Dana White has opened up about one of the most painful chapters of his family life, revealing what ultimately caused his relationship with his mother, June White, to fall apart.
The UFC CEO rarely discusses his late mother publicly, but he revisited their strained relationship during an appearance on The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett.
White explained that a series of increasingly hostile emails from June marked the beginning of the end between them.
Dana White Reveals What Sparked The Family Fallout
White recalled being in London for roughly two weeks with Lorenzo Fertitta when he returned home to a flood of emails from his mother.
According to White, June was demanding money and gave him the option of receiving a lump sum or making payments over time because she was looking to purchase a bar. Since he had been away without access to his emails, the messages continued to escalate.
We were in London for like two weeks and when I got back I checked my emails and I had like a bunch of emails from her threatening me: ‘You have two options: you can give me this all upfront, or you can pay me in payments over the next f*cking whatever. I’m looking to buy a bar or whatever it was.’
White said the increasingly aggressive correspondence eventually pushed him over the edge.
That was the beginning of the end with me and her,” White said.
Their relationship became even more complicated in 2011 when June published Dana White, King of MMA, an unauthorized biography about her son.
The book contained numerous allegations and personal accusations concerning White’s private life. White said he never personally read the book, but lawyers later informed him about its contents.
For White, however, the biggest issue was not necessarily what was written about him. He claimed the book also dragged other people into the dispute and included private photographs and allegations involving individuals who had done nothing to his mother.
That’s one of the grossest, most disgusting things that you couldn’t even imagine possible until it happens to you,” White said.
Despite the bitter fallout, White made it clear that he does not want to spend his time publicly attacking his mother.
June raised White and his sister Kelly as a single mother, with White’s father, Dana White Sr., largely absent during their childhood. Both of White’s parents have since passed away.
White previously discussed their deaths in a 2023 interview, but he has maintained that he does not want to use his media appearances to speak negatively about either parent.
