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Whether it's holding off an overly-aggressive starved fighter at weigh-ins or weighing in on the facets of his business that are not in his hands, Dana White has always been the epicentre of the UFC's successful reincarnation. He may not exactly be a sweetheart in the eyes' of UFC's ever-critical fan base right now but the bossman has stuck through the UFC through thick and thin. As president, it's no surprise that Dana's life is examined under a microscope but in the chaos that is Mixed Martial Arts, there are a few surprising facts about him that you might have forgotten. Here are five to refresh your memory.
#1 He has won a Patriot Award for humanitarianism
Dana White is known for his harsh unpopular decisions and as the UFC's President it's up to him to make them. So, Dana's current image isn't exactly one of a humanitarian and Dana Junior's lavish birthday gift for the achievement of turning 16, certainly didn't help things. So its pretty easy to forget that he was given the Armed Forces Foundation Patriot Award for his support of United States troops. For those of you may not know, the Award is given to people who go above and beyond the call of duty to contribute to the military and their families.
Dana was responsible for raising more than $4 million in donations for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. He did this through UFC Fight Night 16: "Fight for the Troops". The special fight night paid tribute to men and women serving in the U.S. armed force.
#2 An assault led to Meniere's disease
Dana White's rough days in Boston are pretty well-documented. So it not shocking to know that the bossman was involved in his fair share of scraps in his early twenties. However, it was quite surprising to discover that it was one such physical encounter that was the cause of his Meniere's disease.
White revealed this interesting tidbit on an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience in 2013 and described the incident in detail while doing so. White was apparently accosted by a group of men who wailed on him for 20 minutes until the police arrived, leaving El Presidente with a ringing ear.
Dana says that the ringing continued for a month and was so horrible that he couldn't sleep. He was told that the incident left him with permanent damage. In the interview, White says that this is what led to him being diagnosed with the disease.
Ménière's disease is a condition that affects balance and hearing. It is caused by excessive inner ear fluid which could be brought on by physical trauma to the area. Symptoms of Ménière's include hearing loss, vertigo, vomiting or nausea and a feeling of increased pressure in the ear.
#3 He attended every live UFC fight for 11 years
Regardless of the criticism that Dana has faced over the years, its hard to deny that he has been a faithful employee of the UFC. Sure, he isn't exactly right in the midst of the action at every instance but this wasn't always the case.
Dana was synonymous with any UFC event as the company grew and for good reason. He was the company's mouth-piece and one of MMA's best advocates. And most importantly, it's just hilarious to watch Dana trying to separate two much larger trained killers. Therefore, Dana's tweet announcing that he would miss his first fight in 11 years came as a shock to all.
The president elaborated that he had to undergo surgery owing to his then recently diagnosed Ménière's disease and later explained that his ear was bothering him at the post-fight press conference for UFC 141. He then said that he was dizzy and about to pass out. Dana was clearly devasted that he had to miss a fight and the tweet speaks volumes of his dedication to the UFC.
#4 He was a bellboy in his 20's
As far as young adulthood goes, Dana clearly did have quite an eventful one. As is evident from the previous slide, White called Boston home is his early 20's. While in the city, he worked as a bellboy at the Boston Harbor Hotel.
While reminiscing about his early days, the boss said that he and other hotel employees used to quash problems with their fists. Like most bellhops, Dana and his colleagues constantly bickered about tips. So, the bellman’s closet served as the ring and the issue was punched out until they decided who was right and who was wrong.
Luckily, punching on the face was a no-no.
#5 He has appeared on 2 TV shows
Ronda Rousey made fighters in Hollywood commonplace but you'd be surprised to know that the bossman dips his toes in the world of scripted lines too. Dana has appeared not once but twice on TV shows.
Once as the 'Goon' in an American Sitcom titled 'The League' as The Good and yet again in a far more popular one, 'Its always sunny in Philidelphia' as himself.
