When the world largely shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, the UFC forged ahead, defying common perception and governmental entities to continue holding mixed martial arts events. Ari Emanuel, the CEO of UFC parent company Endeavor, credits the courage of UFC president Dana White for “slapping him across the face” and saving his empire. Endeavor paid $4 billion for the UFC and then the world shut down Endeavor (then known as WME-IMG) paid around $4 billion for the UFC in July 2016