Michael Jordan is one of the very few athletes who have transcended the realm of their sport and become a global icon. Given a chance, it’s safe to say that anyone would sacrifice their time to have a moment with the Hall of Famer. Moreover, if he is someone you look up to, then there is no question about it. However, things are different for the CEO of the UFC, Dana White. The 54-year-old is not willing to meet the NBA icon for a few weird reasons. The President of UFC recently sat down with NFL legend Shannon Sharpe for a podcast episode and shared his thoughts about meeting Jordan. However, his reply surely will make people question his choices as a fan. What do you think could be the answer? In any case, if you’re wondering, no it’s not because of their height difference.
Shannon Sharpe asked White an interesting question. The 2x NFL champion requested White to pick a player from the NFL world and the NBA world, who he thinks would have made a great career in MMA. Surprisingly, White went with Tom Brady and Michael Jordan. That might not be the first choice for many, but White justified it.
The 54-year-old mentioned he would choose Jordan only for his winning mindset. The ‘Never give up’ motive is important for a fighter and White believes Jordan is apt for it. The UFC President praised ‘His Airness‘, “Jordan is a killer. I’ve spoken about Michael Jordan many times. Never met him. Don’t know. Don’t want to meet him. I like him too much, I respect him too much, I love his killer instincts. Don’t want to meet him, respect him to death.”
One thing is evident White wants the Chicago Bulls legend to stay as his idol forever in this lifetime. For Dana, maybe a meet-up or a conversation with him could change his perspective about the 6x champion. The answer was quite shocking coming from him as he has been a Jordan fanboy since his early years.
How big of a Michael Jordan fan is Dana White?
For starters, White has watched ‘The Last Dance’ documentary three times already, only for MJ. It’s indeed a breathtaking series, but three times? Also, this is not the first time White has talked about not wanting to meet Jordan. He shared the above same words in an interview about a month ago.
White opened up, “I wear his shoes, his socks, till to this day and just all the things I hear about Michael Jordan, even the bad stuff I hear about Michael Jordan. I love so.” He added towards the end, “If there was anything that ruined the love I have for Jordan, I don’t want to meet him.”
So, if you are rooting for a MJ-Dana White crossover, please forget it. It is not going to happen in this lifetime. However, what if the two bump into each other at a big event? Let’s wait and see if that happens.
Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video: