“Watched that fight a million times,” Dana White reveals the bout which ignited his love for fighting

Dana White spoke about the boxing fight that started his passion for fighting and revealed how boxing helped create the UFC into what it is today.

“Watched that fight a million times,” Dana White reveals the bout which ignited his love for fighting

Dana White and Marvin Hagler vs. Sugar Ray Leonard (image credit- MMA Fighting, Boxing News)

Over the years, Dana White and the UFC have been single-handedly responsible for MMA’s popularity. As such, during an interview with Lex Fridman, he was asked about the fight that drew him to the world of fighting. The UFC CEO revealed that the first fight he witnessed was a Muhammad Ali fight.

At the time, White was still very young and saw his relatives being enthusiastic about the bout. This ignited a passion for the enthusiasm and entertainment that a fight delivers to fans. White also called Muhammad Ali the ‘greatest of all time human’ which reflected how Ali’s legacy existed beyond the ring. Subsequently, White revealed that he eventually fell in love with fighting because of the Marvin Hagler vs. Sugar Ray Leonard fight. 

I was a senior, it was 1987, and Hagler-Leonard happened, and I watched that fight and taped it, and I watched that fight a million times.
Dana White via Lex Fridman
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During the interview, White mentioned that he was a big-time fan of Marvin Hagler, even though he liked Leonard. The UFC CEO then mentioned that he watched the fight a million times because he was not satisfied with the results.

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Leonard won the fight via split decision, and White believed that Hagler was robbed of his victory. The fight happened when Dana White was 17. This experience turned fighting into an obsession for the UFC CEO.

Dana White hated HBO boxing commentary

While speaking about his love for boxing, White revealed how he incorporated aspects of the sport that he liked into the UFC. Similarly, White revealed that he despised boxing commentators for their condescending and negative comments about fighters.

Dana White, Floyd Mayweather, Jake Paul, Mike Tyson, Conor McGregor
Dana White (image credit- MMA Fighting)

The UFC CEO pointed out Larry Merchant and the Albert brothers while discussing this. Furthermore, during the interview, he showed a clip of Mike Tyson‘s iconic walk-in. While this was happening, the commentary in the background was rambling about Tyson’s prior losses. The commentator also remarked that Tyson’s walk-in music was scary and imposing. White expressed his dismay at the commentators:

Shut the f**k up. Stay out of the way or don't say anything
Dana White via Lex Fridman

White hated this aspect of boxing and ensured that the UFC would steer away from it. He believes that fans paid money to see the fight and not hear their negative comments. The UFC CEO then mentioned why people like Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier are commentators on his promotion.

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