UFC CEO Dana White and his gambling traits are a household topic by now. The UFC boss is a prolific gambler and has been known to win large sums of money during hours-long sessions at the tables in his adopted home of Nevada. But that does not stomp the winnings of Team Donald Trump’s biggest backers from living life large.
A self-proclaimed ‘degenerate,’ White cares for his friend despite his penchant for high-stakes action. He made sure all his friends stayed in the clear and did not clash with the house. One of these is SteveWillDoIt of the NELK Boys. Steve recently dapped up White on the phone while Vegas Matt (@itsvegasmatt) took a mickey out of it. Steve imparted some prime tidbit on knowing White.
Did you take Caesar? Nah, you ain’t – Oh you did…I’ll see you soon…Alright so he just hit Venetian for however many millions let’s see…50, 100, 200…ah, 700 thousand, oh wait! 1.2…2 million dollars! Dana White just hit Venetian for $2 million…It’s cool but, you know, it’s just being so long. He’s just my gambling buddy.
SteveWillDoIt said (H/T: @jedigoodman on X)
Dana White just hit The Venetian for $2M pic.twitter.com/8XY5ddbB2v
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) November 12, 2024
The tightly knit group is close ‘Donald Trump’ supporters. In a rare moment of levity, Donald Trump recently flew with Kyle Forgeard of the Canadian YouTube group ‘NELK Boys’ before the electoral fallout. Matt quips what it is like to call for the $500 million money man who people say can influence electoral polls in some countries. Steve just casually replied, being gambling buddies.
The UFC boss has gone viral with the group many times. He and Taylor Lewan once helped Deleonardis recover from a $300,000 loss at a casino. White once learned about slots while Steve, Matt, and the 2016-18 Pro Bowls NFL fame/ ex-Tennessee Titans fame Lewan pocketed $43,000 on the plus! His gambling tales just never stop.
Dana White explains tanking $3 million while drunk
Avid gambler or not, sometimes temper gets the better of some people. Not that the UFC bossman takes his cue from notorieties like Jon Jones or Sean Strickland. But even Dana White has had his moments of flustered aggression.
In an appearance on Lex Fridman’s podcast, White told an incredible story about a night out with friends at the blackjack tables in Las Vegas. Unlike his usual night out, this one cost him big. The UFC CEO explained that he lost $3 million after getting drunk and didn’t remember.
[The casino host] goes, ‘Yeah, you made us call the GM of the hotel and you started calling him a fu*king p*ssy.’ And I went, ‘Yeah, that sounds like something I would do,’…Man up. You got fu*king drunk, right? Alcohol is free, but you don’t have to fu*king drink it, know what I mean…This was a huge learning lesson from me. I never drank again when I was playing cards after that night.
Dana White on the Lex Fridman Podcast Episode #421
Just from a pure precautionary standpoint, White learned not to drink while gambling in any form. Donald Trump’s close friend has been at the forefront, addressing the country many times. White has also been at the pinnacle of leading his premier combat sports promotion, just alongside. All in all, some lessons come hard, and this was his to sober up amid high stakes.
