Dana White

White recounts that he initially opposed women in the UFC because he was selling male fights to networks and sponsors.

“I didn't want women in the UFC, right? And the reasoning is I was trying to sell men to networks and sponsors”

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett: Dana White: This Generation Thinks You Can Build A Business From Home, It's Impossible! (Oct 5, 2026) · Listen from 47:28

White criticises Ian Garry for embracing his opponent in the fifth round instead of pressing for the win.

“Show Islam all the love you want when the fight's over. This is the fifth round. You have five minutes left”

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett: Dana White: This Generation Thinks You Can Build A Business From Home, It's Impossible! (Oct 5, 2026) · Listen from 40:43

White claims the UFC now competes with the major American sports leagues rather than other fight promoters.

“My competitors are the NFL, Major League Baseball, the NHL, and the NBA”

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett: Dana White: This Generation Thinks You Can Build A Business From Home, It's Impossible! (Oct 5, 2026) · Listen from 30:52

White values the UFC at about $50 billion by comparison with the Lakers' sale price.

“The UFC was purchased for $2 million. And if the Lakers sold for $12.5 billion, then the UFC is worth $50 billion, okay?”

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett: Dana White: This Generation Thinks You Can Build A Business From Home, It's Impossible! (Oct 5, 2026) · Listen from 16:45

White calls Eddie Hearn weak and credits his father Barry with building the Matchroom business.

“Eddie Hearn is weak. Eddie Hearn, his dad built that business. His dad's a real guy”

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett: Dana White: This Generation Thinks You Can Build A Business From Home, It's Impossible! (Oct 5, 2026) · Listen from 1:24:40

White claims his boxing venture is ahead of schedule because rival promoters are performing poorly.

“I'm already two years ahead of where I thought I would be because the guys that are doing it right now are just so bad at doing it”

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett: Dana White: This Generation Thinks You Can Build A Business From Home, It's Impossible! (Oct 5, 2026) · Listen from 1:25:01

White argues traditional boxing promotion has been short-termist and driven away networks and sponsors.

“Boxing became a going out of business sale every time these guys would put on a fight”

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett: Dana White: This Generation Thinks You Can Build A Business From Home, It's Impossible! (Oct 5, 2026) · Listen from 18:23

White says he quit drinking at 21 because he believed alcohol would stop him achieving his goals.

“I quit drinking when I was 21. I believe that I wouldn't be able to accomplish all the things that I wanted to accomplish if I was drinking”

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett: Dana White: This Generation Thinks You Can Build A Business From Home, It's Impossible! (Oct 5, 2026) · Listen from 4:06

White says he refuses to dwell on the past and that yesterday has no bearing on today.

“Fuck the rearview mirror. It doesn't matter. Whatever happened yesterday means nothing today”

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett: Dana White: This Generation Thinks You Can Build A Business From Home, It's Impossible! (Oct 5, 2026) · Listen from 51:11

White attributes much of his success to timing rather than luck.

“I wouldn't call it luck. I'd call it timing. Everything in life is about timing”

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett: Dana White: This Generation Thinks You Can Build A Business From Home, It's Impossible! (Oct 5, 2026) · Listen from 1:05:50

White says anyone starting a business to gain more free time has chosen the wrong path.

“If you're looking to start your own business because you want more time to yourself, you are picking the wrong thing to do”

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett: Dana White: This Generation Thinks You Can Build A Business From Home, It's Impossible! (Oct 5, 2026) · Listen from 11:52

White considers failing as a parent the worst kind of failure.

“In my opinion, if you fail as a parent, it's the ultimate failure”

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett: Dana White: This Generation Thinks You Can Build A Business From Home, It's Impossible! (Oct 5, 2026) · Listen from 57:01

White recounts that his rift with his mother began when she sent him threatening emails demanding money.

“I had like a bunch of emails from her, like threatening me. You're going to send me this much money”

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett: Dana White: This Generation Thinks You Can Build A Business From Home, It's Impossible! (Oct 5, 2026) · Listen from 57:16

White accuses Eddie Hearn of doing the most to undermine the Joshua–Fury fight.

“And nobody's done more to try to hurt the AJ Fury fight than Eddie Hearn”

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett: Dana White: This Generation Thinks You Can Build A Business From Home, It's Impossible! (Oct 5, 2026) · Listen from 1:26:56

White says he is not religious but believes in karma from experience.

“I'm not religious. I don't believe in God, the devil, ghosts, goblins. I don't believe in any of this shit. But I believe in karma”

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett: Dana White: This Generation Thinks You Can Build A Business From Home, It's Impossible! (Oct 5, 2026) · Listen from 1:09:50

White says he strongly believes in manifestation when combined with daily work toward a goal.

“Manifesting is real and I'm a big believer in manifesting”

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett: Dana White: This Generation Thinks You Can Build A Business From Home, It's Impossible! (Oct 5, 2026) · Listen from 47:13

White says Gary Brecka's protocol left him feeling better than ever within six weeks and eliminated his sleep apnea.

“Six weeks in, I was like, I never felt better. And clarity, legs, and all these other problems I have. And then sleep apnea gone”

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett: Dana White: This Generation Thinks You Can Build A Business From Home, It's Impossible! (Oct 5, 2026) · Listen from 37:48

White argues a CEO's duty in hard times like COVID is to protect employees rather than lay them off.

“It is your job as the CEO to take care of these people and figure out how to make money”

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett: Dana White: This Generation Thinks You Can Build A Business From Home, It's Impossible! (Oct 5, 2026) · Listen from 23:09

White says his greatest strength has been choosing the right people to work with.

“If there's a superpower that I have, it has been picking the right people to surround myself with”

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett: Dana White: This Generation Thinks You Can Build A Business From Home, It's Impossible! (Oct 5, 2026) · Listen from 20:58

White argues that the younger generation is wrong to believe a successful business can be built working from home.

“And this younger generation that think you can work from home and build a successful business, it's impossible. You can't do it”

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett: Dana White: This Generation Thinks You Can Build A Business From Home, It's Impossible! (Oct 5, 2026) · Listen from 12:42