50 of the best moments of Dana White’s career
By Amy Kaplan
Signing Brock Lesnar
By Chad Dow
Dana White has signed some big stars to UFC contracts over the years, but few have been bigger than Brock Lesnar, both figuratively and literally. At UFC 77 on Oct. 20, 2007, the UFC announced the signing of the 6’3”, 265-pound WWE star, ending months of speculation.
“When we signed Brock Lesnar we told him he’d be put into real fights with top guys right away,” White said. “Brock has said a lot of things, and if he’s even half as good as he says he will be he could be the biggest star in the UFC.”
White did not give the former division one wrestler any easy fights either, setting Lesnar up with Frank Mir for his UFC debut. Lesnar would lose to Mir at UFC 81 but would go on to win four straight, becoming the UFC’s heavyweight champion in the process. During his two UFC tenures, Lesnar would headline five pay-per-view cards including UFC 100 where he avenged his loss to Mir.
Everyone gets a contract
By Amy Kaplan
For the most part, Dana White isn’t stingy about who he signs to the UFC — if he likes you of course. And because of that, we get to see the best of the best fight on the biggest stage in MMA. But probably one of the most exciting contract-related moments happened just weeks ago when White awarded a contract to every single winner in episode three of Dana White’s Contender Series.
Keep those contracts coming, Dana!