For decades, Vince McMahon and Dana White have had a complicated relationship as indirect rivals in the world of combat sports. But that all changed in September when Endeavor officially acquired WWE and subsequently merged the company with UFC, forming a new sports and entertainment giant TKO Group Holdings. White and McMahon are now both part of the same executive corporate structure, albeit with McMahon higher in the food chain as Executive Chairman while White serves as UFC CEO.
In a new interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, White reflected on his troubled relationship with McMahon in the past and how the formation of TKO has dramatically changed how the two interact. “My history with Vince isn’t a good one,” said White. “He tried to f— me so many times for no reason whatsoever except just to f— me. But that’s in the past. Now that Vince and I are allies, no one’s been a better partner than Vince.”
“Since day one of the deal, it’s like I’m dealing with a different guy,” said White. “It goes to show that when you oppose him, or he thinks you are opposing him, the guy comes after you blindly. Once you are aligned, Vince is an incredible partner.
White went on to say that despite his past hurdles with Vince, he’s always had a great relationship with WWE Chief Content Officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque and former WWE co-CEO Stephanie McMahon: “Triple H and Stephanie have always been great to work with,” said White. “I’ve always had a great relationship with them, always, even when we weren’t aligned back in the day. But the most amazing story is the relationship with Vince McMahon.”
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