The Rise of Dana White, From UFC to Trump Ally and Meta’s Board

White purchases the UFC in 2001 for $2 million.

White began out as a boxing coach in Las Vegas after which Boston earlier than shifting focus to combined martial arts, he instructed Forbes in a 2014 interview.

Ultimately, White managed MMA fighters who participated in UFC bouts, which resulted in a contract dispute with the UFC. White instructed the outlet that the contract dispute motivated him to discover a solution to beat the UFC.

His plan concerned two of his childhood buddies, Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta.

“I ended up discovering that out, that they are in hassle, they usually’re most likely going to exit of enterprise,” White mentioned, referring to the UFC. “And I might been to a [UFC] occasion, and I used to be wanting round and pondering, ‘Think about in the event that they did this, and picture in the event that they did that. This factor might truly be actually massive.'”

So, White mentioned, he known as his buddies and urged that collectively they attempt to purchase the UFC.

The brothers based Zuffa, LLC and bought the UFC for $2 million in 2001. White took over as president and acquired a 9% stake. He then started to show the corporate into an MMA juggernaut.

That 12 months, White hosted a UFC battle on the now-defunct Trump Taj Mahal on line casino and resort in Atlantic Metropolis.

White instructed The Hill in 2018 that the UFC’s recognition grew, partly, due to Trump’s early help. When he first bought the UFC, the corporate, in addition to combined martial arts extra broadly, the game confronted criticism for its violent combating fashion.

“Any good factor that occurred to me in my profession, Donald Trump was the primary to select up the telephone and name and say ‘congratulations,'” he instructed the outlet.