UFC's CEO reveals why he wanted David Ellison's muscle behind his MMA giant, why pay-per-view events no longer work, and what a potential UFC fight at the White House would look like on CBS.

The UFC had multiple suitors interested in landing the promotion’s broadcast rights deal, but in the end, Paramount ponied up $7.7 billion per year to land the entire package including the end of traditional pay-per-view broadcasts.

CBS, the first broadcast network to broadcast a live MMA event, could begin showing live UFC events beginning in 2026 with the new media rights deal between UFC parent company TKO Group Holdings and Paramount. Among those potential CBS events is the proposed UFC card on the White House lawn, according to UFC CEO Dana White.