The most powerful people in the world are all obsessed with fighting.

The Obsession with Fighting - The most powerful people in the world are all obsessed with fighting.

A conversation with Dana White, the president of the UFC, about the art, the sport, and the business of fighting.

The Conversation with Dana White - A conversation with Dana White, the president of the UFC, about the art, the sport, and the business of fighting.

Reflecting on the impact and brilliance of Muhammad Ali as a human being and a fighter.

The Impact of Muhammad Ali - Reflecting on the impact and brilliance of Muhammad Ali as a human being and a fighter.

Falling in love with the sport of boxing and the influence of Hagler Leonard fight.

Falling in Love with Fighting - Falling in love with the sport of boxing and the influence of Hagler Leonard fight.

Incorporating elements of boxing into the UFC while avoiding the negative aspects of boxing.

Incorporating Boxing into UFC - Incorporating elements of boxing into the UFC while avoiding the negative aspects of boxing.

Displeasure with the commentary in boxing and the impact on the sport.

The Commentary in Boxing - Displeasure with the commentary in boxing and the impact on the sport.

Reflection on Mike Tyson's influence and the commentary during his fights.

Mike Tyson's Impact - Reflection on Mike Tyson's influence and the commentary during his fights.

The rapid evolution of martial arts and combat sports over the last 30 years.

Evolution of Martial Arts - The rapid evolution of martial arts and combat sports over the last 30 years.

Recollection of the first UFC event and the impact of the Gracies in MMA.

The First UFC - Recollection of the first UFC event and the impact of the Gracies in MMA.

The eye-opening experience of practicing jujitsu and its impact on combat sports.

The Experience of Jujitsu - The eye-opening experience of practicing jujitsu and its impact on combat sports.

The advantages of no gi jujitsu in street scenarios and its transferability to MMA.

The Advantages of No Gi Jujitsu - The advantages of no gi jujitsu in street scenarios and its transferability to MMA.

The origin story of the UFC and the vision for the future of the organization.

The Vision for UFC - The origin story of the UFC and the vision for the future of the organization.

The challenges and battles faced in the early days of building the UFC and the sport of MMA.

Challenges in Building the UFC - The challenges and battles faced in the early days of building the UFC and the sport of MMA.

The importance of passion, consistency, and hard work in achieving success.

The Secret to Success - The importance of passion, consistency, and hard work in achieving success.

Discussion about the challenges and production of the Sphere, a unique sporting event

The Sphere and Its Challenges - Discussion about the challenges and production of the Sphere, a unique sporting event

Exploring the significance of Joe Rogan's contribution to the UFC and his loyalty

Joe Rogan's Impact on UFC - Exploring the significance of Joe Rogan's contribution to the UFC and his loyalty

The effective partnership between Dana and Lorenzo, and their complementary personalities

Loyalty and Business Partnership - The effective partnership between Dana and Lorenzo, and their complementary personalities

Reflecting on the impact of UFC's history and the investment made by the Fertitta brothers

The Impact of UFC's History - Reflecting on the impact of UFC's history and the investment made by the Fertitta brothers

Discussion on what makes a fighter a legend and the importance of matchups

Defining Legends in Fighting - Discussion on what makes a fighter a legend and the importance of matchups

Exploring Conor McGregor's impact on the UFC and his partnership with Dana

Conor McGregor's Influence - Exploring Conor McGregor's impact on the UFC and his partnership with Dana

Highlighting the interest in fighting from influential figures and their impact

Influence of Powerful Figures - Highlighting the interest in fighting from influential figures and their impact

Dana White reflects on the impact of Ivana's death on a friend, discusses the upcoming presidential election, and shares his thoughts on politics and the fighting game.

Reflection on Life and Fighting - Dana White reflects on the impact of Ivana's death on a friend, discusses the upcoming presidential election, and shares his thoughts on politics and the fighting game.

Dana White talks about the potential fight between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, the business rivalry, and the serious consideration given to the fight.

Elon vs. Zuck - Dana White talks about the potential fight between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, the business rivalry, and the serious consideration given to the fight.

Discussion about Mike Tyson's fighting career, his financial success, and the motivations behind his return to the ring.

Tyson and Fighting - Discussion about Mike Tyson's fighting career, his financial success, and the motivations behind his return to the ring.

Insights into the impact of a historic fight on the Ultimate Fighter show, the decision to award both fighters contracts, and the significance of the fight for the UFC.

The Ultimate Fighter - Insights into the impact of a historic fight on the Ultimate Fighter show, the decision to award both fighters contracts, and the significance of the fight for the UFC.

Dana White shares experiences of his gambling wins and losses, the psychological impact, and his approach to life's challenges.

Gambling and Life Lessons - Dana White shares experiences of his gambling wins and losses, the psychological impact, and his approach to life's challenges.

Dana White discusses the impact of the movie Vision Quest on his life, the lessons learned from watching thousands of fights, and his perspective on human nature and fighting.

Vision Quest and Human Nature - Dana White discusses the impact of the movie Vision Quest on his life, the lessons learned from watching thousands of fights, and his perspective on human nature and fighting.

A reflection on the concept of impossible and the power to change the world.

Exploring the Power of Change - A reflection on the concept of impossible and the power to change the world.

# Inside the Mind of Dana White: A Journey Through the UFC

## The Visionary Behind the UFC

In this newsletter, we continue our journey through the insightful conversation with Dana White, the president of the UFC. We delve into his early experiences with fighting, the evolution of martial arts, and the challenges he faced in building the UFC.

## The Power of Fighting

Dana White discusses the influence of powerful figures like Putin, Trump, Elon Musk, and Zuckerberg in the world of fighting. He emphasizes the impact of Muhammad Ali, not just as a fighter, but as a powerful human being who used his platform for all the right things.

## Falling in Love with Fighting

Dana shares his journey into falling in love with fighting, starting with his experiences watching boxing matches and the pivotal moment of the Hagler Leonard fight in 1987. His passion for boxing and the Tuesday Night Fights led him to appreciate the art and battle of the sport.

## The Evolution of Martial Arts

Reflecting on the early days of UFC 1 with Hoist Gracie, Dana discusses how the martial arts have evolved over the last 30 years, surpassing the progress of the previous 300 years. The surprising elements of martial arts and the impact of jiu-jitsu as a form of self-defense are highlighted in the conversation.

## Building the UFC

Dana shares the origin story of the UFC and how he, along with the Fertitta brothers, took the company from its early days to the global phenomenon it is today. He discusses the challenges, battles, and the Wild Wild West nature of the fighting industry in the early days.

## The Secret to Success

Passion and consistency are revealed as the driving forces behind Dana White's success. His dedication to the UFC, his relentless work ethic, and his ability to build and lead a strong team are key elements in his journey.

## Embracing Challenges

Dana's fearless approach to challenges is evident in his pursuit of the "sphere" project, a new venture that presents numerous puzzles to solve. His willingness to take on difficult and challenging projects stems from his love for the sport and his desire to push the boundaries of what is possible in the fighting world.

## The Impact of Joe Rogan

Dana White discusses the invaluable contribution of Joe Rogan to the rise of the UFC. He emphasizes Rogan's passion for the sport, his ability to articulate the intricacies of fighting, and his unwavering loyalty to the UFC. Rogan's impact on the sport is described as immeasurable, both as a podcaster and a commentator for UFC pay-per-view events.

## The Importance of Mental Toughness

"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in a world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact, it's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration, it's a dare." - Dana White

In this latest chunk of the conversation, Dana shares insights into the mental toughness required in the world of fighting. He recounts a personal experience where he witnessed a fighter's mental strength being tested, emphasizing the primal nature of fighting and the heroic action of pushing through exhaustion.

As we continue to unravel the mind of Dana White, we gain valuable insights into the world of fighting, the evolution of martial arts, and the relentless pursuit of success in the UFC. Stay tuned for more revelations from this captivating conversation.

Uncover the Mind of Dana White: Inside the Evolution of UFC

Watching a fight at Ali's grandmother's house

Being matched up on even odds and winning

Puts on the best live event and television show

Pushes and does not do best possible match-ups

Put on the best live event and television show

He loves Mike Tyson but is not a fan of fighting at their age

He believes it's a great opportunity for both fighters

- The conversation is with Dana White, president of the UFC
- Dana fell in love with fighting when he watched the Hagler Leonard fight in 1987
- He disliked the commentary in boxing and incorporated what he loved and hated into the UFC
- He criticizes the commentary in boxing and praises the UFC's commentary by experienced fighters like Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier

- The speaker discusses the difference between their commentary and that of others, emphasizing the passion of their team
- They attribute the evolution of martial arts to the growth of the UFC over the last 30 years
- They share their initial skepticism of UFC 1, but later became involved in jujitsu and MMA
- The speaker praises jujitsu for its effectiveness and suitability for women
- They recount the origin story of the UFC, detailing how they acquired it for $2 million

- The speaker, Dana White, recalls the early days of owning the UFC and the challenges they faced
- He discusses dealing with corrupt and violent individuals in the fighting industry
- White emphasizes the importance of passion, consistency, and hard work in achieving success
- He shares his dedication to the UFC and his willingness to take on challenging projects, such as the sphere
- White also mentions the need for attention to detail and involvement in every aspect of the business, even sacrificing personal events for work

- The speaker is facing numerous challenges in planning a major event, including programming a large screen and coordinating various departments
- The event will be on Mexican Independence Day and will incorporate the history of combat in Mexico
- Joe Rogan's loyalty and passion for the sport of UFC has been instrumental in its success
- The speaker values loyalty and is committed to supporting his team, even during tough times like the COVID-19 pandemic
- The speaker and his business partner, Lorenzo, have complementary personalities that have been effective in running the UFC
- The UFC's success has been a result of strategic timing and investments made by the Fertitta brothers, which have had a significant impact on many lives over the past 25 years.

- The speaker discusses the impact of fighting organizations on the history of humanity and the creation of a new sport
- He emphasizes the importance of matching up fighters on even odds to create legends
- The speaker highlights the role of the UFC in pushing for the best possible matchups and creating legendary moments
- He mentions specific fights and fighters as examples of underdogs creating greatness
- The speaker praises the impact of the UFC on fighters and their careers, particularly when they transition from other organizations
- He discusses the criteria for determining the greatest of all time in the sport, citing John Jones as a dominant and long-standing champion

- Dana White believes that DC doesn't get enough credit due to losses to Jon Jones
- He praises Conor McGregor as a great partner and fighter
- White discusses the importance of fighters facing tough opponents to become legends
- He also talks about his friendship with Donald Trump and Trump's love for fighting
- White admires Trump's resilience and ability to remain unfazed despite public scrutiny

- The speaker recalls a time when Donald Trump was visibly upset, and expresses admiration for Trump's resilience
- The speaker discusses the potential fight between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, and Mike Tyson's upcoming fight with Jake Paul
- The speaker reflects on the motivations of fighters, citing Mike Tyson as an example of a fighter who has crossed over into other areas of success
- The speaker discusses the impact of a memorable fight between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar on the UFC and its future
- The speaker emphasizes the primal nature of fighting and the appeal of moments when fighters abandon caution and just fight

- Dana White, president of the UFC, fell in love with fighting after watching the Hagler Leonard fight in 1987
- He disliked boxing commentary and incorporated what he loved and hated into the UFC
- White praises the UFC's commentary by experienced fighters like Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier
- He attributes the evolution of martial arts to the growth of the UFC over the last 30 years
- White emphasizes the importance of passion, consistency, and hard work in achieving success
- The UFC's success has been a result of strategic timing and investments made by the Fertitta brothers

- Dana White reflects on the intense moments in UFC fights where exhaustion sets in and fighters must push through self-doubt to keep going
- He shares a story about losing $3 million in a gambling session due to excessive drinking and how it taught him a valuable lesson
- White approaches gambling as a series of battles in a war, accepting both wins and losses as part of the game
- He emphasizes the importance of facing life's challenges head-on and thriving in chaos, expressing a love for the battle and a desire to keep building brands.

- The speaker loves building brands and setting goals
- They enjoy being a fan of live music and sports, particularly the Boston Celtics
- They feel grateful and happy with their life, even in the face of challenges
- The speaker loves problem solving and feeding off negativity
- They believe in putting out good karma and helping others
- The movie "Vision Quest" had a profound impact on the speaker's life, inspiring them to pursue wrestling
- The speaker believes fighting is a fundamental part of human nature and enjoys watching fights
- They bought the UFC believing that fighting would be popular everywhere
- The interviewer thanks the speaker for bringing the art and science of fighting to the public

- The speaker thanks the audience for listening to the conversation with Dana White
- Encourages the audience to support the podcast by checking out the sponsors
- Ends with a quote from Muhammad Ali about the concept of "impossible"

Dana White reflects on the intense moments in UFC fights, shares a story about losing $3 million in a gambling session, and emphasizes the importance of facing life's challenges head-on. He loves building brands, enjoys live music and sports, and believes in putting out good karma. The interview ends with a quote from Muhammad Ali about the concept of "impossible."

Dana White is the CEO and president of the UFC. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
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TRANSCRIPT:
https://lexfridman.com/dana-white-transcript

EPISODE LINKS:
Dana's X: https://x.com/danawhite
Dana's Instagram: https://instagram.com/danawhite
Dana's Facebook: https://facebook.com/danawhite
UFC's YouTube: https://youtube.com/@UFC
UFC's Website: https://ufc.com/

PODCAST INFO:
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Full episodes playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4
Clips playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOeciFP3CBCIEElOJeitOr41

OUTLINE:
0:00 - Introduction
0:57 - Mike Tyson and early days of fighting
11:35 - Jiu jitsu
17:39 - Origin of UFC
31:50 - Joe Rogan
37:56 - Lorenzo Fertitta
40:23 - Great fighters
44:20 - Khabib vs Conor
47:27 - Jon Jones
50:28 - Conor McGregor
55:31 - Trump
1:01:09 - Elon vs Zuck
1:02:30 - Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul
1:05:18 - Forrest Griffin vs Stephan Bonnar
1:12:31 - Gambling
1:27:33 - Mortality

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Putin was on FaceTime before he even made it to the locker room.

Trump, sitting president, ex-president, watching all the fights, calling, wants to talk about the fights.

Valentina Shevchenko, every time she goes home, she meets with the president of the country.

The following is a conversation with Dana White, the president of the UFC, a mixed martial arts organization that revolutionized the art, the sport, and the business of fighting.

And Dana is truly the mastermind behind the UFC.

To support it, please check out our sponsors in the description.

And now, dear friends, here's Dana White.

Do you remember when you saw your first fight?

I remember being at my grandmother's house, and I think it was an Ali fight, and all my uncles were going crazy during the fight, and there was just this buzz and this energy in the house that...

I liked at a very young age, and I'm pretty sure that was my first fight.

I mean, when you look around, not just here in the office, but at my house, Ali and Tyson are everywhere.

Would you put Ali as the greatest of all time, boxing?

Well, I would put Ali as the greatest all-time human being.

I mean, when you—it's easy as a fight fan to focus on him as a fighter, but when you focus on him as a human and you think about what he meant at that time and place, the things he said, the poems he came up with, just the overall brilliance of Muhammad Ali, the guts, the guts to have the strength, mentally, physically, and emotionally to go against the grain at the time that he did it.

It was a very dangerous time for him to be who he was.

Yet, because of how smart he was and because of his personality and how if you sat down with him, you could be the biggest racist on the planet.

It's hard to get in a room with Ali and not like Ali.

And had the guts in the ring and the guts to take a stand.

He might be 1 of the all time greatest humans.

Just an impactful, powerful human being who happened to be a great boxer.

And sometimes the right moment meets the great human being.

And he was the right guy in the right place at the right time.

And he's also a guy who used his platform for all the right things.

So that might've been your first fight, but when did you fall in love with fighting?

Yeah, I would say I really fell in love with it.

And I watched that fight and I taped it and I watched that fight like a million times.

And, I like Sugar Ray Leonard too, but I was a huge Hagler fan.

And, you know, I just remember I watched that fight a million times because I was, I was pissed off and I felt like Hagler got robbed in the fight.

But it, That was really what made me start to love the sport of boxing.

And then after that, USA's Tuesday Night Fights came out on television.

Religiously, never missed Tuesday night fights.

And, you know, a lot of the things you see in the UFC, not necessarily just the production, but I would say the feel and the style and all those things are all things that I things that I loved about boxing and things that I hated about boxing right down to the commentary.

Certain things that I loved about boxing I incorporated into the UFC.

Things that I hated about boxing I made sure that the UFC stayed far away from.

And I used to watch HBO boxing and mute the commentary so that I didn't have to listen to them.

You know, you, you would, you would spend this money for the pay-per-view to watch these people that you idolized to hear these idiots rip them apart while the fight was happening.

I've gotten used to the UFC, so I'm trying to remember looking back.

The sweet science, the art of boxing was beautiful still.

100%, I wanna do this with you right now.

Hey, will you bring your cell phone over here and pull up YouTube?

I wanna do this for you so that you can understand this and understand where I was coming from.

I have all good memories, you're gonna ruin it for me.

Yeah, no, there are nothing but great memories about boxing.

But the presentation and a lot of the things, but it's how fucking weird is it that I even cared about this shit at that point in my life, that time in my life?

Like, what impact could I possibly have on it?

So think about Tyson and how much everybody loved Tyson at the time.

And listen to this, listen to this entrance.

Of the former undisputed heavyweight champion.

And here he comes, Mike Tyson, as he heads toward the same ring, he made his distraceful exit in June of 96.

1 of the baddest motherfucking walk-ins of all time, by the way, right?

this guy should be doing, and this is 1 of the Albert brothers.

scary imposing music Will he be able to intimidate his opponent tonight?

I really thought there'd be more of an explosion by the crowd here, but very mixed.

Even with the win tonight, no matter how 1 sided, he will still have his detractors.

Following the 2 fights with Holyfield, his stock plummeted.

The pundits came down hard, feeling they were duped, and his knockouts were over second rate fighters.

Now the crowd erupts more as he gets into the ring.

watch Mike Tyson and you got to listen to these fucking jerk offs.

Talk shit about them the whole way to the right.

First of all, 1 of the coolest walk-ins ever, you know, first time anybody had heard DMX, right?

He's walking into some scary imposing music, will it even matter?

I literally used to analyze every ounce of the production that would happen on television.

And at a time when I didn't even know why I was doing it, but- But it's in there somewhere, like you were thinking about it.

I thought, you know, at the time, HBO boxing was obviously the gold standard.

But when you really think about boxing at that time, their production, the only thing that changed over 30 years was HD.

Even the commentators were the same for 30 years.

And then you had the time when Larry Merchant gets up and literally starts fighting with Floyd Mayweather during the interview and says, if I was 30 years younger, I'd kick your ass right now.

I mean, these are the interviews that we have to listen to when we're trying to watch a boxing match.

Fighter has been gone for months away from their families and away from everything, training, cutting weight, sparring.

Then they go in and they have to fight that night.

And then you have to, you know, if you watch your fight back, you got to listen to this bullshit from these guys.

And then, and then you get interviewed and your interview is, is this, it's just.

And it's not just about the pay-per-view money.

It's about like, these are legends of humanity.

Like we should celebrate the highest form of like accomplishment.

So you know who goes in there and interviews fighters?

Who has trained and done everything and has the utmost respect for the sport and the athletes.

Or you got like Daniel Cormier, who was a former world champion himself and has actually been through it, done it, knows.

And those are the type of people that we put in the booth, people that are actually experienced in it.

Not these people who've never been in a fight in their fucking life, right?

Yeah, but they're also both, DC and Rogan are like big kids.

I mean, if you look at, It's the difference between our commentary and what I feel their commentary was.

We hire people that have actually been in it, done it, love it, and are super passionate about the sport.

And I would say that none of them that ever covered the sport back then were, I don't know if that was Marv Albert or what Albert brother that was, but he sounded like he's a fan of the sport or...

You got me on this and once I get on with it, I lose my mind.

Maybe we wouldn't have a UFC if they didn't fuck it up so bad

It would be different, you're not wrong, you're not wrong, it would be different.

All those experiences growing up being a boxing fan helped create what the UFC is today.

You know, it's interesting, because humans have been fighting for millennia, and it seems like with the UFC, the rate of innovation is just insane.

In these last 3 decades, it seems like we've discovered how to do unarmed combat faster and better than at any time in human history.

And now over the last 30 years, martial arts has evolved faster than, you know what I mean?

And like you just said, combat sports, fighting, whatever you wanna call it, martial arts, it has evolved so much in 30 years, more than the last 300 years.

What did you think when you saw UFC 1 with Hoyce?

I remember everybody talking that this fight was going to happen and there was going to be no rules and all this other stuff and we're like, there's no way That's bullshit.

And then we ended up at some guy's house that night in Boston and watching it.

And it was happening and it was fun and it was exciting and everything else.

And then, and then I sort of fell off after that.

The first 1II watched, but I was too big of a boxing fan.

Plus once grappling started taking over, and by grappling meaning the wrestling and the jujitsu guys had just laid there, I completely lost interest.

It's funny that I'm having this conversation with you right now because last night, I was out last night with my friends and we were talking about, because 1 of my buddies who's a host here in town just did jujitsu for the first time yesterday.

Yeah, yeah, but when you first go in, Our first jujitsu lesson, me, Lorenzo, and Frank, was with John Lewis.

And I remember thinking, holy shit, I can't believe that I'm 28 years old.

And this is the first time I'm experiencing this, that another human being could do this to me on the ground.

It is such an eye-opening, mind-blowing experience when you do it for the first time and then you become completely addicted to it.

And we were training 3, 4 days a week, trying to kill each other and me and the Fertittas.

And that's how we fell in love with the sport.

I think that first time that you do jujitsu, it's like the red pill and the blue pill in the matrix.

want to believe that this is the world that you live in or do you want to see what the real world looks like?

You realize, holy shit, all that shit talking I've been doing about me being a badass, you realize you're not.

You get dominated by another human being, you realize no.

And I mean dominate, I mean completely treat you like you're a little kid.

And then we had the opportunity to roll with a lot of different guys at the time because of the whatever.

And we don't have a good relationship at all, but I'll tell you this, Frank Shamrock came in 1 day and Frank Shamrock had me in side control.

The pressure that this guy put on my chest made me tap.

And when you train with somebody that's at such a level when you're not.

It just, it is the most humbling, mind-blowing experience you can have, especially as a man, but as a human being.

Do you remember, just for fun, do you remember like what your go-to submission was?

Yeah, so you know, when we first started out and started doing it, I had a pretty good guillotine in the beginning, so I'd catch a lot of people in guillotines and-

I was okay with being on bottom, I was comfortable there.

Like we started fucking around with a gi in the beginning.

We would, you know, that's how we started.

And then once I took the gi off, I felt like I had no submissions because I couldn't grab onto anything.

So I, after that I went all no gi and I never wanted to wear a gi.

See all Lex Fridman transcripts on Youtube

Dana White: UFC, Fighting, Khabib, Conor, Tyson, Ali, Rogan, Elon & Zuck | Lex Fridman Podcast #421