Mark Wahlberg: ''Dana White Used to Be My Boxing Coach!''

 

 

 

 

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Long before becoming the chief executive of the UFC, Dana White worked directly as a personal boxing coach for Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg. During the late 1990s, Wahlberg was preparing to star in a biographical sports movie titled Out on My Feet, which was set to tell the life story of professional boxer Vinny Curto. Hollywood icon Robert De Niro was officially attached to the project to play the legendary trainer Angelo Dundee.

To prepare for the physically demanding role, Wahlberg hired White to serve as his official striking coach. During their preparation, a hilarious dynamic unfolded when White met Robert De Niro. Wahlberg recalled that Dana was incredibly excited to see De Niro, which actually ended up startling the famous actor a bit. De Niro was left wondering who White was, but Wahlberg quickly reassured everyone, noting that White was his boxing coach.

Unfortunately, due to sudden financial issues and unpaid crew salaries, the movie production collapsed entirely right before filming began. Although Out on My Feet was never made, the intense training sessions helped forge a lifelong friendship. This early connection eventually led Wahlberg to invest in the UFC during its early developmental years.