History of Dana White in Timeline

Dana White is an American businessman, best known as the CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). His leadership has been crucial to the UFC's global success in mixed martial arts, contributing to his estimated net worth of $500 million as of 2019. Beyond the UFC, White also owns Power Slap, a slap fighting promotion launched in 2022, and, in 2025, became a board member for Meta Platforms.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

July 28, 1969: Dana White's Birth

On July 28, 1969, Dana Frederick White Jr. was born. He later became a prominent American businessman, known as the CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

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1987: Graduation from Hermon High School

In 1987, Dana White graduated from Hermon High School. Following graduation he enrolled in college, but dropped out of both Quincy College and UMass Boston after one semester each.

1996: Marriage to Anne Stella

In 1996, Dana White married his wife, Anne (née Stella).

1998: Started Training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

In 1998, Dana White began training Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which he stated had a positive impact on him and made him realize the importance of ground skills in fighting situations.

January 2001: Acquisition of the UFC

In January 2001, Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta acquired the UFC for $2 million, making it a subsidiary of Zuffa. Dana White was appointed as the company's president and granted a stake in the company.

2004: Investment in UFC

By 2004, the Fertittas had invested over $40 million into the UFC without significant growth. Dana White, along with the Fertittas and Craig Piligian, conceived "The Ultimate Fighter" to boost interest in the sport.

2006: Purchase of Mansion

In 2006, Dana White bought a mansion in Pine Island Court, Las Vegas, from Frank Fertitta III for $1.95 million.

2006: UFC 66 Success

In 2006, UFC 66, headlined by Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, generated over 1,000,000 pay-per-view buys, marking a significant success for the company.

2007: Sports Bet on Jermain Taylor

In 2007, Dana White placed a $1 million bet on Jermain Taylor to win against Kelly Pavlik. Taylor lost the bout, which White said "ruined" his trip.

2008: UFC Valuation

By 2008, Forbes valued the UFC at $1.1 billion, highlighting its substantial growth under Dana White's leadership.

2010: Donation for liver transplant

In 2010, Dana White donated $50,000 for a liver transplant for Tuptim Jadnooleum, the daughter of "Kru Nai" Rattanachai, who was one of the instructors for Tiger Muay Thai and MMA in Phuket, Thailand.

2010: Flash Entertainment Stake

In 2010, Flash Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Government, acquired a 10% stake in Zuffa for $150–175 million. This left Dana White with a 9% stake in the company.

2011: Donation to former high school

In 2011, Dana White donated $100,000 to his former high school to fund renovations to their athletic facilities.

2011: Release of Unauthorized Biography

In 2011, Dana White's mother, June, released the book "Dana White, King of MMA: An Unauthorized Biography" where she claimed Dana had distanced himself from family and friends.

Dana White, King of MMA: Dana White an unauthorized biography

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2011: Initial Stance on Women in UFC

In a 2011 interview, Dana White initially stated "never ever" in response to the possibility of women in the UFC.

May 2012: Diagnosis of Ménière's Disease

In May 2012, Dana White revealed he was diagnosed with Ménière's disease. As a result, he missed his first UFC card in 11 years, the UFC on Fuel TV 3: Korean Zombie vs. Poirier event.

February 2013: First Women's Bout in UFC

In February 2013, the UFC held its first women's bout, featuring Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche, marking a reversal of Dana White's earlier stance.

2013: Orthokine Treatment

In 2013, Dana White underwent Orthokine treatment for Ménière's disease, which he credited with greatly reducing his symptoms.

2015: Revenue and PPV Buys

In 2015, Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor accounted for 4.6 million pay-per-view buys, contributing to the UFC's gross revenue reaching $600 million.

July 2016: Zuffa Sold to WME-IMG

In July 2016, Zuffa was sold to a consortium led by WME-IMG for $4.025 billion. Dana White, who owned 9% of the company, continued as president with a stake in the new business.

October 2016: Mansion Purchases

In October 2016, Dana White bought three additional mansions in Pine Island Court, Las Vegas.

2016: Endorsement of Donald Trump

In 2016, Dana White spoke at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, and endorsed Republican nominee Donald Trump, citing Trump's early support for the UFC.

June 2017: Mansion Purchases

In June 2017, Dana White bought three additional mansions in Pine Island Court, Las Vegas.

October 2017: Entry into Boxing

In October 2017, Dana White stated he was "getting into boxing, 100 percent" at Freddie Roach's Wild Card West boxing club.

2017: Launch of Dana White's Contender Series

In 2017, Dana White began hosting Dana White's Contender Series, available through UFC Fight Pass. The show allows fighters to compete for a contract in the UFC.

2017: Donation to Las Vegas shooting victims

In 2017, Dana White donated $1 million to the victims of the Las Vegas shooting.

February 5, 2018: Pawn Stars Appearance

On February 5, 2018, Dana White appeared on History Channel's Pawn Stars and purchased around $60,000 worth of katana swords.

March 2019: New UFC Contract

In March 2019, Dana White signed a new seven-year contract to remain president of the UFC, as the UFC signed a deal with ESPN.

August 2019: Estimated Net Worth

In August 2019, Dana White's net worth was estimated to be $500 million, highlighting his financial success.

2019: Donation to The Good Fight Foundation

Following UFC 242 in 2019, Khabib Nurmagomedov raised $100,000 for Dustin Poirier's charity, The Good Fight Foundation, and Dana White matched the contribution with a $100,000 donation to the same charity.

2019: Plans to Incorporate Boxing

In 2019, Dana White expressed his intention to incorporate boxing into the UFC's company portfolio.

February 2020: Donation to America First Action

In February 2020, Dana White donated $1 million to America First Action, a super political action committee supporting Donald Trump's re-election bid.

April 2020: Involvement in Economic Rebuilding

In April 2020, Dana White joined a group of industry leaders to assist the United States in rebuilding its economy impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

2020: Failed Attempt to Bring Brady and Gronkowski to Raiders

In 2020, Dana White negotiated a deal to bring Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski to the Las Vegas Raiders, but the deal was nixed by Jon Gruden, and they instead signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

August 2021: Premiere of The Ultimate Surfer

In August 2021, The Ultimate Surfer, a surfing competition television series of which Dana White was an executive producer, premiered on ABC. The show was cancelled after one season due to low ratings.

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2021: Gambling Habits

In 2021, Dana White mentioned that the biggest sports bet he had ever placed was in 2007, wagering $1 million on Jermain Taylor to beat Kelly Pavlik.

2022: Reassessment of Boxing Promotion

In 2022, Dana White backpedaled on his boxing plans, describing boxing promotion as "a broken business that is an absolute nightmare to try to fix".

2022: Co-ownership of Thrill One Sports & Entertainment

In 2022, Dana White became a co-owner of Thrill One Sports & Entertainment, which owns properties like Nitro Circus, Nitrocross, and Street League Skateboarding.

2022: Power Slap Founding

In 2022, Dana White founded Power Slap, a slap fighting promotion, adding another venture to his portfolio.

2022: Health Diagnosis and Keto Diet

In 2022, Dana White was diagnosed with high triglyceride levels and other health issues, and was told he had 10.4 years to live if he didn't change his lifestyle. He then adopted a keto diet prescribed by Gary Brecka, which he says improved his health.

2022: Disclosure of Failed Raiders Deal

In a 2022 interview alongside Rob Gronkowski, Dana White disclosed that he had worked to negotiate a deal which would have brought Tom Brady and Gronkowski to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020.

2022: Physical altercation with wife

On New Year's Eve in 2022, Dana White and his wife Anne were filmed engaging in a physical altercation at a nightclub in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Both apologized and admitted to excessive alcohol consumption. The UFC did not respond to the incident. The California Legislative Women's Caucus requested that Ari Emanuel, CEO of Endeavor, the company that owns the UFC, remove White from his role in the UFC following the 2022 incident.

January 2023: Debut of Power Slap

In January 2023, Dana White co-founded Power Slap, a slap fighting competition that debuted and was televised on TBS. The competition later moved to Rumble after TBS did not renew its deal.

April 2023: Endeavor's Deal and White's New Title

In April 2023, Endeavor announced a deal to merge WWE with UFC, forming TKO Group Holdings. Dana White was subsequently named CEO of the UFC.

March 2024: High-Stakes Baccarat at Caesars Palace

In March 2024, Dana White stated he plays high-stakes baccarat, wagering up to $350,000 per hand at Caesars Palace. He also claimed to have won $26 million there from January to March 2024, after losing $8 million in one night.

2024: Endorsement of Donald Trump at RNC

In 2024, Dana White again endorsed Donald Trump and introduced him at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

2024: Donation for Trump assassination attempt victims

In 2024, Dana White donated $50,000 to support the victims affected by the attempted assassination of former president Donald J. Trump during a rally on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania.

2024: Promotion of Boxing Card

In 2024, Dana White promoted a boxing card featuring Irish boxer Callum Walsh, streamed on UFC Fight Pass.

January 2025: Election to Meta Platforms Board

In January 2025, Meta Platforms announced that Dana White had been elected to its board of directors.

March 2025: Partnership for Zuffa Boxing

In March 2025, Dana White announced a partnership with Turki Al-Sheikh to create a new boxing league named Zuffa Boxing, modeled after the UFC. TKO Group Holdings and Sela were announced as backers, and White was named executive leader of the league.

August 2025: Broadcast deal with Paramount and CBS

In August 2025, Dana White announced that the UFC had reached a seven-year, $7.7-billion broadcast deal with Paramount and CBS.

2025: Re-entry into Boxing Promotion

In 2025, Dana White re-announced his intention to enter boxing promotion, stating he was "coming in guns blazing".

2025: Elected to Meta Platforms Board

In 2025, Meta Platforms elected Dana White to its board of directors, signifying his influence beyond the sports industry.

2026: Start of Broadcast Deal

In 2026, the UFC broadcast deal with Paramount and CBS is set to begin, upon the expiration of the ESPN contract. Dana White said this deal would mean "[f]or the first time ever, fans in the US will have access to all UFC content without a Pay-Per-View model."

May 28, 2025: Founding Partner of Phorm Energy

On May 28, 2025, Dana White became one of the founding partners of Phorm Energy, a zero-sugar energy drink launched in a joint venture between White, 1st Phorm and Anheuser-Busch.