Dana White admits ‘I didn’t want women in the UFC’ and reveals how Ronda Rousey changed his mind

Dana White has made a major admission about the UFC’s women’s division and how important Ronda Rousey was in getting it started.

The 57-year-old was part of the group that bought UFC for just $2 million, and it has since become a global brand and their current valuation, according to White, is $50 million. The company saw a lot of growth in its first decade, but it was not until 2013 that it signed its first female fighter.

The reason behind the delay in starting a women’s division was simple: White’s focus was primarily on improving the UFC men’s division. However, one meeting with Ronda Rousey changed it all.

White reveals how important Rousey was in starting UFC’s women’s division

By 2013, UFC had started making a lot of noise with all the talent and showmanship on display. It was the year that had 33 events and a total of 386 fights, which was the most active year for the company.

However, they also started their women’s division in the same year despite White’s earlier hesitance, and the President of UFC revealed what changed his decision.

“Ronda Rousey came to me, and I didn’t want women in the UFC, I was trying to sell men,” White admitted on Diary of the CEO podcast.

“Ronda grabbed me at an event and said, ‘Hey, I am Ronda Rousey. Can I have 15 minutes with you?’ We went into my room at the arena, and minutes into the conversation, I was like, ‘Holy s***, I think I’m going to do this.’ And she’s the one to do it with, and she came in with a whole lot of bravado… so many people want to hate on her, she is a f****** unicorn.”

Rousey competed in her first fight against Liz Carmouche at UFC 157 on February 23, 2013. She won the main event with a first-round armbar to become the inaugural UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion.

She held the title for two years and, during this period, defended it six times, which is still a record. Rousey’s UFC career ended with two consecutive defeats. Her first defeat came on her seventh title defence. After a year out, she returned to face Amanda Nunes at UFC 207. Rousey was defeated in the first round via TKO. She never formally announced her exit, but it became clear that her time with the company had come to an end. Rousey later went on to join WWE and won several championships there.

Undoubtedly, she is one of the faces of women’s mixed martial arts in the modern era. To celebrate her contributions, UFC made her the first female fighter to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

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