“Mind-Blowing in the Beginning”- Dana White After Fulfilling His Celebrity Dream From His Younger Days

Without the collective efforts of Frank Fertitta, Lorenzo Fertitta & Dana White, MMA would have never seen this level of popularity. The trio not only helped save MMA but also built UFC into the biggest MMA organization in the world. The promotion not only managed to fight its way through the dark ages but also made its way into the television and mainstream.

Speaking with Blockasset’s Adam Catterall and Nick Peet, Dana White walked the duo down memory lane and talked about the early days. The promotion not only struggled to keep itself alive, but it even had to face a lot of negative press that was keeping it from gaining the status of an actual sport.

Also Read: How Much of The UFC Does Dana White Own?

Naturally, the explosion of the sport’s popularity also attracted a lot of celebrities to it, as they are often seen in the audience during a major PPV.

Here’s what UFC president Dana White had to say about celebrity encounters: “Yeah, I don’t think there’s ever been any situations where anything crazy has ever happened with a celebrity. Other than just like personal stuff for me, you know? Growing up, being a fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and then actually becoming friends with Anthony Kiedis and, you know, stuff like that is a little mind-blowing in the beginning. But I don’t know, I don’t know if I had any weird celebrity moments.”

White also shed light on the instrumental role UFC’s reality TV show, The Ultimate Fighter, played in the promotion’s success. Not only did it expose MMA to a much wider audience, but also turned it into a spectacle that fans wanted to see.

Dana White owes UFC’s success to The Ultimate Fighter

UFC still hails The Ultimate Fighter as the biggest breakthrough moment of the organization. It allowed the sport to break into the TV screen and reach out to the people living in America. He stated that there have been many monumental moments for him to look back on, and yet he picked out the first season of TUF as the biggest moment.

Watch this story: Tyson Fury, Kamaru Usman, Dana White, and Others React to Mike Tyson Battering a Young Fan

He said,” There’s so many of them, I can never just point it and say that was it. But if I had to, I would say, once we got back on PPV, we got on free TV early in the days with the ultimate fighter. If it wasn’t for the ultimate fighter, I wouldn’t even be here talking to you right now. It would have been over.”

Which celebrity appearance in the UFC surprised you the most? Share your thoughts in the comments below.