Dana White

21/11/10 Dana White (born July 28, 1969) is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.

- dana white -

Born in Manchester, Connecticut on July 28, 1969, White grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada and Levant, Maine. White and his wife have two sons and a daughter. He is an atheist, and has stated that he is 'fascinated' by religion.

White has a background as an aerobics instructor. In 1992, White established Dana White Enterprises in Las Vegas. He conducted aerobics classes at three gyms[3] in the Las Vegas area and began managing MMA fighters Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell.

While working as a manager, White learned that Semaphore Entertainment Group, the parent company of the UFC, was looking for a buyer for the UFC. White contacted childhood friend Lorenzo Fertitta, an executive at Station Casinos, and a former commissioner of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Within a month, Lorenzo and his older brother Frank bought the UFC, with White installed as its president. White currently owns 9% of Zuffa, LLC, the entity the Fertitta brothers (40.5 % each) created to own and manage the UFC.

White restructure the sport and changed the way it was marketed. Recognizing the sport's appeal to young males, White bought ads in Maxim and Sports Illustrated and arranged for fighters to appear on TV programs like Fox's The Best Damn Sports Show Period. But it was the 2004 deal with Spike TV that vaulted the UFC into the mainstream.

In few years, Dana White rescued the Ultimate Fighting Championship and transformed the mixed martial arts organization into the hottest sport in America. Acquired in 2001 for $2 million, the UFC now fills arenas in North America and Europe, produces a hit cable series (Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter) and has smashed the all-time pay-per-view record. In 2006, the UFC generated more than $200 million in pay-per-view revenue, outperforming boxing and pro wrestling. Last year, Time magazine estimated the UFC's value to be over $1 billion.

He nearly stepped into the ring himself, in April 2007 against Tito Ortiz, his former protégé (and client) who had once held the UFC light-heavyweight championship. Shortly before the bout was to take place, Ortiz backed out for unclear reasons.

Recognitions

* Nevada Sportsman of the Year (2009)
* Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards
o Promoter of the Year (2005–2009)