Dana White is getting some mainstream coverage as the UFC White House event draws near.
The UFC CEO is on the cover of the latest Time Magazine, which was revealed on Monday along with the headline: “How Dana White took the UFC from the fringes to the White House.”
Missing Out
The in-depth feature includes White’s history with the UFC, his relationship with President Donald Trump and how the White House card came together. One noteworthy revelation in the piece is that White apparently wanted to book a women’s strawweight title fight between Mackenzie Dern and Weili Zhang for the event. The think was that the bout would boost the international audience, but it didn’t come to fruition.
“We did try to make a women’s fight,” White told Time. “We couldn’t get it done.”
He also commented on the exclusion of former UFC two-division champion Jon Jones.
“I have to build a card of people that I’m confident in and I believe will show up to the fight,” White said. “And Jon Jones is the least dependable guy that you could ever know.”
UFC White House takes place on June 14 and is headlined by a lightweight championship clash between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje. In the co-main event, Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane will vie for the interim heavyweight crown. The card airs on Paramount+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
