Once upon a time (specifically back in 2008) Dana White proclaimed that MMA, with the UFC at its helm, would eventually be the most popular sport in the world. Over the next couple of years, he reiterated that statement multiple times in various interviews, with quotes ranging from “UFC will be the biggest sport in the world by 2020” to “[The UFC is] going to be the biggest sport in the world. Bigger than the NFL. Bigger than soccer. Bigger than anybody.”
Following White’s comments, the world’s largest MMA promotion took several steps to achieve that goal.