UFC CEO, Dana White, has paid tribute to Hulk Hogan (real name Terry Bollea) following the legendary professional wrestler’s shocking death at age of 71.
Hogan passed on Thurs., July 24, 2025, after suffering cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Florida. A call was put in to emergency services from his, which is located just outside of Tampa, at 9:51 a.m. ET.
He was pronounced dead at 11:17 a.m.
In an interview with FOX News, White recounted a meeting he had with Hogan at the Republican National
Convention that he’ll remember forever.
Colby Covington walks out with Hulk Hogan at #UFCTampa pic.twitter.com/74jmgE2k8G
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 15, 2024
“I was on a family vacation, I flew from Italy to Milwaukee,” White recalled. “And when I got there, they walked me literally right into a holding room where they had me and Kid Rock. On the way to my room, Hulk Hogan grabbed me and asked me if he could talk to me privately for a second. He pulled me aside, and you know, I’ll never forget that conversation that we had that night.”
“He was a good man, he was special. He loved the president and obviously, he loved America.”
“I’m 55 years old, so I grew up right when the WWF was massive and Hulk was becoming a really big star,” White said. “I watched the WWF back then, and I was a Hulk Hogan fan.”
Hogan made an appearance at a UFC event last December, walking out Colby Covington for his last fight against Joaquin Buckley. His connection with Dana White was strong enough that when Hulk started the Real American Freestyle wrestling promotion, White signed off on letting UFC prospect and three-time NCAA Division I national champion Bo Nickal wrestle for them.
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