UFC CEO Dana White Shares How He Became A Billionaire: 'You Have To Keep Proving Yourself Every Year'

UFC CEO Dana White focused on self-improvement, crushing his opponents, and harnessing his relentlessly competitive mindset to build a multibillion dollar company that transformed fighting. 

He recently shared how he did it on a "School of Hard Knocks" show and some of the lessons he learned along the way.

"You have to keep proving yourself every year," White said.

His path to success involved taking early risks, staying consistent, and breaking rules.

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Take Risks While You Are Young

White said that he worked as a bellman at a Boston hotel when he was in his early 20s, but he quickly discovered that the job wasn't for him.

"This isn't what I want to do for the rest of my life," he said.

White decided to start a fighting business that took the best parts about boxing and removed the worst parts of the sport. He rationalized that he could always become a bellman at the same hotel or another one if his business idea fell flat.

Taking the big risk in his 20s paid off, and by starting young, he had far fewer obligations. White became a parent at 33, so he had plenty of time to grow the UFC before having to raise a family.

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Success Is A Long-Term Journey 

White went through plenty of ups and downs throughout his business journey and stuck with it while other competitors folded. He attributed his success to grinding, competing against himself, and staying true to his word.

"It's not like you just get here," White said on "School of Hard Knocks." 

It’s easy to want success, but it isn't easy to put in the long hours over a long period of time. White said that all of the most successful people he ever met had consistency. It's easy to stick with something for one week, but continuing to grow your business for a decade can lead to life-changing financial gains.

"Consistency is the key to everything in life," White said.

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Break The Rules In Your Industry

The UFC was a disruptive sport that had naysayers who doubted that it could compete with boxing. However, White proved the critics wrong by leaning into disruption instead of trying to blend in with the fighting industry.

"There are so many opportunities for disruption," he said on "School of Hard Knocks." "You go in and break all of the rules. Just because something has been the way it has for 100 years doesn't mean it can't be changed."

The horse and buggy used to be the primary travel method until cars disrupted that model. Not every disruption is as dramatic as the car, but looking at longstanding rules in your industry may unveil disruption opportunities. 

"Anything is possible," he said. "Don't tell me that something can't be done."

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