50 of the best moments of Dana White’s career
By Amy Kaplan
Dana agreeing to fight Tito Ortiz
By Joe Duffy
Dana White and Tito Ortiz, believe it or not, at one point in time got along. White managed Ortiz early in his career, but after White became President of the UFC, the two’s relationship soured. The two verbally sparred in the public on multiple occasions over contract negotiations, and in more than one instance, things got personal.
As part of one of Ortiz’s contract negotiations, he asked that White agree to an exhibition boxing match against him. Being the savvy businessman he is, and knowing Ortiz was far too valuable a commodity to let walk, White granted Ortiz the bout in his contract. The two were scheduled to square off in 2007, but the bout unfortunately never came to fruition. It is not often we see promoters verbally spar with their biggest stars, but White isn’t the type of guy to back down to anyone. His rivalry with Ortiz is one of the most memorable to date between a promoter and a fighter, and the fact that White was willing to step into the ring and fight him showed fans exactly the type of fiery dude he was.
FOX deal
By Chad Dow
The landscape of the UFC changed forever on Aug. 18, 2011, with the announcement that the promotion and FOX agreed to a seven-year broadcast deal. It was the first time in the eighteen-year existence of the UFC that it would be aired on network television.
“This is the one thing I have always dreamed about,” Dana White told Ariel Helwani in an interview after the FOX deal was announced.
FOX is available in over 100 million homes in the United States and would give the UFC a whole new level of exposure. The first fight to air on the network was on Nov. 12, 2011, for the heavyweight title. A bout that saw Junior Dos Santos knockout Cain Velasquez in just 1:04 of the first round.
It was a big moment for the UFC and White, considering that when they bought the company it was not even allowed on pay-per-view.