Fact Check: Did Dana White get into trouble with mob boss James 'Whitey' Bulger? UFC CEO recalls getting dragged into Boston gang scene
UFC CEO Dana White has recounted his story about James 'Whitey' Bulger and how he (White) was embroiled in the Boston underworld scene. White served as a boxing trainer in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, in the 1990s. During that time, mob enforcers allegedly tried to extort a sum of $2,500 from him.
The individuals were believed to belong to Bulger's gang and had threatened White to pay them the sum or face the consequences of defiance. White refused to pay and claims he received several threats, including by Bulger's right-hand man Kevin Weeks.
Ultimately, White left Boston and shifted to Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, where he reunited with his old friend Lorenzo Fertitta. The Fertitta brothers bought the UFC in 2001 and installed White as UFC president.
On Andrew Schulz's Flagrant podcast, White was recently asked about the rumors that there was a hit put out on him by 'Whitey' Bulger. White responded by stating:
"It's not true. That is not true... It [was] sort of like that, but it wasn't 'Whitey' Bulger, and it wasn't whatever."
White indicated that when he lived in 'Southie' (South Boston), there was a sort of unwritten rule that people didn't complain about Bulger to the police. He seemingly alluded to the famous Hollywood movie, 'Black Mass,' that's based on Bulger's life.
White explained that it was later revealed that Bulger was working in cohesion with the FBI against other mob bosses. Bulger's connections in the system supposedly helped him know about those who complained about him to the police. He recalled that in that environment, Bulger's enforcers attempted to extort money from him, which he refused to pay and fled to Vegas. The 54-year-old said:
"One of his guys, you know, said that I owed him money"
When asked if he did owe him money, White replied by saying:
"No. I didn't owe him money. I didn't even know him. I didn't know him, never met him, never nothing. And, you know, it got to the point where, you know, I got a phone call one day at the house that I lived in and basically said, 'You've got till Sunday to f**king pay us.' Sunday, at one, or whatever the number was. And I said, 'Or what?' And they're like, 'Or you're going to find out.' So, I literally hung up the phone, picked it back up, called Delta [Air Lines], and got a one-way f**king ticket to Vegas. And that was a wrap."
Check out Dana White's comments below (1:10):
Dana White's escape and James 'Whitey' Bulger's death
The disturbing experience that Dana White seemingly went through because of James 'Whitey' Bulger's mob enforcers is something the UFC head honcho has often spoken about over the years. Regardless, after becoming UFC president in 2001, White's career flourished, and he's established himself as a prominent entrepreneur and an integral part of the world's premier MMA promotion.
On the other hand, Bulger is remembered for his reputation as a fearsome mobster, particularly controlling South Boston from the 1970s through the following decades. Bulger was arrested in 2011 and jailed after being convicted of murder, extortion, drug dealing, and other crimes. Bulger was killed in prison in Oct. 2018, and three inmates were charged with killing him.