ABU DHABI – What initially started years ago as a distant yet respectful relationship (at least publicly) between the UFC and PFL has slowly turned into a bit of a feud.
Days after PFL: Battle of the Giants took place, Dana White was asked about recent claims made by Donn Davis that PFL was beating UFC in some statistical categories. Unsurprisingly, White did not agree. What was a surprise was that he came prepared with a printout and rattled off statistical comparisons between Power Slap and PFL.
“First of all, the PFL should keep the UFC out of their mouth,” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters Thursday. “They can’t even deal with Power Slap. Power Slap destroys PFL. It’s weird that you ask those questions because I just happen to have some papers here.”
After listing off stats of social media posts and views, White took exception with Davis’ interview Wednesday with MMA Fighting, during which the PFL CEO claimed he does not watch MMA outside of his own brand.
“I can keep going on for a f*cking month here,” White said. “Then, if you want to get into what he said about the UFC, I have a laundry list here. But let me just start with this: UFC Vegas 84 at the Apex beat them. So listen, I understand and I love the stuff that he said. He sounds like Kamala (Harris). He talks a lot but says nothing. I would hate to be one of that guys’ investors. ‘I don’t watch MMA. I’ve worked seven years and have never taken a vacation.’ You should probably take a vacation. You’re out of your f*cking mind, dude. You should probably take a vacation.
“I have a list here. I will have Lenee (Breckenridge) get you guys this list of all these numbers. But that guy shouldn’t even mention the UFC. He’s not even in Power Slap’s (realm). Then today he was talking about how ‘there’s all kinds of combination packages and stuff how this works.’ He doesn’t beat Power Slap in revenue. He doesn’t beat Power Slap in ticket sales. He doesn’t beat Power Slap in sponsorship. He doesn’t beat Power Slap in anything, let alone the UFC.”
Prior to PFL’s acquisition of Bellator in late 2023, the promotion was not frequently mentioned by White in interviews. However, now that the landscape has changed, White has been asked about PFL with increased frequency. He initially spoke with respect when talking about PFL, Davis, and the rest of the ownership group.
Over time, however, the jockeying for credit in the public arena has increased. PFL and Davis have attempted to paint themselves in the same light as the UFC in a more aggressive manner than former Bellator president Scott Coker did during his tenure as the UFC’s biggest competitor.
In response, White’s putdowns have also picked up. On a nearly weekly basis during Dana White’s Contender Series, White would be asked about PFL – and gladly embrace the opportunity to talk down on the brand.
