Dana White has had his fair share of suspect moments over the years. One of the biggest names in combat sports, White’s life has been riddled with numerous controversies from time to time. One of the most interesting arcs of his life is his relationship with Tito Ortiz.
For those unaware, Tito was one of Dana’s first clients as a manager. Having taken up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu along with the Fertitta brothers, White was introduced to Ortiz through trainer John Lewis. Subsequently, White and Tito began their working relationship, which would change their lives and the history of the UFC.
Initially, 23-year-old Ortiz was skeptical of White as his manager. However, he was left impressed after White showcased his business acumen to secure Tito a respectable contract. Notably, even Chuck Liddell experienced something similar and had nothing but praise for Dana. In one instance, Tito was asked if he would kiss Dana and proceeded to do so on camera without any hesitation.
However, following Zuffa’s acquisition of the UFC, Dana, now UFC President, couldn’t continue to manage Tito or Chuck and recommended James Gallow for the job. Looking back, it was the start of the end of their friendship.
Why did Dana White and Tito Ortiz have a falling out?
Following Dana White’s role as UFC President, his relations with Tito Ortiz slowly began to deteriorate. Notably, the two also had an infamous brawl on a private jet. Whilst the two were fooling around, Tito put Dana in a neck crank and did not let go even after getting the tap. As a result, an infuriated White launched his fists at Ortiz.
Soon after, Tito began feeling as though Dana and the UFC were mistreating him on purpose. This was further highlighted after the former Light Heavyweight Champion practically kept the UFC in business with his fight at UFC 40. Following the PPV’s success, Tito wanted a bigger piece of the pie and more royalties but was shunned by Dana.
Interestingly, Tito Ortiz also felt as though his former training partner, Liddell, was getting preferential treatment from the hierarchy. This was further confirmed after Dana openly expressed his bias against Tito. Moreover, he shared his delight in watching Chuck Liddell beat Ortiz at UFC 47.
According to Dana himself, it was the first time he asked for a fighter’s gloves and trunks to be put in a glass frame. Soon thereafter, Ortiz parted ways with the UFC, only to return on a much more lucrative deal. Although Dana White had promised that he would never fight in the UFC again, Tito’s star power and pressure from the higher-ups eventually swayed his mind.
Did Dana and Tito Ortiz have a boxing match?
As a condition for his return, Tito reportedly asked for a boxing match with the UFC head honcho. According to footage released shortly after, it was revealed that Dana and Tito were meant to have a boxing match. Later on, it was revealed by White that the fight was set before Tito made his return to the UFC in 2006. Further, Dana also revealed that Tito was the one to initially pull out of the bout, quoting a nagging injury.
Making his return at UFC 59, it was clear that Ortiz was still a massive draw for the UFC. Having broken the then-PPV record at UFC 61, the UFC decided to have Tito fight Ken Shamrock for the third time. Well aware of what they were doing, the UFC drew a record 5.7 million viewers from the fight. To make matters interesting, Ortiz even plugged his fight with Dana in his post-fight interview.
Finally, it was decided that Dana and Tito would mix it up on October 20, 2006. Unfortunately, things once again got rather complicated. Firstly, the Nevada Athletic State Commission was hesitant to let the bout happen. After months of negotiation, it was revealed that the exhibition bout would air on April 14, 2007. However, Tito was a no-show for the weigh-in, soon revealing that he would not be fighting White after all.
According to Ortiz, he was made aware that there would be no money involved, despite an initial 50-50 split being agreed. Thus, he stated that it would be a lose-lose situation for him. Additionally, Dana and even the State Commission believed that he was the better boxer. In future interviews, White stated that he wouldn’t have had a prayer against Ortiz in an MMA fight, but would have absolutely demolished him inside a boxing ring.