President and CEO of the UFC, Dana White, joined Jesse James West for a training session. In a YouTube video shared by West, the duo engages in a ‘superhuman’ training routine, shares life philosophies, values, and more.

In the video, White leads West through his home, showing him the different areas and sharing his lifestyle. Upon entering the gym, White points to a Bruce Lee quote on the wall, revealing it is the very philosophy he has lived his entire life by.

“Because you might as well be dead. Seriously, if you always put limits on what you can do, physical or anything else, it’ll spread over into the rest of your life. It’ll spread into your work, into your morality, into your entire being. There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there; you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly exceed his level.”

White has embodied Lee’s philosophy completely in his life. He talks about how he aspires to be better each day, be it in business, in life, or anything else. Throughout his career, he has taken immense risks, especially during a time when martial arts were not as mainstream as it is now.

It is this philosophy that helped him transform the UFC into a global powerhouse. Moreover, he has applied this very mindset to his personal life as well. He has embraced all his health challenges like a champion, refusing to accept any limits put on him by life.

How Dana White Refused to Let Health Challenges Stop Him

Health scares can be a wake-up call for most people, especially when you hear a doctor talk about your life expectancy. White had a major wake-up call for the same reason back in 2022 when he found out that he had not one but several health risks.

Doctors revealed that he had high triglycerides, an elevated risk of heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea. Further tests revealed that his life expectancy would also be significantly shorter- about 10 years, unless he made major lifestyle changes.

After an initial shock response, White made it a point to make positive changes for his future. He began a strict workout regimen and took better care of his diet.

Over the following months, he noticed changes like weight loss, improved sleep patterns, and a feeling of overall wellness. Moreover, subsequent tests revealed that he had successfully improved several key health markers.

“I’m off all my meds. I was on cholesterol medicine, blood pressure medicine, and I was on thyroid medicine. If I heard me talk like this two years ago, I’d say ‘this dude is out of his mind’. I’m a hippie now.”

White’s health scare turned out to be a blessing in disguise. He did not just get inspired by Bruce Lee’s quote- he made it a blueprint for his life.

What is your favorite quote and who it is by? Has the quote changed your mindset and philosophy in any way?

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Written by

Avantika Das

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil