Dana White is an American businessman and the president of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the largest mixed martial arts organization (MMA) in the world. White is famous for his exemplary and efficient leadership in the UFC which transformed the combat sport into a global multi-billion-dollar enterprise. He has won several awards including Promoter of the Year and the World MMA Awards. Everything that is desirable to know about him is found here.
His Early Life and Career Beginnings
Dana Frederick White Jr. was born on July 28, 1969, in Manchester, Connecticut to parents, June, and Dana White. For most of his childhood, he and his only sister Kelly were raised by their mother and her family. He is said to be of Irish descent.
White join the world of combat at a young age of 17 when he began boxing and finished high school in 1987, from Hermon High School in Maine.
From an amateur boxer to entrepreneur, Dana White didn’t have it smooth before becoming one of the most influential men in the world. He lived in Boston where he worked as a bouncer, bellman, amongst other things to make a decent living.
White dropped out of the University of Massachusetts after two years to try a boxing-related business. Eventually, he launched a boxing program for inner-city children and a boxaerobics business. He was doing quite well in the 1990’s until threats from the Irish mob reportedly chased him out of the city to Las Vegas. White said he left everything he had when they were trying to get money ($2,500) from him.
In Vegas, he began to work as a manager for boxing champions like Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell. When he learned that Semaphore Entertainment Group, the parent company of the UFC, plan to sell the Ultimate Fighting Championship, White contacted his childhood friend, Lorenzo Fertitta and his brother Frank Fertitta who were co-owners of Station Casinos.
The Fertittas bought 81% ownership stake in the UFC in January 2001, for $2 million and appointed White as its president. The brothers also created Zuffa, LLC, a sports promotion company, in order to oversee their MMA organization, of which White is also named as its president and as well, own 9% share of the company. Under their joint stewardship [the Fertitta’s and White] UFC secured sanctioning for fights in Nevada, making Las Vegas the headquarters of the company that has now become a multinational empire.
Dana White as President of UFC
White’s style as the president of UFC is described as blunt and forward without care for whose ox is gored. A formidable opponent who has stirred UFC to become the undisputed champion of the MMA world, with over 100 training facilities worldwide; fights in 175 countries and a media coverage of more than a billion households.
When UFC was reportedly sold for $4 billion, to the talent agency, WME-IMG in July 2016, White continued his role as the president. A year later, in May 2017, it was announced that he would hold Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series every month on UFC Fight Pass; with the aim to scout talents for the company.
White also got involved with boxing and helped promote the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor mega-fight since the later is a fighter for UFC. He later made known his intentions to incorporate boxing into the company’s portfolio of the UFC. He said he’s 100 percent into boxing and is in the process of getting his promoter’s license.
Under his leadership, the UFC launched the famous The Ultimate Fighter, TUF championship, where potential UFC fighters are arranged to compete for a six-figure contract. The company also acquired PRIDE, the Japanese mixed martial arts promotion company on May 25, 2007. Although PRIDE Worldwide closed its office in Japan on October 4, 2007.
So far, The UFC on Fuel TV 3: “Korean Zombie vs. Poirier” is reportedly the first Dana White has ever missed in his years in the publicity business.
His Family Life
Dana White is married to his wife, Anne White since 1996 and the couple has three children, two sons: Dana and Aidan; and daughter, Savannah. The family currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Anne and their children stay mostly out of public eye, thus photos of the couple in public are hardly seen.
Details of His Net Worth
The sports promoter who has been in the UFC for decades has accumulated a net worth of $500 million. His annual salary is $20 million which is not surprising considering he owns 9 percent of the UFC. His salary in 2017, is said to be the highest for a non-fighter in UFC.
His stake at the company, before taxes, is reportedly worth $360 million after the UFC was sold for $4 billion. But more to his acquiring wealth, White is also a philanthropist and one of his notable acts was donating $100,000 to his high school in 2011 towards the renovation of their sporting facilities.
What We Know About His Body Stats
Dana White stands at a height of 5 feet 11 inches or 1.8 m, at this height, he weighs 194 lbs or 88 kg. His is bald and has a hazel colored eye.
White revealed he has been diagnosed with a neurological disorder called Ménière’s disease and he is receiving proper medical treatment for it.
