Self-funded micro-bet to validate a new vertical ($3M for Power Slap)

Outcome: Use small partner capital ($1-3M range) for new-vertical validation when the operating template is already built.

Context: Dana saw Russian/Polish slap-fighting videos on Instagram in 2017-18, noticed he stayed to see who won (jaded by fighting, this was diagnostic). Called the Fertittas: "I need a million from each of you." They put up $3M total. Power Slap reality show now at 50M+ YouTube views; Michael Rubin offered $10M for the next bet sight-unseen.

“So I called the Fertita brothers and I said, Hey, have you seen this slapping and stuff? I'm into it and da. And they said, how much money do you want? I said, I need a million dollars from both of you. I need a million... we put up 3 million bucks and it's killing it.”

Give YouTubers/podcasters full event access and zero creative direction

Outcome: Give creators raw access and refuse to tell them what to make.

Context: Dana credits early embrace of YouTuber/podcaster culture for UFC's continued growth: "These young kids are the influencers. They actually have the influence." He grants full event access and zero creative notes. "How hard is that?"

“You show up to any of my events, I give you full access film what you want, create what you want. The other thing is, is most people that that deal with content creators, they try to tell them, you have to do this, this, that, what the fuck do you know about creating content?”

Kick the truck door — escalate immediately when culture is violated

Outcome: When a team ignores your direct creative instruction, escalate immediately and visibly — and follow through on the threat.

Context: Phil Baroni snapped at an interviewer mid-fight. Dana told the inherited Showtime production team to make it the interview. They refused and aired their own cut. Dana kicked the production truck door open mid-event and threatened to fire all of them. He later did fire them all and built his own team from scratch.

“I literally got up from my seat and went back there and kicked the fucking truck door open. I said, you motherfuckers, if you ever fucking do that again, I'll fire every fucking one of you.”

Tell the story before they're famous — onboard talent into a narrative early

Outcome: Tell the talent's story before they've earned the right to one — the narrative is the asset.

Context: On The Ultimate Fighter, UFC introduced fighters' backgrounds, training, families before they ever fought on the main card. Forrest Griffin and Chuck Liddell came out of the show as pay-per-view stars. Same model now powers Power Slap and UFC BJJ. Boxing produced trillions in revenue and "nothing exists at the end."

“You guys tell, start telling the stories really, really early. So it's like before these people are competing on the reality show, you get to know who they are, what's important to them.”

Self-promote your own product in retail before anyone knows who you are

Outcome: When unknown, walk into stores yourself and reposition your product to the front.

Context: When DVDs were exploding, Dana would walk into the Wow Superstore up the street and physically move UFC DVDs into the top-20-of-the-week display. No one knew who he was. "That's how, talk about humble beginnings."

“they had this huge display and it was the top 20 DVDs of the week. Literally nobody knew me then. So I'd look, I'd go there and grab our shit and put it in the front of the fucking store. I used to do that kinda shit.”

Offer to pay-for-production to convert a no-distribution-network into yes

Outcome: When a distributor says no, offer to fund production and keep 100% of the rights.

Context: Spike TV said no to UFC. Dana offered to fund the entire Ultimate Fighter production — "the last $10M investment" — Spike said yes to free content. UFC retained 100% IP. When the show became a runaway hit, Spike execs negotiated the renewal in the arena alley on a napkin. Had Spike funded it, UFC wouldn't have owned the asset.

“we go in, we pitch these guys, they're not really interested, you know what it's gonna cost. So we said, well, we'll pay for the whole thing, we'll pay for it, you just put it on your air. They liked that idea better.”

Buy back the rights you sold off when the company was distressed

Outcome: Recapture sold-off IP from buyers who don't see its long-term value.

Context: Pre-sale, UFC had sold merchandise/library/video-game/DVD rights to Lionsgate. Dana and the Fertittas bought it all back for ~$2.5-3M. "Imagine if Lionsgate still owned all those rights." For reference: Shannon Lee has tried for decades to buy back Bruce Lee's film rights; current owners won't sell.

“We went back to Lionsgate and we bought the rights back for like, I don't remember what it was, but it was like two and a half, 3 million bucks. We bought all those rights back.”

Walk out the moment a partner claims credit for your business

Outcome: When a partner claims credit for your business in a negotiation, walk that same day.

Context: At a renewal lunch with Spike TV/Viacom exec Philippe Dauman, he told Dana and Lorenzo he "built the UFC" and could "just build another one." Dana walked, took UFC to Fox, then later to ESPN ($3B) and Paramount ($7.7B). "That guy ended up being one of the biggest brand killers of all time."

“he tells us that he built the UFC and if we don't like the offer he's making, he'll just build another one. That's literally what he said. And we left that meeting.”

Travel the live event everywhere — the live-experience is the brand engine

Outcome: Tour the live experience aggressively; treat each event as a top-of-funnel evangelism engine.

Context: UFC runs 43-44 events a year across the US and the world (vs 5 events/year when they bought it). Each attendee brings 5-7-10 new fans. Better live experience than NFL or NBA. Designed for live and broadcast to be equally strong.

“the reason the UFC became as big as it did, as fast as it did, two reasons. We traveled the thing all around the United States and the world and we built a live event that when you come to the live event, very few people get really good live event experiences.”

Build the bubble: invent a venue when the world shuts down

Outcome: When the world shuts down, find the one partner who can move fast and ship while competitors freeze.

Context: During COVID, Dana realized ESPN bean-counters would cut UFC first if no sports happened. He flew to Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, built the only true sports bubble, kept all 44 events on schedule, and pulled record ESPN numbers because UFC was the only live sport on air.

“we end up talking to them. We go to Yaz Island and we built the only real bubble that existed during COVID. Like the people who moved into ya island from UAE, lived there for months and never went home and saw their family.”

Run a direct phone line from CEO to the production truck during every event

Outcome: Wire a direct, live, no-intermediary feedback channel from CEO to the people executing the customer experience.

Context: At every UFC event Dana sits at the apron with a phone direct to producer Zach in the truck. He's not watching fights — he's monitoring music volume, replay angles, broadcast graphics, in-house experience. "That was cool. That wasn't. Let's never do that again." This is how the show became "dialed."

“I have a phone there that goes directly to the truck... I pick up the phone and there's a phone that goes right to the truck and I say, what the fuck was that? Let's never do that again.”