The hidden truth about UFC President Dana White
Many call the UFC head honcho as lacking professionalism, but without Dana White being who he is, the UFC might have never reached the heights it has. Dana’s attitude of ‘not giving a sh*’ and his single-mindedness in pulling off his goals is the reason we are seeing fights taking place when COVID-19 pandemic has left most sports reeling.
Many saw such innovativeness to pull off events, including yours truly, as a dangerous situation for fighters and UFC’s staff. But Dana rolled all the criticism thrown at him and turned horrible circumstances in his favor as seen by the Pay-per-view buys of UFC 251 and fight island itself.
This ability of ‘not giving a sh*t’ has seen the UFC president feud with many, including Jon Jones, who is on a hiatus because he feels underpaid. White knows he is not a beloved figure in the sport and has used this status to his and the UFC’s benefits.
White makes controversial decisions like booting well known MMA journalists Ariel Helwani out of a UFC event or slamming referee Mario Yamasaki in front of the cameras. This has cemented the UFC president’s persona as that of a ‘bully’ and someone with a ‘short-fuse’ who uses his position of power to make what many consider as harsh and controversial decisions.
But Dana White is not as cruel or obnoxious as many regard him to be. Considered by many as the best fight promoter ever, White’s style as UFC president is dictatorial, but it was a necessity when he first took the reins of the company alongside the Fertita brothers.
Lorenzo Fertitta said as much in an interview, citing White as the perfect guy for the job, and his words could not be more true. White’s ability to decide on the fly and adjust to difficult circumstances is why he is where he is today.
But as with the media, they paint a certain picture for the public which gets stuck in their imagination. White has suffered from the same with his persona. Because White can be generous and kind, something which we will never see from him in a UFC press conference or a public setting.
Take the case of Suzie Friton, UFC’s make-up artist, who has been fighting through stage 4 of breast cancer. Many UFC employees like Rose Namajunas, Paul Felder, Michael Bisping, and Jon Anik donated to her gofundme page with Rose even auctioning off her fight kit. But guess who had been there for her all along??
Dana White had been helping his employee to fight through her cancer for over five years. White kept his reply short and on point when asked about Suzie’s condition.
“I’ve been helping her for five years. We have been helping her for five years, but we don’t have any updates on her.”- Dana White on Suzie Friton's cancer.
Dana almost seemed reluctant to reveal that he had been doing a good cause by helping his employees fight through a devastating sickness. UFC commentator Joe Rogan, who is also friends with Dana White, has said before on his podcast that ‘the Dana you meet is different to the Dana you see on TV or at a press conference’.
Joe Riggs was also a beneficiary of Dana White’s kindness during a hard time in his life when he was fighting through opioids addiction. Dana White knew the former WEC middleweight champion had some problem when Riggs stepped on the scale at WEC 26 weigh-ins.
As Riggs flexed his muscle for the cameras, he lost control of his bowels, peeing all over himself. Dana, to his credit, didn’t punish Riggs and helped him with his back surgery instead, the reason for his opioids addiction.
“I peed all over myself. Then I went up to the hotel room, and the doctor came to examine me. Dana came in and asked if I was pulling out of the fight. I told him no, no, I could still fight. It was the doctor who said, ‘He’s on pills.’ I thought Dana was still going to make me fight, but instead, he sent me home, paid me my show and win money, and even paid for my back surgery. That’s when I knew I had to get clean.”- Joe Riggs on Dana White helping him through a tough situation.
It’s hard to find such narratives about the UFC president, even in the digital age we live in. Most Dana White videos on YouTube are rants and him being pissed off at Ariel Helwani, other promoters, and anyone foolish enough to incur his wrath.
But the softer side of Dana White remains untouched. Not something to speak about in public. For all his faults and ruthlessness, White may not be as mean as you think he is.
Just don’t expect him to display such a show of kindness in front of a camera soon.
Also Read: What is Dana White's Net Worth?