So, I was messing around online the other day, you know, just clicking links, and I stumbled onto this whole thing about Dana White and that gangster guy, Whitey Bulger. Got me thinking, how does the head of the UFC get tangled up with someone like that?
I decided to dig into it a bit. Wasn’t like I was writing a book or anything, just trying to connect the dots myself based on what people were saying online and in some articles I found. Started piecing together Dana’s early days back in Boston.
Finding the Connection
Turns out, before the UFC blew up, Dana was involved in boxing and fitness stuff in South Boston. Just trying to make a living, I guess. But somewhere along the line, things went sideways.
The Money Issue: From what I gathered, Dana apparently owed some money. Not a crazy amount, maybe like $2,500 bucks or something? But the problem wasn’t the amount, it was who he owed it to. The word is, the fellas trying to collect were connected to Whitey Bulger’s crew. Specifically, guys working under Kevin Weeks, who was known as Bulger’s muscle.
- Heard he was running boxing classes or something similar.
- Got into a dispute over payment.
- The collectors weren’t exactly the forgiving type.
The Escape
This is where it gets wild. Dana apparently got a phone call. Basically, a ‘pay up right now or else’ kind of deal. The ‘or else’ part was pretty serious, coming from those guys. It spooked him, big time. He didn’t mess around.
Vegas Bound: Almost immediately, he bought a plane ticket. One way. To Las Vegas. Didn’t pack much, just got out of Boston as fast as he could. He’s talked about it himself, how he basically just dropped everything and ran because he genuinely feared for his safety. He landed in Vegas and never really looked back, not to live in Boston anyway.
Putting it Together
So that was my little dive into the Dana White-Whitey Bulger story. It wasn’t some complex investigation, just me trying to understand the timeline and the situation based on the info out there. It’s pretty nuts when you think about it.
From Fugitive to Mogul: Here’s a guy who literally fled his hometown because mobsters were after him over a couple of grand. And then he ends up in Vegas, reconnects with the Fertitta brothers later on, and builds the UFC into this massive global thing. Life’s weird, right?
Makes you wonder how much that whole experience shaped him. Running from guys like that? It’s gotta leave a mark. Maybe it’s part of why he’s got that tough, no-nonsense way about him in business. Who knows?
Anyway, just thought I’d share what I pieced together from my digging. It’s one of those crazy real-life stories that sounds like it could be a movie.
