The UFC would not be what it is today were it not for Dana White. At the helm of the world’s most prestigious MMA promotion, the UFC president steers the ship however he and the company’s executives see fit. Be there controversies, upset fighters or scorned corporate rivals, Dana White remains undeterred. In fact, the more people voice their complaints about his conduct, the steelier his resolve.
Thus, White is not short on confidence, standing by his decisions, for good or bad. Unfortunately, for all his business acumen, the UFC president is not infallible, having made some mistakes throughout his career; a good deal of which he must regret given their outcomes.
9 The Henry Cejudo Saga
Historically, the UFC has expressed little interest in the smaller weight classes; the company’s promotional efforts shrinking the lower the division. Thus, the UFC flyweight division, even under the brilliant dominance of its former kingpin, Demetrious Johnson, lurked below the radar. When Henry Cejudo won the belt, White had suddenly found someone capable of drumming up interest. Not only was Cejudo an Olympic gold medalist, an accomplishment that endeared him to American audiences, but upon becoming a champion, was willing to adopt a bizarre persona designed to attract as much attention as possible.
Upon besting TJ Dillashaw, Cejudo moved up in weight to challenge for the UFC bantamweight title, hoping to become a double champion. White granted him the opportunity, and it isn’t difficult to imagine the decision still haunts him. Not only did Cejudo capture the belt, but he proceeded to abruptly retire after mounting just one title defense after running through what were then a few of the only notable names at bantamweight; TJ Dillashaw, Marlon Moraes, and Dominick Cruz. Suddenly, White was left with delegitimized title challengers and a division with no champion, none of which would have happened had he not given Cejudo the opportunity.
8 Signing Cris Cyborg
Cris Cyborg and Dana White do not see eye to eye. Since Ronda Rousey’s dominant run, White has had little to say in the way of compliments about Cyborg. Instead, he often disparaged her. Thus, when she signed with the UFC back in 2015, it seemed impossible.The UFC built an entire division for her to reign in, but Cyborg’s UFC career ended in disaster.
Fresh off of being obliterated by Amanda Nunes, she defeated Felicia Spencer via unanimous decision before uploading a doctored video revealing a backstage encounter between her and Dana White. The video in question painted White in a terrible light as incorrect captions framed him as admitting to actions he never confessed to. As a fighter who generated few PPV buys and doctored a video about him despite having had an entire division built for her, Cyborg must have felt like a poor investment to White. It stands to reason then, why White decided not to renew Cyborg’s UFC contract.
7 The Tito Ortiz Boxing Match
The storied feud between Tito Ortiz and Dana White is one of friends-turned-enemies. Once Tito’s manager, their relationship quickly soured once White became the UFC’s president. Their dislike for one another peaked in 2007 when the two were scheduled for a boxing match.
According to White, he and Tito used to box long before the latter’s championship days, claiming to have routinely gotten the better of him. Although the fight never materialized due to Tito pulling out last minute, White claimed, in 2014, to regret it all, and that could he go back in time, he’d never have done it.
6 Signing CM Punk
The decision to sign MMA rookie, CM Punk, was met with immediate scorn from the combat sports world. An unproven fighter with no amateur record, Punk was described as undeserving of the privilege he was getting over other legitimate fighters working hard in other promotions to one day be signed by the UFC.
Dana White stood by his decision and was forced to watch as Punk fared pitifully in his UFC career. The decision to sign Punk, based on the pro-wrestler’s popularity and friendship with White himself, proved fruitless as Punk’s poor showings led to an abrupt end to what the UFC had surely hoped would’ve been a lucrative deal to bring more eyes to the sport.
5 The UFC Domain Name
White is on record confessing to what he describes as his first business mistake. As the world was becoming increasingly more digital, the UFC president recognized the need for a website. Unfortunately, the domain name for “www.ufc.com” was, at the time, taken by User-Friendly Computers.
According to White, User-Friendly Computers requested a sum much higher than what he was willing to pay. Unfortunately, his decision to not buy the domain name then ultimately cost him as he ended up having to pay an even higher sum for it.
4 Anderson Silva’s Retirement Fight
Anderson Silva is one of the greatest fighters of all time, and to many, he remains the MMA GOAT. However, like many MMA legends, Silva fought past his physical prime. Time and time again he stepped inside the cage, facing foes from a new generation of mixed martial artists.
Among those foes is a man once thought to be the second coming of Anderson Silva; Uriah Hall. Silva was finished in the 4th round in what the UFC declared his retirement fight. Dana White regretted the decision to allow Silva one more fight in the octagon, going on to assert that Silva should never fight again.
3 Never Signing Fedor Emelianenko
There is no fight the UFC president regrets not making more than Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brock Lesnar. Despite many attempts at negotiating a contract with Fedor, the MMA legend never signed with the UFC.
Thus, the dream fight between Fedor and Lesnar never materialized, and White counts it as his greatest matchmaking regret.
2 2009 Sherdog Tirade
Dana White is not a man of regrets. In fact, when talking about his few regrets, he often frames them as his “only regret”. However, his 2009 tirade against a Sherdog article written by Loretta Hunt drew his ire. The article claimed that the UFC had barred certain managers from acquiring UFC credentials and access to the backstage area.
White’s response came in the form of an expletive-filled tirade, in which he used a homophobic slur. The anger it drew from the LGBTQ+ community was enough to coax an apology from White. Years later, he claimed that while he did not regret the rant, he regretted his use of a homophobic slur.
1 Howard Hughes
Occasionally, the UFC holds events in locations devoid of their own athletic commissions. In said instances, the onus of regulation is on the UFC itself. Thus, in these events, the UFC can appoint and remove judges as they see fit.
At UFC Fight Night 48, White relieved judge Howard Hughes of his duties mid-card after a series of split decisions. The decision led to White being the subject of an internal review as he had breached protocol by overstepping. The UFC released an official statement criticizing White’s actions while apologizing to Howard Hughes on White’s behalf. In his next media appearance, White admitted to his wrongdoing before stating his hope that it’d be the last time he’d overstep his bounds.
Read Next
About The Author
