WWE Hall of Famer reveals why he turned down $2.5 Million offer to buy UFC, praises Dana White for White House event & draw comparision with Vince McMahon

Eric Bischoff had high praise for UFC and Dana White.

WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff, during a recent edition of his 83 Weeks podcast, spoke about the recent UFC event at the White House called Freedom 250 and how impressed he was with the production. He also reflected on the visionary promoters who helped turn combat sports into worldwide attractions.

The first professional sporting event ever held at the White House took place on June 14, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C. UFC Freedom 250 featured seven total fights, with two title bouts in the main and co-main events.

Eric Bischoff praises Dana White & draws comparison with Vince McMahon

Speaking about the historic event, Bischoff said that watching it brought back the memories of all the challenges that are involved in hosting a live event outdoors. He also added that despite all the challenges, the event from a production perspective impressed him.

 “What did I think of the event? Mind-boggling. I had PTSD symptoms weeks before the event, worrying about things I had no reason to worry about in terms of logistics.

The complexity of doing a live sporting event outside is fraught. Everything from the weather to the wind to security issues, you name it, it can go wrong. To see the event come off as well as it did from a production perspective was very, very impressive.”

The discussion then led to UFC President Dana White, with Bicchhoff drawing comparisons with former WWE CEO Vince McMahon, noting that they’re not just promoters but highly successful businessmen.

“I admire the hell out of what Dana White, in particular, and everybody that’s come in behind him, has done. You cannot look at what Vince McMahon built and not respect it, if you’re honest at all, controversy aside.

If you look at Dana White, they’re businessmen. Calling them promoters is unfair. These are highly successful businessmen.”

The what-if moment when Bischoff turned down the offer to buy UFC

The conversation then turned to Bischoff discussing a ‘what-if’ moment, one of the biggest of his career. The Hall of Famer revealed that he was once offered to purchase UFC during one of the promotion’s most challenging eras (likely in the 2000s).

At the time, the company was struggling for mainstream acceptance while dealing with major political and business problems. Although he saw potential in the brand, Bischoff ultimately chose not to move forward with the acquisition.

 “I remember getting a phone call one Friday night when I was out having a beer with my wife, and the guy that was in top management called me, said, ‘Hey, would you like to buy the UFC for 2.5 million?

UFC couldn’t get into venues. There were states trying to outlaw them, John McCain was pressuring. I was interested in the brand, but not interested in the acquisition, because I didn’t feel like there was anything I could contribute to turn anything around. So I passed on that.”

Bischoff also had high praise for Dana and the Fertitta brothers (Frank Fertitta & Lorenzo Fertitta), who acquired the UFC in 2001 for just $2 million USD. Dana was brought in as the President and slowly turned it into a global powerhouse.

“If you look at what Dana White did, the Fertittas coming in, they lost over $350 million on UFC before they made their first nickel. That’s a commitment.”

UFC is now under the TKO umbrella with the WWE, as the Fertittas sold a majority stake in the company for roughly $4 billion in 2016 to Endeavor, which later bought WWE and merged the two under the TKO banner in 2023.

Had Bischoff moved forward with purchasing UFC during its struggling years, the trajectory of both the promotion and his own business career could have looked dramatically different.

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