MMA Knockout

UFC News: Dana White Spotted With Old Business Partner Lorenzo Fertitta In Italy

Former UFC partners Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta were seen together in Italy over the weekend.

Zain Bando

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

No, it's not double-vision. UFC CEO and president Dana White was spotted with former co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta in Italy over the weekend. Still, most MMA fans younger than 30 might not be aware of the significance of their relationship.

White traveled back to Italy shortly after the conclusion of the RNC, where he spoke on behalf of the Republican nominee and 45th President Donald Trump, concluding his brief stay in Milwaukee, Wis.

White took to his Instagram story early Sunday morning with Fertitta, who sold the UFC for $4.025 billion in 2016 to WME-IMG, now known as Endeavor. The screenshot can be seen below.

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White, Fertitta purchased UFC in 2001.
Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta seen together in Italy. / Credit: @danawhite on Instagram, via "Stories"

Significance of Dana White, Lorenzo Fertitta Impact On UFC, MMA

White and Fertitta were old high school classmates at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nev., a prominent Catholic school known for good football and the eventual alma-mater for one of MMA's greatest visionaries. While White struggled academically and was kicked out on a few occasions, Fertitta was a bright student who eventually went onto own Station Casinos in Las Vegas at a young age.

From there, White and Fertitta lost touch for a few years after White moved back to Maine, knowing full well that he wanted to remain in the fight business. It was there that he channeled his love for boxing and began working under the guidance of Peter Welch, a then-well-known Irish boxer at the time. After White discovered his passion, it was a mutual friends wedding where White and Fertitta realized both men wanted to be in the fight business and both of their values alligned.

By 2001, with the help of Lorenzo and his brother Frank Fertitta, Zuffa LLC was created and a new era of the UFC began. Over a 15-year period, it became the most recognizable brand in MMA, where it remains today under newer ownership and White still at the helm.

Although White received all the media attention from the press, pundits, and critics, he credits Fertitta with the company's inner workings and success, all stemming from the wedding.

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"So, Lorenzo comes Monday to train with me, we’ve been together ever since.," White told Piers Morgan earlier this year. "The only wedding I would go to. Where the f*** would I have run into Lorenzo Fertitta if I didn’t go to that wedding?"

Fertitta and White are involved in a few small side projects, but White continues to run the UFC with no signs of slowing down. White considers Fertitta one of the most important figures in MMA.

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Zain Bando

ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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