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Story Behind Dana White’s Unexpected Support for Sage Steele Revealed in Confession to Riley Gaines

Published 04/25/2024, 3:10 AM EDT

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American news anchor Sage Steele‘s departure from ESPN was a rather unceremonious one. Her comments about COVID-19 vaccinations seemed to rub the network executives the wrong way, following which she was shown the door. However, Steele unexpectedly found support from someone who was also a very vocal individual – the UFC CEO, Dana White.

Dana White has always stood his ground. His loyalty to former president Donald Trump and the Anheuser-Busch brand Bud Light is an example of the kind of person he is. Sage Steele also has a similar personality trait. That was the sole reason she got acquainted with the head honcho of the biggest MMA promotion.

The UFC CEO contacted Sage Steele personally

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Sage Steele dropped yet another episode of her self-titled podcast on YouTube. She invited American swimming star Riley Gaines, who also happens to have a show of her own called, ‘Gaines for Girls‘. Steele had previously appeared on her show following her departure from ESPN.

During her appearance on Gaines’s show, the former ESPN anchor talked about a lot of things, and she confessed recently that she “got in trouble” for her comments. Apparently, Steele’s appearance on the swimming star’s show garnered Dana White’s attention, and he got in contact with the 51-year-old.

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“When I was on your show and whatever clips were circulating on social media, that is how Dana White reached out to me to say, ‘I saw you on Riley’s podcast and just thank you for standing and for doing what you’re doing,” Sage Steele stated.

via Getty

Not only did she become friends with Dana White, the former ESPN anchor also came in contact with longtime UFC commentator and fellow podcast host, Joe Rogan. And it was only because she appeared on Riley Gaines’s show.

“Thanks to you [Riley], Dana White reached out to me, and then the rest is history with him and Joe Rogan,” Steele added. Besides, Dana White was the first guest in Sage Steele’s young podcast, where she made a major fumble.

Dana White or Joe Rogan? Steele’s hilarious botch

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Sage Steele got acquainted with Dana White, yes. But she did not seem to know what he looked like. Steele had an hour-long conversation with the 54-year-old promoter when she happened to call him Joe Rogan. It was a hilarious moment since White and Rogan both share a similar physical feature. They’re both bald, and Steele believed that she was talking to her fellow podcast host. The UFC CEO was amused by this incident as both laughed it off.

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While some fans saw the funny side of it, others didn’t. Hence, Sage Steele cleared the air during an appearance on the ‘PBD Podcast’ about the mistaken identity. She claimed that she knew it as Dana White because it was her show, after all. However, there was a point in the interview when White was sipping a drink, and when the former ESPN anchor asked him what he was drinking, the UFC CEO revealed that it was Joe Rogan’s energy drink. That’s when the name of the JRE host remained in her head, leading to the error.

Dana White may have a stingy relationship with certain people like Oscar De La Hoya, but he also has his fair share of friends that he’s made over the years. The only thing that appears to attract him to others is their ability to hang on and stand their ground. What do you think about White’s gesture towards Sage Steele? Let us know in the comments down below.

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Written by:

Himanga Mahanta

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Himanga Mahanta is a senior UFC writer at EssentiallySports. An all-rounder in his coverage of the sport, Himanga is a reliable voice with a knack for providing analytical coverage of breaking stories from the world of MMA. His 1700+ articles include perspective pieces on trending UFC stories, and both live and post-event coverage of weekly events.
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Edited by:

Yeswanth Praveen