The UFC’s $7.7 billion deal with Paramount+ has made headlines for both its record price and the significant shift it brings to how American fans watch the sport. Starting in 2026, Paramount+ will stream all UFC events, including premium cards, at no additional cost, thereby ending the existing pay-per-view model in the United States. This move has sparked speculation about what it means for the pay-per-view model and whether similar deals are being considered globally by Dana White.

While the head honcho initially seemed to confirm that PPV events would be phased out under the new arrangement, recent statements paint a more complicated picture. The UFC CEO has backtracked on some of his earlier statements, leaving fans and analysts wondering if the shift is as definitive as first suggested.

Ariel Helwani believes the mixed messaging is not accidental. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, he argued that Dana White’s recent statement is more about safeguarding the UFC’s current deal with the $25 billion worth media giants ESPN than any actual doubt about the Paramount+ deal.

“I think all of this… is just a way to not really piss off ESPN and end that relationship poorly,” Helwani said, pointing out that ESPN still holds the rights to sell UFC PPVs until the deal officially kicks in. Helwani highlighted that the head honcho’s original comment to the Pardon My Take podcast was direct: “No pay-per-views in the next seven years.”

But those subsequent interviews have now added hedges and possibilities. This, he argued, makes business sense: ESPN wouldn’t want the UFC to tell fans that PPV is over when they’re still selling big cards. “It’s just been… ‘hella confusing,’ because they keep changing the messaging,” Ariel Helwani said on his podcast.

Dana White, on his part, has described it as flexibility rather than contradiction. Drawing on past TV transitions from Spike TV to FOX to ESPN, he explained how each partner’s goals influence the UFC’s strategy. “It was going to be pay-per-view. If it was going to be subscription, subscription,” he said, even insinuating that “anything could be a pay-per-view still” under the new system.

With billions on the table and a huge shift on the horizon, it’s unclear whether UFC fans are witnessing the end of the PPV era or simply another chapter in the promotion’s long history of adapting to keep both audiences and partners satisfied. But one thing that has been confirmed by the UFC boss is that the long-rumored UFC event at the White House will be taking place.

Dana White confirms UFC’s mega event at the White House

Following his comments on the Paramount+ deal, Dana White switched the focus to another newsworthy development: the UFC’s first-ever event at the White House. Speaking on CBS Mornings, White said that President Trump’s plan to host the event on July 4 next year is “definitely going to happen.”

A White House official also supported the statement, pointing out that the event is part of the 250th anniversary celebrations of the Declaration of Independence. White’s relationship with Trump is well documented, with the UFC CEO introducing him at the Republican National Convention and Trump visiting several UFC events since his election.

This alliance is now slated to be the centerpiece of America250’s festivities, though the UFC has kept quiet about the fight card details. “He said, ‘I want Ivanka in the middle of this,'” White revealed, adding that Ivanka Trump reached out to discuss options following the president’s request.

Dana White also revealed that he spoke with Trump and intends to visit Washington this month to finalize the arrangements. With the location, date, and presidential involvement all but confirmed, the UFC appears to be on track to make history with one of its most high-profile stages to date.