Dana White is the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president. UFC is one of the most successful fighting organizations in the world.
He is credited with turning the UFC into a global professional sport. He has amassed a fortune by promoting the UFC and helping martial arts gain recognition as a sport.
Dana White's Appearance (Height, Hair, Eyes & More)
| Height | 5 ft 10 in 1.8 m |
|---|---|
| Weight | 209 pounds 95 kg |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Hazel |
| Body Type | Fit |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
Facts About Dana White
| Nationality | American |
|---|---|
| Estimate Net Worth | $500 million |
| Religion | Christian |
| Zodiac Sign | Leo |
| Birthplace | Manchester, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States of America |
| Birthday | July 28, 1969 |
Dana White's Net Worth
Dana White is a wealthy businessman with a promising career. His most significant sources of income are his UFC salary and his stock ownership in the business.
Since joining the UFC more than 15 years ago, White has contributed to the organization’s growth into one of the most lucrative sports brands in the world. The company has made more than $600 million in profit while he has been in control.
He makes an estimated $20 million in salary each year and has a net worth of $500 million. Also, he owns several businesses in the MMA and boxing sectors.
See the net worth of other famous businessmen here.
Dana White's Early Life
On July 28, 1969, Dana White was born in Manchester, Connecticut, in the United States. His father, Dana White Sr., and mother, Irish-American June White, raised him. They are locals of Nevada’s Las Vegas. Kelly White is his older sister.
He grew up primarily in Ware, Massachusetts. White had behavioral issues as a youngster. He didn’t do his chores, cried, and played poor baseball. He ran into problems at school as well.
Despite everything, Dana was adamant about starting her own business. At the age of 17, he opened his first business and ascended the corporate ladder to become President of the UFC.
Dana White's Education
In Hermon, Maine, White attended Hermon High School. He has supported the Boston Red Sox baseball team for a very long time.
After graduating high school, he relocated to Las Vegas and established Dana White Enterprises in 1992. Around this time, he was the manager of MMA competitors Chuck Lidell and Tito Ortiz.
He also deepened his understanding of various fighting techniques throughout this period. He dabbled in mixed martial arts and Muay Thai.
Dana White's Wife and Family Life
He is married to Anne Stella, his childhood sweetheart. (1) They tied the knot in 1996. The couple has been married for over two decades and enjoys a happy family life together. Stella has been supportive of her husband throughout his career, and she has helped him realize all his goals. She has also stayed by his side during difficult times.
Their three children are Savannah White, Aidan Charles White, and Dana White III. The middle son has just graduated from high school, while the oldest is a college student.
Their teenage daughter, who is the youngest, does not frequently post on her father’s social media. She loves fashion and often works on photo assignments with famous people.
Dana White typically spends time at home with his wife, Anne, when he isn’t competing or attending an event. They have enough money to spend on whatever they want and live in opulent palaces.
Dana White's Career
Dana White started training in boxing at 17 and became a boxercise coach in Ware, Massachusetts, after dropping out of college. After receiving a $2500 threat from Irish criminal Whitey Bulger, he departed Boston in 1995.
Dana moved to Las Vegas for protection rather than handing over the cash. White started managing certain MMA fighters, like Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell, while continuing to work in the boxing industry.
While guiding Chuck Liddell, Dana’s life changed for the better. Dana recognized the UFC’s financial fragility when he observed that the organization could not pay high-profile competitors like Liddell for significant fights. White contacted Lorenzo Fertitta, a childhood acquaintance, and persuaded him to purchase the UFC. For $2 million, Lorenzo and his brother Frank acquired the business in January 2001, installing Dana as UFC President.
From a cash-strapped business to an MMA giant, Dana made the UFC. Under his direction, the Nevada State Athletic Commission and all the essential state athletic boards approved the UFC contests.
In 2005, Dana launched The Ultimate Fighter, a reality television program where contestants competed for a six-figure UFC contract. The success of The Ultimate Fighter, which he secured for Spike TV, contributed to a surge in MMA’s popularity. Under Dana, the UFC bought out its competition, like Strikeforce (in 2011), Pride FC(in 2007), and World Extreme Cagefighting (in 2010), to increase UFC’s dominance and to get the talents of the promotions.
Dana legitimized the sport by getting a broadcast Deal with Fox in 2011 and signing an official Gear Sponsorship with the Reebok deal in 2014.
Dana increased the sport’s legitimacy by winning a television deal with Fox in 2011 and an official gear sponsorship deal with Reebok in 2014. His decision to continue holding UFC fights in 2020 despite the COVID pandemic lockdown helped the sport and the UFC fan base grow. White transformed the UFC from a failing company in the early 2000s to a multi-billion dollar MMA conglomerate in 2020.
Dana White has worked in a variety of fields in addition to the UFC throughout his career. He helped with the 2017 boxing match promotion for Mayweather-McGregor. Dana White’s Contender Series, which is distinct from the UFC but still enables competitors to compete for a contract offer from the UFC, was also founded by him.
Dana White's Controversies
Dana White is a renowned figure in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA). He founded the UFC and has grown it into one of the largest sports organizations worldwide. However, he has also faced several controversial situations.
He is no stranger to issues relating to women not having a place in the sport, equal pay for MMA fighters, and high-stakes gambling. He also came under fire for his role in a sex-tape scandal involving an exotic dancer. (2)
While it’s understandable that White is crucial to the organization’s success, his involvement in domestic violence cases shouldn’t be overlooked. For one, it is a significant violation of UFC policy that allows athletes to fight if they’ve been charged with domestic violence.
In an interview, his mother, June White, said, “I don’t want to take anything away from him for what he’s done for MMA and the UFC. I mean, Dana has a high school education, and that’s it. I think it’s pretty amazing, the things he’s been able to do in MMA and the UFC, but he’s not a good person,” June said in a 2011 interview. “He seems to have lost his character somewhere along the way. He mistreats people. It’s terrible the way he speaks to women and treats women. That really bothers me because I don’t believe I’ve ever brought him up to behave like that.”
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Dana White's Humanitarian Works and Activism
UFC President Dana White is a renowned philanthropist who has donated millions of dollars to help disadvantaged people worldwide. He is a longtime fan of MMA and visits The Underground message board from time to time.
White has made it his mission to promote diversity in the sport and has helped remove the stigma of gay fighters. He was recently honored with the Armed Forces Foundation Patriot Award at the 5th Annual Armed Forces Foundation Congressional Gala in Washington, D.C. (3)
White is one of the most well-known celebrities to engage in philanthropy, albeit he is not the first. He has committed his riches to several worthwhile causes, including environmental issues, women’s issues, health, and education.
Yet, White’s most recent public blunder—slapping his wife in the face while intoxicated on New Year’s Eve in Mexico—is a serious issue that calls for him to take a break. He needs to organize his affairs, reflects on his errors, and devise strategies for using his name and power to stop domestic abuse.
Dana White's Real Estate & Other Properties
Dana White has a massive net worth, thanks to his work as the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He helped the sport rise to popularity and turn it into a huge business. He also owns a massive mansion in Las Vegas. This opulent house has a private gym, a cold plunge pool, and a steam room. It even features a grappling and sparring room. (4)
He is an avid enthusiast of muscle cars and enjoys driving fast cars. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that he has several vintage and contemporary muscle cars in his garage. Motorcycles are another one of his many interests. He also has a Ducati, an MV Agusta, and an outstanding Harley Davidson with the UFC emblem.
He also bought a private plane, his preferred mode of transportation when going anywhere for business. Depending on size and personalization, the cost of the Bombardier-made aircraft can range from $3 million to $90 million.
References
- Jennifer Roback, DANA’S GIRL Who is Dana White’s wife?, retrieved from https://www.the-sun.com/sport/7041957/who-dana-white-wife-anne/
- Ryan Mutuku and Cyprine Apindi, Dana White’s bio: net worth, wife, family, kids, house 2022, retrieved from https://www.tuko.co.ke/316083-dana-white-net-worth-wife-family-kids-house.html
- MMAmania.com, UFCs Dana White accepts Patriot Award for humanitarian efforts to raise money for injured soldiers, retrieved from https://www.mmamania.com/2009/03/19/ufcs-dana-white-accepts-patriot-award-for-humanitarian-efforts-to-raise-money-for-injured-soldiers
- Web Post, Dana White Just Bought Three Mansions In Exclusive Las Vegas Neighborhood, retrieved from https://mmaimports.com/2017/06/dana-white-just-bought-three-mansions-in-exclusive-las-vegas-neighborhood/