
BD8 Capital Partners CIO Barbara Doran analyzes Meta and discusses whether the stock market is overreacting to tariffs on ‘Making Money.’
UFC and Meta Platforms have inked a major deal with each other.
The mixed martial arts (MMA) organization unveiled the “multi-year” partnership with Meta on Wednesday, saying the Mark Zuckerberg-run tech giant will now serve as its first “Official Fan Technology Partner.”
They will team up to “use Meta’s technology platforms, services, and products, including Meta AI, Meta Glasses, Meta Quest, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads, to immerse fans deeper into UFC content than ever before,” according to TKO Group-owned UFC.

A man browses hats at a merchandise kiosk during UFC Fight Night at Cotai Arena, inside the Venetian Macao resort and casino in Macau, China, on Aug. 23, 2014. (Brent Lewin/Bloomberg via / Getty Images)
Meta will also be the “Official AI Glasses Partner” of UFC and its social media platform Threads will be the MMA organization’s “Official Social Media Partner.”
UFC HEAD DANA WHITE, STRONG TRUMP SUPPOTER, JOINS META’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Threads, which the tech giant launched in July 2023, will host “exclusive original content that drives conversation around the biggest moments of each UFC event” and be a “primary destination for the UFC community,” UFC said.

The apps Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp can be seen on the display of a smartphone in front of the logo of the Meta internet company on May 16, 2024. (Jens Büttner/picture alliance via / Getty Images)
UFC CEO Dana White said Meta was “going to take fan engagement to the next level” through the various aspects of the partnership.

Dana White speaks during a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Oct. 27, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images)
“We’ve already started to work on some innovations with Meta around a new fighter rankings system that I’ll be sharing soon,” he said. “The next few years will be an absolute game changer for fans of this sport.”
Through the partnership, Meta will also “be integrated into UFC assets with extensive activations in all Pay-Per-Views and Fight Nights” such as branding on the Octagon where UFC fighters compete, features in the broadcast and in-area fan experiences, according to UFC.
The partnership may seem like kismet to some, as Zuckerberg is a major lover of MMA, having been spotted at multiple UFC fights over the years and practicing MMA himself. White is also a recent addition to Meta’s board, having been elected earlier this year.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, left, poses with UFC president Dana White during the UFC Fight Night event in Las Vegas on Oct. 1, 2022. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC / Getty Images)
“I love this sport and I’m looking forward to working with the UFC to let fans experience it in new ways,” Zuckerberg said in a statement accompanying the partnership announcement.
META WARNS INVESTORS MARK ZUCKERBERG’S MMA FIGHTING COULD IMPACT BUSINESS
UFC has over 40 live events each year and reaches more than 950 million households globally with broadcasts of those.
In late February, TKO Group CEO Ari Emanuel said during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call that UFC had “10 all-time highest grossing event records in 2024, with five of those now ranking among the biggest in UFC history.”
Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
---|---|---|---|---|
TKO | TKO GROUP HOLDINGS | 158.72 | +5.72 | +3.74% |
META | META PLATFORMS INC. | 583.93 | -2.07 | -0.35% |
UFC brought TKO Group over $1.4 billion in total revenue in 2024 from media rights, live events, sponsorships and consumer products, according to the company.
TKP Group also owns WWE and Professional Bull Riding (PBR).
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE