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Dana White is one of the most strong-willed figures in MMA. He is a no-nonsense promoter who doesn't mince words and isn't above verbally lashing out at others, even his own fighters. However, he occasionally shows a softer side than what many in the MMA community expect from the UFC CEO.
He has been at the forefront of Dana White's Contender Series, a minor promotion designed to act as a funnel for talent into the UFC. White is known for demanding that DWCS fighters show enough grit and urgency to earn UFC contracts.
He is not in the business of giving fighters undeserved opportunities. However, last week's DWCS round of fights produced one of the most graphic injuries in the young promotion's history, which was quickly followed by a heartfelt moment between White and the injured fighter.
Angel Pacheco lost his bout to Danny Silva. The loss led to his ear nearly hanging off his face. When White went backstage to console Pacheco, the fighter broke down as he described how hard he had trained for his fight, before expressing a deep desire to win.
This moved White, who responded by not only signing Pacheco, but also awarding him his win money. This, in turn, moved the MMA community, who took to X/Twitter to praise the UFC CEO for his actions, with one fan congratulating Pacheco's efforts against Silva:
"Love to see it! They put on a BANGER"
Another fan praised White for having a big heart:
"Dana have very BIG HEART"
Meanwhile, one fan predicted that some would mislabel this as evidence of Dana White privilege:
"Fighters with heart. Then people will call this Dana White privilege."
More praise was showered on the UFC CEO:
"Props to Dana White for being cool with this"
A collage of fan reactions can be seen below:
Is Dana White close friends with any UFC fighters?
While the UFC CEO is known for having feuded with several of his own fighters in the past, he has also formed remarkable friendships with some of his former fighters. Two that come to mind are generational phenomenon Ronda Rousey and Matt Serra, the author of one of the greatest upsets in MMA history.
White, who is a known critic of professional wrestling, set his bias aside to watch Rousey's in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34 by being in attendance for the event. Meanwhile, he has described Matt Serra as his best friend on several occasions and the two are often spotted filming content together.
