Dana White: 10 Reasons the UFC Couldn't Have Survived Without Him

Love him or hate him, Dana White has made the UFC what it is today. 

When White and the Fertitta brothers purchased the UFC from Zuffa in 2001, the company was near bankruptcy and MMA as a whole was looked at as a barbaric blood sport.

Now the UFC is the top MMA organization in the world. 

Without White, the UFC would not have survived and made it to the level it's at now. 

Don't believe me, continue reading to find out why you should. 

He's One of the Best Promoters in Sports Today

Dana White is present at almost every UFC press conference, weigh-ins and pre-fight hype video. 

White is somebody that not only believes in the product, but hypes it up like it's the greatest show on earth. 

While the UFC hype machine can be a waste at times, without it, we wouldn't anticipate some of the biggest fights of the year. 

People may complain about it, but without White hyping up the fights, who would?

The old SEG UFC did not have nearly the amount of promotion or advertising that the Zuffa UFC has today.

The UFC Has Reached More Global Markets Since He's Been in Power

Before Dana White became UFC president, the company had only held six events outside of the continental U.S. in its seven years of existence. 

This year alone the UFC has held six events outside the country. 

White has worked hard to make the UFC one of the biggest growing sports across the world. 

Since White took over, the UFC has been to England, Australia, Germany, Ireland, Canada and the United Arab Emirates. 

Without the UFC having a worldwide vision, not only would the UFC just be a regional promotion, but they might not have some of the biggest foreign stars in the world working for them today. 

White Has Made the UFC More Visible

During the last couple of years of the SEG's ownership of the UFC, the events were not released on video tape or DVD. 

Because of this, the only way you could see a UFC event was live or on pay-per-view. 

Since Zuffa bought the UFC, they not only released UFC events on home video, but they got bigger venues and eventually TV deals. 

White has proved to be a businessman who always had a bigger vision when he bought the UFC. 

White wanted to make MMA mainstream. 

Although his partnership with SpikeTV was a huge step, getting the UFC on FOX is a huge milestone for MMA. 

Although other MMA organizations have been on cable TV before, White struck the right deal that will have the UFC on a national broadcast station for a long time. 

Dana White Knows What the Fans Want

Dana White has often stated that he's one of the biggest fans of MMA and wants to see the most exciting fights in the world. 

Although some fights like Anderson Silva vs. Georges St-Pierre don't always pan out, there have been many classic fights since White came into power. 

Even when things don't go as planned, White usually knows what will keep the fans happy. 

This year alone many fights were canceled or changed thanks to fighters being injured or being dropped from the fight. 

While this could have been bad for most promoters, White was able to give people some of the most exciting fights in UFC and MMA history. 

White Is a Risk-Taker

In the process of giving fans what they've wanted and turning the UFC into the powerhouse that it is, White has taken some huge risks along the way.

Just purchasing the UFC was a risk in itself.  

The company was dying when Zuffa bought the company. Even as the company looked to be changing, the UFC was losing money in the early Zuffa years. 

White has also made some huge gambles with some of the fighters he's brought into the UFC. 

Brock Lesnar, James Toney and Kimbo Slice were big outside of the sport of MMA. Lesnar was a former WWE champion and Division I wrestler, Toney was a multiple-division boxing champion and Slice was famous for his Internet street fights. 

White brought all three men into the UFC when they had little to no experience. 

His biggest gamble, Lesnar, paid off for him as Lesnar not only won the UFC heavyweight title, but also became one of the biggest draws in MMA history. 

He Helped Make MMA Legit

Without Dana White and Zuffa, the UFC and MMA as a sport would most likely still be seen as a barbaric blood sport.

Although the UFC held events before White came into power, a huge turning point came at UFC 33 when the company held its first event sanctioned by Nevada. 

Since then many other states have followed suit, and the UFC has grown significantly. 

Although a few states still don't sanction MMA, White has pushed hard to get them legalized. 

Without White's determination, the UFC and MMA as a whole would not be as big in the U.S. 

The UFC Has Killed Much of the Competition

Ten years ago it would have been hard to predict that the UFC would still be around. 

Although the UFC seemed to be on life support back then, it now stands as one of the few well-known MMA organizations around. 

Many companies have come and gone. Some were even bought by Zuffa before they went under. 

Without White the UFC would have died before it even had a chance to go after the competition.  

Although some believe it's bad for business to kill the competition, White has continued to keep the UFC growing. 

White Understands Star Power

One of the biggest reasons the UFC has been able to survive is because Dana White knows how to push and promote the best fighters in the world. 

Although we saw some of the biggest stars in UFC history retire this year, we also saw the rise of Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva continue their dominance, and many former WEC fighters prove they belong on the biggest stage in the world. 

Although the old UFC had stars, none of them were promoted at the level that today's stars are. 

The Right People Came Along with White

Sometimes the reason a person makes it to the top is because he has the right people working around him. 

With the Fertitta brothers as business partners and Joe Silva as match maker, White has been able to put on some of the biggest and best shows in MMA history. 

White not only has Silva and the Fertitta brothers, White also has Joe Rogan as a color commentator. 

Rogan was an interviewer for the UFC before Zuffa bought the company. After though, Rogan moved up to being on commentary team. 

Although White is often seen as the most important figure in the sport, without the financial backing from the Fertittas, the matchmaking skills of Joe Silva and the voice of Joe Rogan, the UFC could have remained the dry, low-budget show that it once was.  

Dana White Understands Change

Let's face it. 

If the UFC was going to survive before Zuffa came, it needed a big change. 

That's one thing Dana White understood. 

White gave the company a huge facelift. From the way events were promoted to fighters coming out to music, to the TV shows, merchandise and everything in between, White changed the culture of what the UFC was. 

Without this, the UFC simply would not have the appeal it has today. 

Many people complain about White, but without him and his vision, the UFC and MMA as a whole simply would not be where it is today.