What is it like to be the president of the best mixed martial arts promotion on the planet? At the moment, Dana White is one of the most influential people working in this area. He can be loved and hated, respected and despised, but no one can argue that he created the greatest MMA corporation. However, the promoter himself has not always been such a successful manager and leader. He suffered defeats in activity, but perseverance, tenacious grip and determination gradually bore fruit.
Childhood and youth
White was born in Connecticut, but the family traveled a lot in the corners of the country in search of a better life. After graduating from school, the young man enters the prestigious University of Boston, where he works as a security guard at night. There he visits the boxing and gymnastics sections. Studying at the institution lasted a little over a year, then they expel him for absenteeism and violation. But he does not lose heart, claiming that there was no desire to study.
Dan can be called an adventurer, because on the basis of his own observations, he releases a training technique that combines boxing and aerobics. Initially, he himself was an instructor promoting a set of exercises created for adolescents and women. But things are going well, the first qualified subordinates appear.
The manager’s black streak begins in the ninetieth year. He participates in a brawl in which several people beat him for a long time. After that, Dana goes to the hospital, having received an injury to her inner ear. He has several operations in the USA and Germany.
The business that was gaining momentum had to be closed due to problems with the tax authorities. A series of bad moments did not make the young man lose heart, but only strengthened the fortitude. Wanting to devote his life to martial arts, he goes to realize his dream in Las Vegas.
The American understands that immediately in the top ten of the selected industry does not penetrate. He diligently studies the basics of such a favorite craft. First, management brings several signed contracts, later, switching to judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling and Thai boxing, White organizes illegal fights. Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz are willing to cooperate with a businessman, because the partnership was beneficial for everyone: world-class fighters received good fees, and a businessman received authority. But the American pursued the goal of building a global project.
UFC President
By the beginning of the twenty-first century, Dana White was gaining experience in the world of martial arts, following an inner feeling - he felt that he had attacked a gold mine. He offers a deal (on the acquisition of martial arts promotion) to his former classmate, and now the owner of the casino chain - Lorenzo Feritto. The millionaire and his brother agree to acquire an organization that was inconspicuous against others and had financial difficulties.
Thus begins a new chapter in the biography. Dana White is President of UFC. It sounds overwhelming, but the owner has taken control of every little thing. The brand promotion began immediately, starting from advertising and paid broadcasts of TV channels, ending with the selection of fighters and the possibility of holding tournaments in large casino halls. Despite the gradually growing popularity, the company began to incur losses.
Absolute dominance of promotion
The organization had good ratings and recognition from the audience, but a large debt made the company difficult to keep afloat. The breakaway was the battle in which Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock met , and the final match between Forrest Griffin and Stefan Bonner made MMA the market leader among associations.
Thanks to Dana White, the UFC is an organization that sees fans around the world watch events. Many details of the tournaments are the merit of his personal painstaking work. Now he is finding new ways to distribute his product.
Personal life
Dana White has a happy large family: a wife, whom she met in high school, two sons and a daughter. It has excellent condition, mansions and expensive cars. The leader is active in the development of other sports, including, for example, athletics. Authoritative martial arts federations have repeatedly recognized him as the best in his field. It is worth noting that White is an atheist.