UFC signs multi-year deal with top US tech: CEO and Dana White’s relationship pivotal to the deal

UFC has agreed a deal with Meta to become the first “official fan technology partner” of the MMA promotion company, strengthening ties between Dana White and the social media giant.

The news was announced with a statement outlining Meta’s plans with UFC, promising a more immersive experience for fans through a variety of platforms. Meta owns Facebook and Instagram but it’s nascent text-based platform Threads will become the competition’s official social media partner.

Earlier this year UFC president Dana White was elected to Meta’s parent board and he is known to have a relationship with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. As part of the new agreement, Meta branding will feature on the UFC Octagon ring during lucrative pay-per-view fights and ‘Fight Night’ events.

“I’ve had a lot of great partners over the years that have helped us grow this sport, but Mark and his team at Meta are going to do things that will blow away UFC fans,” said UFC president Dana White said in a statement.

“Meta has the greatest minds in tech and they are going to take fan engagement to the next level. We’ve already started to work on some innovations with Meta around a new fighter rankings system that I’ll be sharing soon. The next few years will be an absolute game changer for fans of this sport.”

Meta’s founder Zuckerberg said: “I love this sport and I’m looking forward to working with the UFC to let fans experience it in new ways.”

White is also a friend of President Donald Trump and was been a vociferous supporter of his during the 2024 presidential election. Both White and Zuckerberg were in attendance at Trump’s second inauguration back in January.

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