5 times Dana White showed his philanthropic side

Dana White has long been viewed as one of the most successful, albeit polarizing, individuals in the combat sports realm. White has often earned praise for forging an amazing legacy as one of the best fight promoters ever and for being the driving force that turned the UFC into a globally revered brand.

White is known to be one who speaks his mind, which has also often landed him in conflict with various other public personalities over the years. Some of his critics have even accused him of being extremely ruthless in regard to business. Nevertheless, White's supporters often underscore that in addition to being a multi-millionaire business savant, he's also a kindhearted fight fan at his core!

Today, after yet another kind gesture from him ahead of UFC 311, we look at five memorable instances wherein Dana White showed his philanthropic side.

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#5. Dana White's actions in the Las Vegas shooting aftermath

On Oct. 1, 2017, a 64-year-old American man named Stephen Paddock reportedly perpetrated a mass shooting in Las Vegas, U.S.A. It's considered to be one of the deadliest mass shootings ever, with some even deeming it the deadliest one perpetrated by a lone attacker. Per a 2023 report by The New York Times, Paddock killed 60 people.

The gunman reportedly targeted the outdoor music festival on the ground, shooting from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel. NBC reported that the incident left over 500 people injured.

Dana White went to high school in Las Vegas alongside his friends, Lorenzo Fertitta and Frank Fertitta. The Fertitta brothers, hailing from a Vegas-based business family, are former UFC owners who are often credited for helping the UFC brand survive and thrive until they stepped away after its sale to Endeavor in 2016. Also, the UFC has long been a Vegas-headquartered organization.

As reported by ESPN, White alluded to the same and highlighted the close bond he, the Fertittas, and the UFC shared with Vegas. White pledged to donate $1 million to the families of those affected by the Vegas mass shooting.

The ensuing UFC 216 (Oct. 7, 2017) event in Vegas commenced with a ceremony honoring the shooting's victims and the first responders. A video package posted to the UFC's YouTube channel showed Dana White delivering a speech about it and highlights from the aforementioned ceremony too.

Watch the UFC's video about the incident, featuring Dana White, below:

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#4. Dana White matched Khabib Nurmagomedov's $100k donation

Back in September 2019, then-UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated then-interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier via third-round submission to unify the belts. Russia's Nurmagomedov and America's Poirier then expressed their respect for one another inside the octagon.

The two fighters exchanged their official fight entrance t-shirts. Nurmagomedov indicated that he'll auction the shirt gifted to him by Poirier and donate the proceeds to charity. Per MMA Junkie, Nurmagomedov auctioned off the t-shirt and raised $100k, in collaboration with 'The Good Fight Foundation' (founded by Poirier) and Justin Wren's 'Fight For The Forgotten.'

Dana White matched that amount, chipping in with a $100k donation. Dustin Poirier took to X (then known as Twitter) and confirmed White's donation pledge to 'The Good Fight Foundation.' Proceeds were set to be channeled toward building and repairing water infrastructure in Uganda.

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#3. Dana White and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson contribute to a noble cause

In 2022, Cody O'Connor, an individual who battled bone cancer, put forth a detailed Instagram post thanking Dana White and the UFC. O'Connor explained that he'd been told he'd never walk again, which is why he created the 'Champions Do Overcome' charity to raise money for families of children suffering from cancer.

O'Connor raised funds by completing his objective of walking all the way across the United States of America. He notably met with White and got a tour of the UFC's facilities. He also received a personal message and 'Project Rock' shoes from WWE icon and Hollywood megastar Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.

Furthermore, O'Connor hailed Dana White for helping promote his message and his work by using his platform as a public personality.

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#2. Dana White's contribution to help save former Muay Thai champion's daughter

One of Dana White's most notable contributions in the realm of charity came when he chose to donate $50k to save a combat sports athlete and trainer's young child. As reported by the UFC in 2018, White had donated the sum to help former Muay Thai champion Rattanachai Jadngooluem's daughter, Tuptim Jadngooluem in 2010.

White visited Phuket, Thailand, in 2018 to meet with the little girl at the gym where her father extensively trained other fighters. Speaking to Kevin Iole, White explained that he'd come across a video on the internet back in 2010, wherein an individual pleaded for help to save the little girl.

The UFC boss indicated that the person specifically addressed him and opined that he should help her. While some observers criticized the individual and argued that White has the right to decide how he spends his money, he felt that he should chime in and help:

"So basically, the little girl needed emergency liver surgery. And if she didn't get it in two weeks, she was going to die. And it cost 50,000 dollars. And I said I have 50,000 dollars and I should do this. So I didn't even hesitate. I sent the money. She had the surgery."

He noted that ex-UFC fighter Mike Swick later set up their meeting in 2018. White met with Tuptim's family who were nice people and they even attended a Muay Thai event together.

Moreover, in 2024, White got emotional while recounting it on the In Search of Excellence podcast. He even implied that he was paying for the child's schooling and medical expenses but doesn't like to boast about any charity work.

Watch White's conversation with Iole below (3:19):

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#1. Dana White matches Jiri Prochazka's donation ahead of UFC 311

In December 2024, a fan garnered praise for her fighting spirit from ex-UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka. She shared an image of herself on social media, which received considerable attention on Reddit, showing herself sporting a hairstyle that Prochazka has popularized in the MMA realm. She noted that she'd wanted to try the hairstyle before losing her hair to undergo chemotherapy.

Prochazka's hairstyle is believed to be inspired by the 'Mongkhon,' which is a traditional headgear donned by Muay Thai fighters. The Czech MMA star appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show and indicated that he'd been helping in charitable endeavors with oncologists to help children who were fighting against cancer.

During the pre-fight press conference this week, Prochazka explained that the female fan, who ESPN reported is named Ashly McGarity, would attend his upcoming fight at UFC 311. He'd even shaved his hair in solidarity with her.

McGarity is reportedly battling cervical cancer. Prochazka fights fellow former divisional kingpin Jamahal Hill on the card. He noted that he'd achieved 1 million followers on Instagram -- further suggesting that he'll be donating 1 million Czech Koruna, approximately $50k via his foundation to oncologists' patients.

UFC CEO and president Dana White, who was on the dais with Prochazka and other UFC 311 stars at the press conference, proceeded to match his donation. White said:

"You're gonna donate 50,000 dollars? I'll match the 50,000 dollars."

Check out White's comments on slide three below: