owns a piece of Matt Room.
1:27:00
Eddie Hearn's dad is Barry Hearn's a real [ __ ] guy. He's the guy.
1:27:08
and uh Frank Warren, these old school [ __ ] hard dudes that, you know, when I when I see them talk, yeah, I get it.
1:27:17
I I I see through all the [ __ ] and I know who's who and what's what.
1:27:22
Having interviewed both of you, what I find exciting is you're both absolutely relentless.
1:27:25
And um so there's it's funny cuz there's the fight business and then there's this other fight business going on above the fight business, which I think is quite interesting as a fight fan.
1:27:34
Um Dana, thank you so much for being so generous with your time.
1:27:37
I've been a fan of the obviously for the longest longest ever time and it's remarkable what you've done and so it's super inspiring for me as an entrepreneur but also yeah you expand the paradigm of what is possible.
1:27:48
So thank you so much for taking the time and giving me this privilege.
1:27:50
>> Wait to see what we do in the next seven years. >> I can't wait. >> Me too.
1:27:54
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