UFC CEO Dana White says he grew up idolizing black athletes: “Huge Michael Jordan fan”

UFC CEO Dana White is sharing that he grew up idolizing black athletes.

White, speaking on the ‘Club Random with Bill Maher’ YouTube video spoke about who he idolized growing up.

In their comfy chairs, Maher and White, drinks in hand shared the following exchange:

Dana White:

“We as human beings, it doesn’t matter what color you are, what country you come from or what language you speak, we’re all human beings and we get fighting and we like it.” 

Maher:

“Although we generally do route for the person of our race.”

To which Dana White responded:

“Listen. My thing with that is, during my generation I would say, I’m 54, the generation before me was probably that way, but I grew up idolizing black athletes. Huge, huge Michael Jordan fan. Tyson. We did idolize black athletes.”

Maher then went on to share his experience with the only boxing match he’s attended which was in LA and said the crowd cheered for the fighter of their own race.

Whether you agree with Bill Maher or Dana White’s philosophy on if you ‘cheer for your own race’, it’s clear that the UFC CEO was a big fan of Michael Jordan and Mike Tyson, among others.

Jordan, now 61, played fifteen seasons in the National Basketball Association between 1984 and 2003, winning six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls.

Tyson, ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ retired from boxing in 2005 with a career record of 50 wins (44 by KO), six losses and two no-contests. The now 57-year-old was the undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987-90.

Mike Tyson resurfaced in 2020 when he met Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition match which ended in a draw.

Tyson is now set to get in the ring once again on July 20th of this year when he meets Jake Paul at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas which will be streamed globally on Netflix.

Which athletes do you idolize? Do you share any of the same picks as Dana White?

Share your thoughts in the comment section PENN Nation!