UFC Opens an office in Toronto, Could this be Dana White's Greatest Move?

For those of you who know me and have seen my broadcasts, I have regularly roasted Dana White. I have nothing against the man as a promoter, but I consistently argued against his tactics and negotiations skills as a lobbier. Today, Dana White made an announcement that could catapult the sport of MMA into mainstream; he's setting up an office in Toronto. On the surface this doesn't seem like much, but let's discuss what this move represents for the sport long term. Dana White has always been a bit of a celebrity hound, he has loved being the face of UFC, and quite honestly, it has both helped and hurt him. The natural promoter has done a great job of selling the sport for consumption, but has done a terrible job negotiating the murky waters of politics. Both Ontario and New York state, 2 of the largest markets for MMA in North America are refusing to hold sancitionned MMA bouts in their respective territories, and Dana White has consistently failed to win them over. This event is proof that he is now switching gears and tweaking his strategy. Hiring Tom Wright, the ex-commissioner of the CFL is a brialliant move. In one fell swoop he has gained instant credibility with the local politicians, and instant backdoor connections. Legislation and political manoeuvring takes a different sort of skill set, and Tom Wright has that skill set. I would be surprised if we do not see a sanctionned UFC event in Toronto within the next 12 months.

What about New York you ask? My feeling is that White is banking on the domino affect. If and when Ontario agrees to terms with the UFC, New York will probably follow simply because they'd rather make money off of the MMA fans in New York, rather than have them travel to Toronto (Ontario and New York state are neighbours). One dominino falls and see the rest follow.

A smart move by Mr. Dana White, the promoter is now becoming a real business leader.

Blog – 2 years, 0 months ago by Megatron to MMA/Boxing. 1656 views, 2 likes.