Get your checkbooks out, because buying the entire UFC just got a whole lot pricier. At least, that’s according to UFC President Dana White, who told motivational speaker Tony Robbins in a recent interview that the UFC is now worth $7 billion – nearly double what it sold for just two years ago.

How was this feat of mathematics accomplished? Mostly, according to White, it’s a result of signing a new broadcast and streaming deal with ESPN. Then again, it could also just be a result one of White’s favorite hobbies: just saying stuff.

For starters, we should note that gauging what the UFC is “worth” is a tricky business just by its very nature. It’s not a publicly traded company, so it’s not like there’s a stock price you can point to as proof of its overall worth.

Instead, we end up guessing at what it would sell for if current owners Endeavor were to put it on the market, which might be a weird thing to do so soon after buying it in one of the biggest single transactions in pro sports history.

So is White basing any of this on reality, or is it just more hyperbole from a guy whose job more or less requires it? Here, let’s look at the question from both sides of the coin.

Reason No. 1 it might actually be true: The ESPN thing actually is a big deal – or at least it could be.

It’s not just the money (though, sure, the money matters). It’s also the potential boost that comes with being on ESPN, which is known to give a lot more exposure to sports properties that it has some investment in.

Being on ESPN means being a fixture in mainstream sports culture in America. It means being on in the background of bars and showing up right next to NBA highlights when Joe Sportsfan turns on his TV. That could help increase the overall audience, especially for big fights.

Reason No. 1 it might not be true: We’ve heard this one before

Remember when the UFC signed with FOX in 2011? That, too, was supposed to be a groundbreaking game-changer. The UFC was about to go mainstream. Next stop: overtaking soccer. Global domination and all that.

That didn’t quite happen. While FOX brought more visibility to the UFC, it didn’t fundamentally change the entire fan base. Watching people fight in a cage, regardless of what channel it’s on, may just always turn out to be a somewhat niche interest. By the end of the FOX deal, ratings were tanking the UFC had yet to conquer the major sports. Does anyone really think ESPN was the only missing piece of the puzzle?