Dana White cools on UFC adopting Trevor Wittman’s glove design, saying the price was “$100 million”

UFC president Dana White pushed back on the idea that the promotion would adopt glove designs connected to trainer Trevor Wittman, describing the business terms as unrealistic. White’s comments, reported by Yahoo Sports on June 21, cast doubt on whether Wittman’s team can reach a deal with the UFC to use its glove design for the organization’s events.

At the center of the dispute is money. White said Wittman’s team wanted $100 million for the UFC gloves. In White’s telling, that figure is why he is “not confident at all” that UFC and Wittman will come to an agreement to move forward with the glove concept. The comments are significant because glove design is one of the most visible pieces of combat-sports regulation and brand identity, touching athlete equipment, event presentation, and the promotion’s overall uniformity.

Trevor Wittman is best known in MMA as a highly regarded coach who has worked with elite fighters, and this glove discussion reflects a broader pattern in the sport where trainers and equipment innovators try to formalize their impact beyond the gym. What happens next in this case will be less about whether Wittman’s gloves are “good” in a general sense, and more about whether the commercial structure, ownership of the design, and licensing terms can satisfy a UFC that typically standardizes equipment across its roster.

White’s remarks also highlight the UFC’s likely approach to equipment change. Large promotions tend to treat standardization as operationally important, especially when equipment needs to fit a wide range of fighters and adhere to consistent specifications across events. Even if a new design has potential performance benefits or improved protection, the UFC still has to weigh cost, rollout logistics, and long-term brand and regulatory consistency against the appeal of customization.

The $100 million price point, as described by White, suggests the discussion would be framed more like a technology licensing and branding package than a minor equipment update. For UFC, adopting a new glove model would likely require not just a design agreement but also clarity on manufacturing, quality control, distribution, and who benefits financially from the relationship. For Wittman’s team, the stated demand implies an expectation that the concept would deliver substantial value at UFC scale.

For fans, the practical takeaway is that a widely publicized gear shift is not imminent, despite interest that can build around high-profile trainers and their training innovations. If UFC does not adopt Wittman’s glove design on White’s described terms, other equipment collaborations could still emerge, but this specific proposal appears to be stalled by pricing and deal structure.

What to watch next is whether Wittman’s side responds with additional detail on the proposal, such as what the UFC would get for the money and whether there is flexibility on valuation. Separately, it will be worth tracking whether the UFC clarifies its process for evaluating equipment partners, since that would influence how future glove or gear initiatives are pitched and priced. Until then, White’s comments effectively reduce the odds of a near-term change to UFC-branded gloves connected to Wittman’s concept.