About Dana White

Who is Dana White?

Dana White is the President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He became the president of the UFC in 2001 when two casino mogul brothers, Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta purchased the UFC as Zuffa LLC for $2 million. They immediately appointed Dana the president and gave him a 10% ownership stake.

Dana took over an organization in shambles. The UFC was eight years old and failing apart quickly. Political pressures were about to do it in but he quickly turned things around and the UFC is now the fastest growing sports league in the United States.

Dana White

The sport is now being called “the next Nascar” and the replacement to boxing. It is a fact that there are other mixed-martial-arts leagues, however, none is as big or has as top-notch talent as the UFC.

Before becoming the President of the UFC:

It’s clear that Dana White has been an entrepreneur for most of his adult life. In 1992 he created “Dana White Enterprises” and conducted aerobics classes at three gyms in the Las Vegas area.   Also, around that time Dana began managing MMA fighters Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell.

In 2000 / 2001, while working as a manager and amateur boxer, Dana learned that Semaphore Entertainment Group, the parent company of the UFC at the time, was trying to sell out. Knowing that the UFC was for sale, White contacted childhood friend Lorenzo Fertitta who was a casino executive and a former commissioner of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Within a month, Lorenzo and his older brother Frank bought the UFC, and installed Dana White as its President.

Where He Came From:

White was born in Manchester, Connecticut. However, he grew up in Las Vegas, Boston and Levant, Maine. During his youth, he bounced back and forth between Las Vegas and Maine. He is an avid Boston Red Sox fan. Today he spends most of this time in Las Vegas where the UFC maintains its headquarters.