Dana White Confronted About Shutting Down Popular Illegal Streamer ‘StreamEast’

UFC CEO Dana White talks about the recent shutdown of popular illegal streaming provider 'StreamEast’.

Dana White Confronted About Shutting Down Popular Illegal Streamer ‘StreamEast’

Dana White agrees on shutting down StreamEast (via X)

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Illegal streaming of sports events has always been a significant problem for organizations, forcing them to battle persistent piracy practices. To stop persistent piracy, many organizations used every possible method available to them, but the streaming culture ultimately remained unchanged.

As the biggest MMA promotion worldwide, the UFC increased anti-piracy efforts, with Dana White leading measures to stop illegal streaming. Recently, reports suggested StreamEast was taken offline following co-ordinated anti-piracy actions targeting major illegal sports streaming platforms worldwide.

The shutdown surprised many users, who found the website inaccessible and believed authorities or copyright groups might have intervened. Discussions spread across online communities, with users speculating about legal pressure against similar streaming services. In a recent interview with Caleb Pressley, White was asked about his involvement in this, and the CEO proudly agreed to it. 

I cut down a lot of StreamEast. That’s one of my favorite things to do. We took it seriously and went after people.

Dana White via Sundae Conversation 

Dana White has always been vocal about StreamEast, repeatedly expressing frustration with illegal streaming platforms damaging the UFC’s pay-per-view model. He consistently warned that unauthorized streams would eventually face serious consequences as enforcement efforts continued to strengthen across the industry.

White’s public stance intensified recently, emphasizing stricter crackdowns, increased monitoring, and an ongoing commitment to eliminating widespread piracy that threatens pay-per-view revenues. Dana White previously blamed rising pay-per-view costs on widespread illegal streaming, arguing piracy directly reduced essential legitimate revenue. 

The UFC boss explained that diminished earnings from unauthorized views forced the company to adjust pricing structures to sustain operational demands. White repeatedly emphasized that continued piracy pressures the UFC financially, ultimately impacting fans who rely on stable pricing for major events.

Fans argue piracy is encouraged by high fees and inaccessible pricing, claiming it continues thriving while subscriptions remain financially unreasonable today. Many believe that cheaper, more accessible options could significantly reduce illegal streaming. With UFC’s upcoming collaboration with Paramount, observers expect interesting developments influencing accessibility and shaping piracy trends.

Dana White defends not giving Arman Tsarukyan preference in the UFC interim lightweight title fight

Ilia Topuria’s withdrawal from the first Paramount card due to personal reasons created unexpected turbulence across the UFC landscape. The UFC responded swiftly by announcing an Interim Lightweight Championship clash between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett, surprising everybody.

Many fans immediately questioned the promotion’s motives due to the promotional stance of ‘Best Fight The Best’. Top-ranked contender Arman Tsarukyan was seemingly overlooked despite his deserving position. Meanwhile, Pimblett never faced a top-5 contender in his career.

Dana White talks about Arman Tsarukyan
Dana White talks about Arman Tsarukyan (via X)

Critics openly mocked Dana White’s controversial matchmaking decision, arguing the choice prioritized marketable names rather than genuine sporting merit. Dana White later addressed the backlash directly, delivering strong explanations while confidently defending his reasoning behind scheduling Gaethje against Pimblett instead.

He (Tsarukyan) had an opportunity, and you guys know how that played out. He’s gonna have to work his way back. I don’t give a (expletive) what the number says. He’s gonna have to work his way back. It’s just too much goes into this for those type of things to happen.

Dana White via UFC 323 post-fight presser 

Recent reports were suggesting White preferred avoiding heavy grapplers for the inaugural Paramount card. Arman Tsarukyan’s reputation as an exceptionally dominant ground specialist fueled theories that stylistic concerns influenced his unexpected exclusion. The Armenian previously earned a title opportunity at UFC 311, but a sudden suspicious injury forced withdrawal and altered promotional expectations.

Since that incident, many believe Dana White has remained frustrated, subtly affecting Tsarukyan’s placement within the lightweight title conversation. Despite his last win at UFC Qatar, Tsarukyan seemingly recognized and accepted that the promotion might delay rewarding him with a title opportunity.

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