It’s not everyday that UFC president Dana White has to deal with one of his top stars going to a competitor. But, Sunday night at the WWE’s Royal Rumble, that’s exactly what happened.
The rumors were running rampant, and Ronda was expected to sign to pro-wrestling, but nobody knew for sure that it had happened.
And while the WWE is a competitor to the UFC in the sense that they offer a similar streaming product to the exact same demographic, Dana and the WWE have worked relatively well together over the years.
One look no further than Brock Lesnar’s dual career choice as evidence of this fact.
Ronda signing with the WWE further drives the point home that she’s done with the UFC. The female who put WMMA on the map, and garnered millions of eyeballs everytime she fought, will now be making money for a new company for the first time in her career.
UFC president Dana White has been dead silent on the subject, until today when he talked to the Las Vegas Review Journal, and shared his reaction.
“I’m very happy for her,” Dana White said. “She loves pro wrestling and has always been a big fan so I know how much his means to her. She keeps accomplishing everything she’s ever wanted.”
The UFC boss is consistently reminding fans and the media that his promotion is bigger than any one fighter. But with Ronda gone, Conor with one foot out the door, and Lesnar already in the WWE, the UFC struggled in 2017 with a 55% drop in viewership… And that hurts.
If you’ve yet to see it, here’s Ronda Rousey’s first entrance into the WWE ring under her brand new deal:
