Mark Zuckerberg tells Joe Rogan about turning to Dana White to help Meta deal with international government pressure: "He's got a strong backbone"

Meta recently announced the appointment of UFC CEO Dana White to their board of directors. White, known for transforming the UFC from a struggling entity into a global sports powerhouse, is one of three new members joining the board alongside car tycoon John Elkann and tech investor Charlie Songhurst.

Mark Zuckerberg, during a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, highlighted White’s ability to build a widely beloved brand through resilience. He views White as an asset in navigating the challenges Meta faces from governments and other pressures worldwide.

Shedding light on White's role and his business acumen, Zuckerberg said:

"I mean Dana is like this guy who basically took this sport which was viewed as like this pretty marginal thing when he got started right? I mean what Dana's done with the UFC is like one of the most legendary business stories and the brand is beloved. I think he's just a world-class entrepreneur and he's got a strong backbone."

He added:

"I think part of the conversation that I had with him around joining our board was that we have a lot of governments and folks around the world putting a lot of pressure on our company and we need some strong people who are going to basically you know help advise us on how to handle some of these situations."

Check out Mark Zuckerberg's comments below (1:00:20):

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Dana White issues statement on Los Angeles wildfire

Dana White addressed the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles while fans are still questioning the potential impact of the fires on UFC 311, scheduled for Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood.

The flames, including the Sunset and Palisades fires near prominent areas, are about 20 miles from the venue, raising concerns among fans. While White did not address the event’s status, he expressed support for victims and praised first responders, offering help through Instagram. He wrote:

"Love this!!! Already called @govjoelombardo. Much respect to all the first responders from Nevada and California. ANYTHING you need for Me or @ufc, we got you." [H/t: Daily Mail]"

UFC 311 features a lightweight championship rematch between reigning champion Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan, who previously fought in 2019. The co-main event, meanwhile, will feature Merab Dvalishvili defending his bantamweight title for the first time against undefeated contender Umar Nurmagomedov.