Dana White, King of MMA

have dreamed that my son Dana would become the callous and heartless person he is
now, cruel, self-centered, and thoughtless.
Maybe my thoughts of that soulless baby forty-two years ago were not so
unfounded. Dana has made it big, very big, and has turned his back on his family and
friends who were there for him when he needed help and support through the lean,
tough times before he became Mr. UFC, King of MMA. Dana once said to me, “Mom, I
have so much money that I will never be able to spend it all in my lifetime, no matter
what I buy, nor will my kids be able to spend it all in their lives.” He said, “I pay more
in taxes than you’ll ever make in your lifetime.” I guess the thought of my not having
to work is foreign to him.
Dana has cut ties with most of his old friends as well as his family. Two years ago,
Dana was going to make a movie or a weekly show about the Irish mob in Southie, and
many of the locals came to audition for bit parts. Dana told me that the producer did
not choose any of his friends from Southie who had auditioned, several of whom have
had bit parts in other movies. I said, “You’re paying for the show. Can’t you tell the
producer you want them to get some small part?”
Once again, surprise, surprise, he says, “Why the fuck should I?”
I answered, “Because they’re your friends and they’d do it for you.”
I was thinking about Dana a few months ago, and I was thinking about parents
whose children do something that is horrifying in the eyes of society. The first thing
everyone says is, “What was wrong with the parents? Couldn’t they see it coming?” Or
they say, “What did they do in raising that person that made them turn out the way
they did?” That is what I keep asking myself. What did I do, or what didn’t I do, that
Dana turned into the person he is today? I don’t understand. Although thinking about
Dana’s father who is self-centered and cares only about himself, it makes me think
maybe genes matter more than how a person is raised.
Dana’s fans love him and think he rocks for what he has done with the UFC and
MMA. I’m sure that will not change for him, but I am tired of stories about his life
that aren’t anywhere near the truth. Dana was very loved and cared for growing up,
and he was a sweet, loving, and special little boy. When he got older, Dana was a
good friend to many people and a good son for many years. What changed him, I can