Young ailing fan who was Dana White's guest at major UFC events this year loses battle with cancer
UFC president Dana White has his highs and lows, but his kindness and generosity to Jason, an ailing cancer patient, this year has been heartwarming. Sadly, Jason passed away on Christmas Day after a seven-year battle with cancer.
Jason was Dana White's guest at two UFC events this year and expressed gratitude to the UFC president for "making his dreams come true." He was invited to UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs. Rodriguez and UFC 281 and took to Reddit to joyously and meticulously describe his experiences and thank everyone involved.
The heartbreaking news of his demise was shared by a parent through their Reddit account, who informed the community of the news and thanked Dana White and the supportive fans:
"I wanted to let the community know that my son Jason [U/IFroodle] passed away on Christmas Day after a valiant 7 year battle with Stage 4 Rectal Cancer. I can never express enough how much it meant to him to be at the UFC events at MSG and UBS Arena. We are forever grateful to Dana & his crew for their kindness and compassion. We've read all of the incredibly kind comments from this community when Jason posted and we appreciate your support from afar."
They also urged the community to continue spreading kindness and do a good deed in Jason's name to further his legacy:
"The world lost a little bit of light on Christmas Day and our family has suffered an enormous loss. Please do a kind deed in his name if you feel so inclined. Even throughout Jason's horrendous battle, he always tried to help others with their battle in any way he could."
Check out the Reddit post below:
Dana White pays tribute to Stephan Bonnar
UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar also passed away a few days before Christmas. Bonnar was instrumental in furthering the UFC as a promotion and is often credited for its early rise.
Dana White paid tribute to the former light heavyweight, who also competed in the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. White said in a statement via the UFC:
"Stephan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters to ever compete in the octagon. His fight with Forrest Griffin changed the sport forever, and he will never be forgotten. The fans loved him, related to him and he always gave them his best. He will be missed."
Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin put on an all-timer fight in The Ultimate Fighter 1 finale in 2005 in a fight that is touted as one of the most important in the promotion's history.
Check out the fight highlights below on YouTube: