Very few individuals can handle the tremendous responsibility of leading a premier organization like the UFC, all the while managing a myriad of different issues that arise daily, much like Dana White. For him, each day brings new challenges, yet there are underlying principles in White’s daily routine that optimize both his body and mind, enabling him to tackle whatever comes his way.
Dana White follows a daily routine that includes minimal sleep, cold plunges, exercise, supplementation, and is centered around Gary Brecka’s 10X Health System. His responsibilities include overseeing the UFC as its top manager, participating in meetings with agents and fighters to strategize fights and contracts, all the while addressing the personel issues that routinely arise with alpha male martial arts fighters.
Admittedly, at one time, White’s daily routine had gotten well out of balance, forcing him to make a big changes to prioritize health. His bloodwork had gotten really bad, causing him to feel fatigued and stressed, and at one point thought death could be just around the corner. He found his solution in the life-changing 10X Health System from his friend Gary Brecka.
Dana White’s Morning Routine: A Foundation for Success
White’s morning routine plays a vital role in his daily schedule and serves as the foundation for his productivity. Key components of his regimen include immersing himself in icy water through cold plunges, which serve to rejuvenate both his mind and body, and living by the 10X Health System.
Also see: Dr. Andrew Huberman’s Optimal Morning Routine Revealed
How Much Does Dana White Sleep?
White confesses to getting minimal sleep, often just 2-3 hours, due to a racing mind filled with numerous to-do items and the combined joy and stress of his UFC responsibilities. He also enjoys nightlife, including partying and his favorite hobby—gambling in Las Vegas.
“My life was so good, I didn’t want to sleep! Forget sleeping man. Sleeping sucks. I want to be up everyday, doing what I did. And I embraced insomnia, I loved it.”
-Dana White joked in an on-stage interview with Dana White
Also see: Andrew Huberman’s Top Sleep Advice Detailed & Explained
10X Health System – Precision Health Services by Gary Brecka
Another noteworthy inclusion in White’s morning ritual is the 10X Health System, a creation by Gary Brecka that focuses on precise tuning of one’s health and vitality. This system highlights the significance of controlling one’s breath, exposing oneself to cold temperatures, engaging in physical activity, and supplementation. Through these practices, White sets himself up for success each day.
As part of the 10X system, everything is precisely measured for White with their routine bloodwork tests. This provides the ideal way to measure progress and adjust accordingly. He also strives to exclusively take their supplements, including their daily essential vitamin.
Cold Plunge
White has become a huge advocate for cold plunging, highlighting the benefits of mental clarity, alertness, and muscle recovery. He strives to take a cold plunge as one of the first things he does in the morning.
“I literally, religiously cold plunge every day. I did 37 degrees for six minutes.”
-Dana White on cold plunging when he was in New York for a UFC fight
While he has a cold plunge at his house, the routine is so important that he tries to maintain the habit even while traveling. In one interview, he said that despite landing in New York City at 12:30am and going to bed, the first thing he did in the morning was go to Remedy Place for a morning plunge.
Also see: Joe Rogan’s Ice Bath Recovery Strategy Unveiled
Want to try a cold plunge or ice bath at home? While they can be extremely expensive, there are affordable options on Amazon if you can provide your own ice:
Ice Bath Tub for Athletes with Cover: 85 Gallons Cold Plunge Tub for Recovery (Amazon’s top seller)
How Dana White Maintains Discipline throughout the Day
White’s success as UFC president relies heavily on his ability to maintain discipline throughout the day. This discipline is deeply ingrained in his daily routines, enabling him to effectively manage his time and prioritize tasks.
Dana White’s Goal Setting Routine – Have a 5 Year Plan
While he is not big on vision boards and small daily goals, White is a huge advocate for 5-year plans that create direction for where he wants the UFC to go. The key for him is to not get taken off course by the daily BS that life throws at him.
With a 5-year plan in hand, White is able to be crystal clear with his intentions, and can focus on chipping away at the plan, breaking it down into yearly, monthly, and weekly milestones. The 5-year plan is reviewed and measured upon occasion to check to see where he and the organization are in relation to their goals.
“I always believed that you have to – you can’t go anywhere without a f***ing map…and it’s easy to get caught up in the daily bullsh*t and forget where you had to go.”
-Dana White
Also see: What is Joe Rogan’s Morning Routine? The Answer
White Uses a “War Room” To Stay Organized
White has a war room, where all the fights that he is currently working on are put on the wall. In addition, the wall has all the fighters in the top 15 from each weight class, fighter contracts that are coming up, and financial information about ticket sales. He sits in the room for hours with his key people, bouncing ideas around, and coming up with the best fight matchups.
This key daily habit contributes to Dana White’s ability to have visual clarity. He noted that he is a very “visual guy” and understands what he needs to accomplish each day to ensure that every task he undertakes aligns with these objectives. This approach allows him to stay focused and avoid wasting time on activities that do not contribute to the 5-year plan.
White Is Good At Time Management, Delegation, & Flexibility
Furthermore, Dana White demonstrates exceptional proficiency in effectively managing his time. He possesses a deep understanding of delegating tasks and places a high priority on those that demand his personal attention. This adeptness allows him to successfully handle numerous responsibilities while simultaneously making significant strides towards essential projects.
White has discussed the challenge of managing a large number of fighters, noting that issues continually arise. Despite his high ambition and focus, alpha male fighters often encounter problems such as missing weight cuts, sustaining injuries, or demanding more money, causing him to scramble to get things done. The ability to adapt and be flexible is crucial for him, and he appears to handle these challenges exceptionally well.
Also see: Are Joe Rogan and Dana White Related? Long-Lost Siblings
Dana White Sleep Patterns
White has described himself as an insomniac, getting as little as 3 hours of sleep on some days. But with that, he’s had some issues with sleep apnea and an inability to breath well at night. As he described on the 10x Health System interview, it got so bad that a doctor told him the solution would be to cut his tonsils out so that his throat would widen, allowing him to breath better.
Instead, he employed the 10x system and his sleep has improved significantly, both in quantity and quality. It turns out that the sleep is so enjoyable, he may not want to be an insomniac after all.
The Best Dana White Quote:
“I laugh every time I hear people saying ‘Yeah, you know, I don’t like working for other people so I want to work for myself cause I want to set my own hours.’ Yeah right. Let me tell you what, when you work for yourself there’s no Christmas, no f***ing Easter, there’s none of that sh*t when you work for yourself. In the early days you’re working through all those holidays. Every day something bad happens, every day there’s problems, everyday somebody is trying to f*** you and take what you’ve built. It’s a war.”
Dana White quote on being self-employed, and working hard in his daily routine
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