Dana White made his huge announcement yesterday and it was naming UFC part-owner Lorenzo Fertitta as the CEO of the UFC. This isn’t a TV deal or anything like that but make no mistake, this is a huge deal. Fertitta resigned his role as president of Station Casinos a year after raking in $113.8 million as the second-highest paid casino official in Las Vegas. Yahoo has the story.

Sam Caplan has an interesting opinion piece on this development…

I know a lot of people were disappointed by this announcement and assumed White would let fans down, but this shouldn’t leave you in a state of despair. First, I don’t think this is because the Fertittas were unhappy with what White was doing, I think this is more to supplement White. I’ve always wondered how he could handle everything that was on his plate as he has a lot of nonsense to deal with in addition to the work that it takes to grow the sport.

For instance, look at MMA regulation in New York. He’s been working on that while and it’s been pushed back again. That has to be frustrating, yet how much time can he really devote to that? He’s got to deal with day-to-day issues, contracts, overseas development, TV development, advertisers, media and more. There are not enough hours in the day and as the sport grows more, the need for someone like Fertitta is evident.

Dana White has done a lot for the sport and will continue to be a trailblazer for MMA. Now, think of it like there’s another Dana White in the fold, only a more refined, less bombastic version.
That’s not a knock on White, I think the two will complement each other really well. White’s attitude and style work in a lot of areas, but when it comes to dealing with the big hitters and massaging egos of potential advertisers and TV partners, etc., Fertitta will shine. He is what the UFC needs to truly take things to the next level but he still can't get there without White.

The two of them working together is intriguing, to say the least. I imagine it is going to help the entire sport and while I don’t agree with White that fighting will be bigger than the World Cup in five years, I do agree that it will be bigger globally than any other sport.

Thoughts on the announcement?