Dana White Says WWE's Vince McMahon Stopped Son Shane from Buying UFC

UFC president Dana White confirmed a longstanding rumor this week that then-WWE chairman Vince McMahon declined to buy UFC in the early 2000s despite pitches from his son, Shane McMahon, to do so.

During an appearance on Big Boy TV (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), White discussed what he knew of the McMahons considering the possibility of purchasing UFC in the past:

"Vince McMahon, from what I hear, his son Shane wanted to buy the UFC. Vince had the opportunity to buy it. And Vince said, 'Yeah. No. We're not gonna buy it.' Vince could have bought this thing and just put it on the shelf. Or Vince could have bought it and let his son [run it]."

UFC had something of a cult following in the 1990s and into the early 2000s, but it eventually exploded and became the biggest and most successful combat sports organization in the world.

WWE had some links to UFC previously, including signing a former UFC star in Ken Shamrock to a pro wrestling contract, but White's story suggests that Vince McMahon didn't see enough value in buying it.

In 2001, McMahon bought longtime pro wrestling competitor WCW, and another competitor in ECW went out of business as well. WWE eventually purchased ECW's video library and intellectual property.

UFC was not and still isn't a direct competitor to WWE, but if McMahon had purchased it, the decision could have changed the course of combat sports and professional wrestling forever.

Ironically, WWE and UFC are now under the same umbrella, as the two entities officially merged into a singular company called TKO Group Holdings this week.

Earlier this year, UFC owner Endeavor Group Holdings purchased WWE, marking the first time a McMahon has not had the controlling interest in WWE.

Both White and Vince McMahon have significant roles in TKO, as McMahon is TKO's executive chairman, and White is CEO of the UFC division.

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