It isn’t rare or unusual for UFC President Dana White to be candid. But when he opened up about his personal life, in a recent appearance on Khloé Kardashian’s podcast, the UFC head honcho swapped his trademark bravado. It was a candid reflection on his tough childhood, which made him mature quickly. His outspoken personality and iron grip on the UFC’s business empire reveal how his hard childhood shaped him into the person he is today. Additionally, his childhood primarily shapes the kind of parent he is to his kids.
Speaking in Wonder Land with Khloé Kardashian, Episode 14 of the show, White said, “Listen, I had…my mom was crazy. We’re just sitting here talking about family…my mom was nuts. And my dad was never around.” The confession suddenly shifted the temperature of the room. Amidst casual banter, fans saw a real moment of real vulnerability. Clearly, the persona of the no-nonsense fight promoter is a result of a childhood that was rough.
MMA: UFC Fight Night – Tampa Weigh Ins Dec 13, 2024 Tampa, Florida, UNITED STATES UFC CEO Dana White during weigh-ins for UFC Fight Night at Amalie Arena. Tampa Amalie Arena Florida UNITED STATES, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xNathanxRayxSeebeckx 20241213_nrs_fo80002
Raised in Manchester, Connecticut, Dana White was born on July 28, 1969, to June and Dana White Sr. His father battled alcoholism and was largely absent, while his mother worked long hours as a nurse. Dana and his sister, Kelly, were left to fend for themselves. “We were home alone a lot because we had a single mom who was a nurse. She worked a lot,” White told Khloé. “We grew up in the ’80s when it was a lot different growing up than it is now.”
And for a man who once told MMAjunkie that he “couldn’t care less” about outside opinions, this view into his own life added context to his often-criticized intensity. Though forced, the kind of childhood that he got left a lasting impact on him. “We had to come home and do our chores and that kind of stuff, but we were pretty much on our own,” White said, “So I think that we grew up a lot faster than my kids definitely did.” The father in him is certain, not giving his kids the same ecosystem that he survived.
The family Dana built is a sharp contrast to the one he came from
The UFC head is married to Anne White. He has three children: Dana III, Aidan, and Savannah. Dana White III, his eldest, was born in 2001. He plays football at the University of San Diego and has his father’s competitive streak. Aidan, born in 2002, started with football. Now, he competes in amateur boxing and works with Thrill One, a content company. Savannah, their youngest, was born in 2006. She excels in cheerleading, fashion, and academics. She has appeared in Teen Vogue and W Magazine.
White supports his children’s passions with the same all-in mindset he brings to fight promotion. He’s also shown glimpses of sibling love with his sister Kelly, posting about her on National Siblings Day, though she has stayed largely out of the spotlight.
His relationship with his own parents, however, remains complicated. His mother, June, released an unauthorized biography in 2011, Dana White, King of MMA: An Unauthorized Biography. She accused her son of abandoning his family and called him “egotistical” and “Tyrant.” White has spoken publicly about the fractured dynamic with his parents. He admitted that he didn’t feel much emotion when his parents passed away.
This reflection on the podcast reflects why he refuses to let history repeat itself. Khloé added to the conversation on the upbringing of kids, “My kids were never allowed to sleep anywhere, go sleep over at anybody’s house or any of that kind of stuff,” she stated firmly. “I won’t let my daughter or my son…who’s two and a half…but they’re not allowed to have sleepovers just because I’m one of those types.” And, White couldn’t agree more. He ensures that his kids have the protective childhood he and his sister were denied.
White’s leadership style, often divisive, is also deeply informed by his upbringing. The Populist Capitalist, as referred to by Forbes, built the UFC from near-bankruptcy into a multi-billion-dollar powerhouse. The man always leans into his instincts and often does things his way. That defiance is now more understandable in light of his youth.
Dana White’s latest confession reminds us that even the most powerful figures in sports carry invisible bruises. His are just more visible now.
What do you think about Dana White’s parenting stance and the personal history that shaped it? Does it make you see him in a different light? Drop your thoughts in the comments. Now’s your moment to weigh in.
The post Dana White Makes Heartbreaking Confession on Harsh Upbringing – “My Mom Was Crazy… My Dad Was Never Around” appeared first on EssentiallySports.
