Most people only know Dana White as the red-faced, high-energy boss of the UFC. He’s the guy screaming at reporters or standing between two 260-pound monsters at a weigh-in. But behind that loud, public-facing persona is a marriage that has lasted longer than the UFC itself. Honestly, in the world of professional sports and celebrity, a thirty-year marriage is basically a unicorn.
Anne White (formerly Anne Stella) is the woman who has been there since the beginning. And I don’t mean the beginning of the "Zuffa" era. I mean the eighth grade.
The Eighth Grade Connection
They met when they were 12. Just two kids in middle school. Most of us can barely remember who we sat next to in eighth grade, but for Dana and Anne, that was the start of a forty-year friendship. They attended Hermon High School together in Maine.
They didn't just rush into a "Vegas wedding" either. They tied the knot in 1996, years before Dana became a multi-millionaire. Back then, Dana was a boxercise instructor and a guy trying to find his way in the fight business. Anne was there through the lean years. She was there when they moved to Las Vegas to escape some trouble with the mob back in Boston. That’s not a movie script; it’s their actual life.
She’s famously private. You won't find her posting "outfit of the day" videos or starting a reality show. While Dana is arguably one of the most famous figures in sports, Anne has spent the last two decades intentionally staying out of the camera's lens. This choice has kept their family life relatively shielded, at least until recently.
That Night in Cabo San Lucas
We have to talk about it because it’s the reason many people started Googling their names in the first place. On New Year’s Eve in 2022, a video surfaced from a nightclub in Mexico. It showed the couple in a heated argument. Anne slapped Dana; he slapped her back.
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It was messy. It was public. It was, as Dana later admitted, "horrible."
The backlash was instant. For years, Dana had famously said there is never an excuse for a man to put his hands on a woman. Then, suddenly, he was the guy on the TMZ tape. Most celebrity marriages would have ended right there, or at least spiraled into a year-long legal battle.
But they didn't break up.
Anne released a statement shortly after, saying that the incident was completely out of character for both of them. She pointed to heavy drinking on both sides as a factor but made it clear: they had apologized to each other and were moving forward as a family. They chose to handle it behind closed doors rather than through divorce attorneys.
The Three "Miracle" Kids
Family is clearly the glue here. They have three children: Dana III, Aidan, and Savannah.
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Dana III followed the sports path but traded the octagon for the gridiron. He’s been a safety for the University of San Diego. Aidan, the middle son, actually stepped into the ring for an amateur boxing match a few years back, which I’m sure was a stressful night for Anne.
Then there’s Savannah. Dana calls her their "miracle baby."
After their first two sons, Anne suffered an ectopic pregnancy. Doctors told her she wouldn't be able to have more children. Five years later, Savannah arrived. Dana has talked about how raising a daughter is "tougher" because of that natural protective instinct. He’s even thrown her some pretty legendary birthday parties, like a Sweet 16 with performances by Lil Uzi Vert and DaBaby.
Why They’re Still Together in 2026
You might wonder how a marriage survives that kind of public scandal. Or how it survives the sheer workload of a guy who travels 200 days a year.
It comes down to a few things:
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- The Long Game: They’ve been friends for 40 years. That’s a foundation you can’t manufacture.
- Privacy as a Policy: By staying out of the UFC spotlight, Anne kept herself from becoming a "character" in the drama.
- Accountability: After the Cabo incident, Dana didn't hide. He stood at a podium and told the world he deserved whatever criticism came his way.
Is it a "perfect" marriage? Probably not. But it’s a real one. They’ve dealt with health scares—Dana was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease years ago and more recently faced some pretty scary longevity news before his "10-year" health transformation. Anne has been the silent partner through all of it.
Lessons from the White Marriage
If you're looking for the "takeaway" here, it's that longevity in a relationship often requires a thick skin and a short memory for mistakes. They’ve survived the mob, the rise of a billion-dollar empire, and a very public mistake that could have ended it all.
Actionable Insights for Navigating High-Stress Relationships:
- Prioritize the "Friend" Phase: If you don't like the person you're with, you won't survive the hard years.
- Maintain Separate Identities: Anne's refusal to be a "UFC Wife" probably saved her sanity.
- Own the Mistakes: Public or private, owning a mistake is the only way to move past it without resentment.
They remain one of the most powerful, yet least seen, couples in the sports world. In an era where everything is content, Anne White’s silence is her superpower.