UFC boss Dana White gives rare insight into his family life and reveals both parents died recently, with legendary promoter insisting he ‘had almost no feelings about it’ during tell-all interview with Piers Morgan

Dana White sat down for a tell-all interview with Talk TV host Piers Morgan
The UFC chief opened up on the death of his parents during the interview
White revealed how their fractured relationship helped his drive to succeed

UFC chief Dana White opened up on the recent death of both his parents for the first time during a tell-all interview with Piers Morgan.

White, who was newly-instated as UFC CEO following the historic merger between the UFC and WWE, sat down with the Talk TV host on ‘Uncensored’ on Thursday to discuss a number of personal and business matters.

Along with a plethora of questions about the success of the UFC, recent controversies and Conor McGregor, the two also discussed White’s upbringing.

Morgan questioned White’s ‘complicated’ and ‘difficult’ relationship with his parents, which had previously been reported on.

However, the UFC chief quickly revealed the news of his parents’ recent passing and then reflected on how he had ‘no feelings’ over their passing.

UFC CEO Dana White (R) sat down for a tell-all interview with Talk TV host Piers Morgan (L)

During the interview on Talk TV, White revealed the recent death of his mother, June (left), and father Dana Snr (not pictured)

Initially asked whether the fractured relationship eventually inspired his drive for success, White responded: ‘My relationship with my parents has definitely made me who I am today in many different ways, not just in life and in business, but as a father too.

‘My parents taught me a lot about what I didn’t want to be as a parent. I don’t really talk about, I don’t think I have ever talked about this, but my parents both died recently’.

Like many, Morgan was unaware of their passing and he quickly asked the UFC CEO about how their deaths have impacted him.

‘I am good with it, I am good with everything. I focus a lot on my kids and my relationship with them, and I have sort of put my relationship with my parents behind me,’ White continued.

‘I didn’t wish any ill will on either one of my parents, but no, I didn’t, when they passed away, I had almost no feelings about it, to be honest with you.’

White went on to reveal that he was present to put his dad to rest but did not do the same for his mother’s funeral, which was handled by her family.

‘I cannot deny the fact that the way that I am built and the way the drive and all the things that I have, definitely come from the relationship that I had with my parents, there is no doubt about it.

The 54-year-old insisted he had ‘no feelings’ regarding the passing of both his parents

The UFC chief insisted that his fractured family relationship ‘definitely’ shaped his future

‘But no, I have no remorse, I don’t feel bad about the way that I grew up. I mean it when I say that I wouldn’t change one thing about the way that I was brought up, because I truly believe, had I not had them for parents, had I not had the upbringing that I did have, that I wouldn’t be who I am today. That’s a fact’.

White had been the president of the UFC since 2001 before taking up a new role as the company’s CEO following their historic merger with the WWE.

It was announced in April that WWE would be sold to the Endeavour group and together would be merged with UFC to form a brand new company.

Endeavor – who own UFC – will hold a 51 per cent stake in the combined company, while WWE shareholders will hold 49 per cent, according to the agreement.

It was confirmed that the deal values the new company at more than £17.3bn ($21.4bn) according to the companies, with UFC valued at £9.8bn ($12.1bn) and WWE at £7.5bn ($9.3bn).

White was in attendance as Endeavor announced the successful merger between the UFC and WWE, which was finalised on Thursday afternoon

The name for the merger had just been listed as ‘Newco’ on filings, before shifting to New Whale Inc. In May, a spokesperson confirmed it would be called TKO Group Holdings.

In the interview with Morgan, the UFC chief also revealed how his eldest son ignored him for four days after he was filmed slapping his wife Anne during a row in a club in Mexico on New Year’s Eve.

‘I mean everybody was acting like there needs to be some big apology to the world,’ White said. ‘No, the apology was to my kids, for me and my wife.

‘Nobody wants to see their dumb drunk parents slapping each other on TMZ, do you know what I mean? Our oldest son didn’t talk to us for like four days, and the other kids had to deal with some stuff too. It’s embarrassing’.

Tune in to Talk TV at 8pm tonight to watch the exclusive interview with Dana White and Piers Morgan on Uncensored.

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