UFC CEO Dana White has made it clear what kind of employees he wants in the UFC. While he may be a divisive figure in the combat sports world for some, there is no denying White’s instrumental role in taking the UFC from a niche spectacle to the $11.3 billion juggernaut that it is today. In fact, the company purchased by the Fertitta brothers in 2001 for just $2 million rose to become the premiere MMA organization in the world under White’s guidance.
In a recent conversation with Bill Maher, the UFC boss made an honest confession about the qualities he looks for in his team. And his comments highlight why podcast host and UFC color commentator Joe Rogan had recently proclaimed, “…he’s literally born for that job. Yeah, it’s perfect. He’s the perfect guy for that job.”
Dana White holds nothing back as he reveals his definition of a ‘great employee’
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During his appearance on Bill Maher’s ‘Club Random Podcast’, Dana White and Maher’s conversation touched upon the topic of what makes a great boss. The UFC head honcho stated, “I have a great relationship with my staff, love them, love my staff.”
While the podcast host agreed with White’s statement, he was a bit skeptical when White claimed that, “It’s everything” about the importance of his relationship with his employees. White then further explained, “Everything, if you don’t have… nobody does anything by themselves, you have to have a great team. You have to treat everybody with respect, treat everybody well and you have to love the people that you work with every day. ”
But Maher was still not fully convinced as he claimed that, “Well again, you don’t have to…”, prompting White to respond by stating, “You do, you do… You know what I can’t have? I can’t have two-faced backstabbing cutthroat f*cking people that work for me, and not doing it to me but not doing it to anybody and within our world…But it’s absolutely prevalent and every job, everywhere in the world.”
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However, Maher clarified that his apprehension stems from the fact that he knows that being a “boss” means that a lot of negativity will inevitably be aimed at you from your employees. To this, White bluntly responded with his radical approach to such problems. He stated, “I see it inside my company and it’s a cancer, I cut people out like f**king cancer. If you’re a negative sack of sh*t, you’re gone, you’re out of here. I don’t deal with it.”
White’s candid remarks shed light on his uncompromising stance on maintaining a positive and supportive workplace culture. And it is reflected in his long-time association with and support for Joe Rogan and the loyalty between the two men as White once threatened to quit the UFC in support of the color commentator!
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White’s incredible loyalty towards Joe Rogan
During his appearance on Lex Fridman’s podcast episode no. 432, Dana White revealed that nothing will ever cause him to stray from his loyalty to his friends and employees. Fridman had brought up an incident from 2022 when Rogan was under scrutiny for questionable remarks made on his podcast and calls were being made for the UFC to let him go.
As such, Fridman revealed that he was there with Rogan when the UFC boss called him during the controversy and showed his support by offering to leave the UFC if Joe Rogan was forced to exit the promotion. White then made the following statement, “I can’t say what’s gonna happen when I leave, but when I’m here, the people who are with me and have been with me they know exactly what’s up, and Joe knows what’s up. It’s a two-way street. Joe Rogan has been very loyal to me, and I am very loyal to Joe Rogan.”
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What are your thoughts on Dana White as a boss? What do you think about his comments to Maher? Let us know in the comments below!