When I found out that Dana White’s mother had written an unauthorized biography about the King of MMA himself, I had to get my hands on it. Although it cost over $100 on Amazon, Smashwords had a PDF edition for only $9. I eagerly downloaded it, hoping to see what all the buzz was about. I guess I shouldn’t say buzz… Eerie silence is more like it, as several commenters were banned from the Underground for even discussing it.
Have you ever sat and talked with someone about another person? At first, you are intrigued by interesting stories that help fill in the blanks for you. Then you feel a sense of guilt waft over you, aware of the knowledge that you are privy to information that the other person would never want you to know. Finally, after hearing some over-the-top tales, you start to question the credibility of the storyteller and feel even worse that the person in question is not there to defend themselves or share their side of the story.
That was pretty much my reaction to this unauthorized biography. Complete with photographs and mementos, I felt like I was sitting in June White’s living room to try to dig up dirt about the man responsible for the promotion of the sport we love. But before I delve into those details, I must point out how poor the editing was. The book began with several quotes, one of which was attributed to the movie Superman, but is actually from Batman Begins. The lack of revision continues to be evident as June White refers to both the “Dali Lama” [sic] and “Ward Clever” [sic] and then compares Dana White to the non-existent Lord of the Ring character “my Precious” (um, that would be the nickname for the ring. No quoting books or movies you haven’t even read or seen.)
June White tells story after story about Dana White, which are actually quite touching and sentimental. She describes him playing Little League in a uniform that was too big for him, overcoming bullies on various occasions, letting his dog sleep in his bed even though he wasn’t allowed on the furniture, going to all sorts of lengths to defend his sister, going to wrestling matches with his grandfather, getting chased by a rooster, getting attacked by dogs, being sad over the pain of a field mouse and so forth. The book is riddled with potshots and jokes, of sorts, that aren’t really all that funny. (Example: Dana White must have gotten better at math. He’d have to be, with the amount of money he makes. Har har har.) The book delves into some mistakes Dana made during his childhood (and really, who hasn’t) including getting expelled from a very strict Catholic school, cutting class, drinking and driving and taking the wrong bus home. Some of these are more irresponsible than others (such as using a credit card which was supposed to be for emergencies only) and some seem almost defensible (such as attacking bullies). There are also numerous tales of White’s misadventures, often through no fault of his own.
What is weird is when June compares Dana White to Rosemary’s Baby, talking about his soulless eyes, or whining about being sick when she was pregnant because, she said, Dana was already causing her problems before he was even born. These statements make her seem a bit emotionally unstable. She also seems unreasonably upset at White’s atheism, describing how he was an altar boy and even stating that he gave up religion since he thinks he is God. This is so over the top that it, again, makes one question her credibility.
It is interesting to hear stories of Dana’s childhood; as much as Mom tries to make it seem happy it is obvious that he struggled with an alcoholic father, poverty and constantly moving around. However, she did debunk stories of him growing up alone; according to this book, he had many family members and much support through all the hard times.
White’s mom continues to tell tales of Dana’s life all while taking jabs at him, but the fun stories make him seem more human and the harsh ones either seem unrealistic (did he really chase down and beat a puppy?) or they seem like there must have been more than one side to them, more going on. For example, Dana flew down to attend his godchild’s christening, but was planning on leaving since they didn’t go to his party at some club… um, I bet there’s more to that story. Or him blowing off a previous date set for the christening to hang out with the Fertitta’s on their yacht… it’s plausible, but again I wonder how his version of the story would read. When June White says that she feels that Dana should give her money so that she does not have to work, and gets upset because Dana “only” sent his grandmother $5,000, it kind of makes you wonder whether she is jealous of his success and feels entitled to money she did not earn. It is obvious that June does not care for White’s wife (who she says is physically abusive), but again, this makes me want to know more, to delve in deeper and get a better overall picture of what is going on.
White’s mother does give details of him publicly berating employees, and she certainly has a point about the wrath of Dana when one sets him off…but his tendency to overreact is hardly something anybody is unaware of. Instead of the fascinating expose I’d hoped for, the book reads more like the ramblings of a jealous and unstable mom. It certainly didn’t add much fuel to the fire for me, and I definitely have very mixed feelings about Dana White. Instead it portrayed him in a way that makes him seem more human: fallible and complex, with a family that desperately wants him to be religious and wants to take a piece of his pie.
Would I recommend this book? For $9, it’s a relatively inexpensive PDF that is a quick read. There are some fun stories of White’s childhood. If you can get through the typos and over-the-top exaggerations, it is an interesting read…though I still feel a bit icky for having read it, just like I would if I read hacked e-mails or someone else’s journal. I’d say it’d be good for MMA enthusiasts who want to read everything they can get their hands on, but the casual fan could probably do without it.
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