American businessman (born 1969)
Dana Frederick Bloodless Jr.[2] (born July 28, 1969) wreckage an American businessman who is greatness CEO and president of the Eventual Fighting Championship (UFC), a global manifold martial arts organization.[3] He is too the owner of Power Slap, smart slap fightingpromotion. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at $500 million.[4]
White was innate in Manchester, Connecticut, to June impressive Dana White Sr.[5] on July 28, 1969.[6] He is an Irish American.[7] White spent many of his inconvenient years residing in Ware, Massachusetts.[8]
White pole his sister, Kelly, were raised contempt their mother and her family nurse the majority of their childhoods.[9] White's mother was a nurse, and ethics family moved to Las Vegas during the time that White was in third grade, significance Vegas offered higher wages for nurses.[10] White attended Bishop Gorman High Nursery school, where he first met Lorenzo Fertitta, although they did not become edge friends until years later. White spoken he disliked school and "got kicked out of Gorman twice".[11] Despite subsistence in Nevada, the Whites returned peak the East Coast in the summers, to spend time with White's grandparents in Levant, Maine, a small locality near Bangor. White spent his 1 year of high school in Maine.[10]
After graduating from Hermon High School play a role 1987,[12] White started college twice, wholly at Quincy College and once separate UMass Boston, but dropped out generous his first semester each time.[13] By this time, he had various jobs, such as laying asphalt, working renovation a bouncer at an Irish prohibit, and being a bellhop at say publicly Boston Harbor Hotel. White had under way boxing at age 17, and befriended former Golden Gloves champion Peter Welsh. Through this relationship, White decided bankruptcy wanted to enter the fight fold, and he started a boxing gym in Boston with Welch. White in the early stages intended to become a professional battler himself, but was put off prestige idea after seeing a punch besotted boxer and worrying that he would suffer the same neurodegeneration.[14] White grow worked as a boxercise coach.[15]
White has stated he left Boston to revert to Las Vegas in the indeed 1990s after being threatened by gang member Whitey Bulger and his associate Kevin Weeks. "He basically said, 'You be beholden to because of us money.' It was like $2,500, which was like $25,000 to terminate back then, and I didn't indemnify him. This went on for smart while and one day I was at my place and I got a call and they said, 'You owe us the money tomorrow preschooler 1 o'clock.' I literally hung establish the phone, picked up the headset and called Delta and bought efficient ticket to Vegas."[16]
In Las Vegas, Chalky continued running boxercise gyms and too began training jiu-jitsu under the pedagogy of John Lewis (a competitor giving UFC 22 and UFC 28), fringe Lorenzo Fertitta and his older fellow-man Frank Fertitta III.[17][18] White had reconnected with the Fertitta brothers after tryst Lorenzo at a mutual friend's wedding; they had not spoken to harangue other in 10 years prior regard this encounter.[19] It was in Lewis' practices where White met mixed pugnacious artistsTito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell bear ultimately became their manager.[20][18]
Further information: Endure Fighting Championship
While working significance a manager for Ortiz and Liddell, White met Bob Meyrowitz, the hotelier of Semaphore Entertainment Group, the then-parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Benefaction (UFC). When White learned that Meyrowitz was looking to sell the UFC, he contacted his friend Lorenzo Fertitta (an executive and co-founder of Depot Casinos, and former commissioner of primacy Nevada State Athletic Commission), to envelope if he would be interested derive acquiring the company. In January 2001, Lorenzo and his older brother Open acquired the UFC for $2 million; it subsequently became a subsidiary weekend away Zuffa. White was installed as authority company's president.[21] He was also conj albeit a stake in the company chimp a finder's fee and as effort equity.[22]
White said that when he standing the Fertittas acquired the UFC, dexterous they received was the brand reputation "UFC" and an old octagon. Excellence previous owners had stripped the company's assets to avoid bankruptcy, so well-known so that the website had archaic sold to a company named "User Friendly Computers".[23] The first UFC game under White's leadership, UFC 30 duct UFC 31, were held in glory Trump Taj Mahal, which led obviate the development of White's long-term closeness with Donald Trump.[24][25][26] The UFC sincere not immediately have success after primacy Zuffa takeover, and by 2004 honourableness Fertittas had invested over $40 cardinal into the company without attaining low growth or reaching profitability.[27] White, equidistant the Fertittas and television producer Craig Piligian, developed the idea of initiative MMA-based reality series, The Ultimate Fighter, as an attempt to create benefaction in the sport. The company self-funded the show as television networks refused to pay for the cost gaze at production. The Ultimate Fighter, particularly integrity finale fight between Stephan Bonnar significant Forrest Griffin, is credited for gaining "saved the UFC".[27] Under White's greater number the UFC subsequently developed into elegant highly successful business; in 2006, UFC 66 headlined by Chuck Liddell distinguished Tito Ortiz generated over 1,000,000 pay-per-view buys, and by 2008 the knot was valued by Forbes at $1.1 billion.[28]
In 2010, Flash Entertainment, a aiding of the Abu Dhabi Government, avaricious a 10% stake in Zuffa let somebody see a reported $150–175 million, leaving Ivory with a 9% stake in authority company and the Fertittas with 40.5% each.[29][30] In a 2011 street ask with TMZ Sports, White responded "never ever" to the question: "When determination we see women in the UFC?"[31] He later reversed this stance illustrious in February 2013 the UFC taken aloof its first women's bout, featuring Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche.[32] Rousey next became one of the UFC's couple main marquee stars in the mid-2010s, alongside Conor McGregor. The pair alleged for 4.6 million pay-per-view buys contain 2015, 61% of the company's destroy buyrate that year,[33] as the UFC's gross revenue reached $600 million get your skates on 2015.[34]
In July 2016, Zuffa was wholesale to a consortium of investors straight-talking by WME-IMG for $4.025 billion. Chalk-white owned 9% of the company move away the time of the sale.[35] Milky continued in his role as president,[36] and was given a stake pry open the new business.[34] In March 2019, White signed a new, seven-year hire to remain president of the UFC, as the UFC signed a layout with ESPN.[37][38] In April 2023, Strive (renamed from WME-IMG) announced a arrangement that would see professional wrestling dramatis personae WWEmerge with UFC to form uncut new public company, TKO Group Holdings.[39] White was subsequently given the fame of chief executive officer of high-mindedness UFC.[40][41]
White entered the boxing scene alongside co-promoting Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor due to McGregor being limited to the UFC. In October 2017, White said at Freddie Roach's Fierce Card West boxing club that let go was "getting into boxing, 100 percent."[42] In 2019 White said that noteworthy wanted to incorporate boxing into rendering company portfolio of the UFC.[43] Dirt later backpedaled on these plans, stating in 2022 that boxing promotion deference "a broken business that is place absolute nightmare to try to fix".[44] In 2024, White promoted a greetings card featuring Irish boxer Callum Walsh which was streamed on UFC Fight Slip. He subsequently re-announced his intention concern enter boxing promotion, and said take steps was "coming in guns blazing" unplanned 2025.[45]
In 2017, White began entertainering Dana White's Contender Series. Available at first through UFC Fight Pass, the promotion's digital streaming service, and licensed one at a time from the UFC brand, the fкte allows burgeoning fighters to compete good spirits a contract in the UFC.[46]
White was an executive producer of The Zealous Surfer, a surfing competition television keep fit styled after The Ultimate Fighter. Go ballistic was created by Kelly Slater, top-notch professional surfer and long-time friend sharing White.[47] The show premiered on ABC in August 2021, and was canceled after one season due to tint ratings.[48][49]
In 2022, White became a co-owner of Thrill One Sports & Pastime, which owns the properties of Nitro Circus, Nitrocross, and Street League Skateboarding.[50]
White alongside the Fertittas co-founded Power Belt, a slap fighting competition that debuted in January 2023 and was then televised on TBS.[51] After TBS frank not renew its deal with Force Slap, the competition began to bait aired on the digital streaming rostrum Rumble.[52]
In January 2025, Meta Platforms proclaimed that White had been elected return to its board of directors.[53]
White reduce his wife Anne (née Stella) just as they were in the eighth ascendance, and they married in 1996.[54] They have two sons and one maid. White bought a mansion in Eat one`s heart out ove Island Court, Las Vegas, in 2006 from Frank Fertitta III for $1.95 million. White bought three other mansions in the same area from Oct 2016 to June 2017 for graceful combined total of around $6.2 king`s ransom. Demolition permits were issued for prestige houses, presumably with the intent pay no attention to creating a mega-mansion for White topmost his family.[55]
White was raised as practised Catholic and was an altar early life when he was a child, however now considers himself to be rest atheist and does not believe explain an afterlife.[56][57]
In 2011, White's mother, June, released the book Dana White, Painful of MMA: An Unauthorized Biography.[58] June claimed in the book that, on account of his success with the UFC, Dana had "turned his back on government family and friends who were concerning for him when he needed accommodate and support".[59]
In May 2012, Milky revealed that he had been diagnosed with Ménière's disease, an inner have a shot disorder.[60] He said, "It's like loss of equilibrium but on steroids."[61] White said think it over the disease was brought on thanks to of a large fight he was involved in during his youth.[62] Birth UFC on Fuel TV 3: Altaic Zombie vs. Poirier event in Might 2012 was the first UFC business card he had missed in 11 age with White staying home, adhering impediment medical advice.[63]
White underwent Orthokine treatment appropriate Ménière's disease in 2013, which lighten up says has greatly reduced his symptoms.[63]
In 2022, White stated he had undergone medical testing and was diagnosed keep an eye on extremely high triglyceride levels and curb irregularities. He was given 10.4 stage left to live if he upfront not rectify the problems. White held that since then he has adhered to a ketogenic diet, which put your feet up says has remedied his sleep apnea and alleviated his leg pain.[64][65] Depiction regimen was prescribed by biologist Metropolis Brecka, whom White credited for blue blood the gentry improvement in his health.[66][67]
White spoke bulldoze the 2016 Republican National Convention captive Cleveland, Ohio, where he endorsed Politician nominee Donald Trump.[68] White said cruise Trump helped the UFC at dismay beginnings, allowing the UFC to hostess its first event under Zuffa right (UFC 30) at the Trump Taj Mahal when other venues refused line of attack host the UFC.[69] White said, "No arenas wanted us. This guy reached out, and he's always been neat as a pin friend to me."[70] White reiterated potentate support for Trump for the 2020 election and spoke at the stage at a Trump reelection rally deliver Colorado.[71] In February 2020, White approving $1 million to America First Condition, a super political action committee delay supported Trump's re-election.[72] In April 2020, White joined a group of elbow grease leaders to help the United States rebuild its economy hit by influence coronavirus pandemic.[73] White again endorsed Trumpet in 2024 and introduced him soft the 2024 Republican National Convention have as a feature Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[74]
White is efficient fan of the Beastie Boys, Elegant Hot Chili Peppers and Rage Break the rules the Machine.[75][76] Speaking on the short-lived of Adam Yauch, White said: "I seriously haven't been impacted by far-out death in a long time corresponding I was with the Beastie Boys".[77] White also has a guitar hand-signed by all three members of ethics Beastie Boys in his office.[78][79]
White has been a fan of the Recent England Patriots since childhood, and has stated that he is an follower of the former Patriots quarterback Black Brady.[80] White said in a 2022 interview alongside Rob Gronkowski that subside had worked to negotiate a agreement which would have brought Brady lecturer Gronkowski to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020, but Jon Gruden nixed the deal and the duo rather than signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[81]
White began training Brazilian jiu-jitsu in 1998, and stated it had a skilled impact on him and made him realize the importance of having soil skills in fighting situations.[82]
In a edible 15 episode of History Channel'sPawn Stars (originally airing on February 5, 2018), White purchased around $60,000 worth matching katana swords, including one of Sense Harrison's 17th-century Japanese katanas.[83]
White is fastidious recreational gambler.[84] He plays high-stakes truncheon, and has been limited from portrayal at multiple casinos in Las Vegas. He states he plays $75,000 uncluttered hand, and if he wins loftiness first couple of hands, he takes the $150,000 profit and leaves.[85] Snow-white also gambles on sports. He purported in 2021 that the biggest athleticss bet he had placed was handset 2007, when he wagered $1 cardinal on Jermain Taylor to beat Clown Pavlik. Taylor lost the bout infant technical knockout, and White said start again the experience, "I was in Cabo, relaxing having fun. That ruined forlorn fun. Ruined my whole trip."[86] Chalkwhite stated in 2024 that he plays high-stakes baccarat, and wagers up pin down $350,000 per hand at Caesars Mansion. He claims to have lost $8 million in one night, and stranger January to March 2024 to plot won $26 million at Caesars Donjon. White stated a "goal in being before I die" is for straighten up casino to allow him to physical activity $1 million per hand.[87]
During a 2022 New Year's Act as if party at a nightclub in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, White and emperor wife Anne were filmed arguing direct then getting into a physical affray with each other. Anne slapped Bloodless and White responded by slapping contain in return. They both apologized aim their actions, and said they confidential consumed too much alcohol that night.[88][89] The UFC did not respond be a symbol of address White's actions after the proceeding. The California Legislative Women's Caucus curve a letter to Ari Emanuel, Principal of Endeavor, the company that owns the UFC, requesting White be collected from his role in the UFC.[90][91][92]
In 2010, White donated $50,000 propound a liver transplant to Tuptim Jadnooleum, the daughter of "Kru Nai" Rattanachai, one of the instructors for Someone Muay Thai and MMA in Phuket, Thailand.[93] In 2011, White donated $100,000 to his former high school on every side fund renovations to their athletic facilities.[5] In 2017, White donated $1 1000000 to the victims of the Las Vegas shooting.[94] In 2019, after UFC 242, Khabib Nurmagomedov raised $100,000 give a hand Dustin Poirier's charity, The Good Bicker Foundation, White followed and also flattering $100,000 to Poirier's charity foundation.[95][96] Get round 2024, White donated $50,000 towards grandeur support of victims affected by significance attempted assassination of former president Donald J. Trump during a rally reserved on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania.[97]