Daniel Cormier reveals likely replacement when UFC CEO Dana White retires: ‘He seems like he’s being primed’

UFC Hall of Fame star, Daniel Cormier has claimed current Chief Business Officer, Hunter Campbell is likely being “primed” to take the reigns as the promotional CEO from the incumbent Dana White — once the latter retires from his post, touting Campbell as a vital cog in the company machine.

Cormier, a former two-weight champion at both the light heavyweight and heavyweight limits during his spectacular tenure in the Octagon, called time on his combat sports career back in 2020, following a rubber match trilogy loss to fellow retired veteran, Stipe Miocic.

Since then, Cormier has turned his hand to color-commentary duty, often seated alongside fellow color analyst, Joe Rogan — and leading play-by-play man, Jon Anik.

And ahead of his return to duty at UFC 311 next weekend for a championship doubleheader featuring past teammates, Islam Makhachev, and Umar Nurmagomedov, Cormier weighed in on the potential replacement for CEO, Dana White if and when steps back from his post — suggesting Campbell is being “primed” to take over in the future.

Daniel Cormier claims Hunter Campbell is being “primed” to take over from Dana White

“The UFC is the biggest organization,” Daniel Cormier told MMA Junkie. “So you’re going to hear a lot of that from me, Hunter Campbell, right? When was the last time you heard an executive’s name called as many times as Hunter Campbell? He has developed a way of relating to the athletes and their managers that make fights that seem like they won’t happen or can’t happen, come together. You know, it was only a few years ago that he took the lead in negotiations and everything.

“And I can even go back to my last fight, four years ago, as a former champion, he called, it was literally, we had built a relationship over the last few years of my career that he called two sentences, we’re going to do this for DC, right?” Cormier explained. “Same as before, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, and we were done. No, no negative. And then you build this appreciation for making the negotiations easy because at times they can be so difficult, but just listen to the amount of fighters that not only tip their cap to Dana White anymore, but to Hunter Campbell. 

“And that’s something that usually happens. A guy like him usually plays behind the scene, but I bet anyone that’s been to an event knows who that guy is now. I’m obviously a very influential figure. He is a guy who gets a lot of the deals done. And I think, you know, maybe people are to predict someone who eventually steps into that UFC president role. He seems like he’s being primed for that,” Cormier said. “Absolutely. That’s exactly what he feels like. And again, like we said earlier, man, he, for me, he played such an important role.”