Dana White has been trying to repair his reputation as of late. With the increased scrutiny on the way UFC compensates athletes Dana White has been busy between sending custom gifts to athletes, cash gifts to collaborators and even helping one of DWCS guys not become homeless.
Now the news of White’s chairtable spirit hit the waves again. According to reports Dana White has donated to Muay Thai athlete who lost both of his legs in a freak workplace accident.
According to TMZ Sports, road worker and boxer John Esposito was involved in a terrible accident at work. A vehicle sped into the area where Esposito was working and hit him from behind, pinning him against a trailer.
The 30-year-old claims he lost his legs at that very moment. However, the misery didn’t stop there.
He recently recalled the experience, saying: “Halfway through the flight on the medivac, I flatlined. They were able to resuscitate me, though, and bring me back to life.”
Esposito has been striving arduously to return to a place where he can fight once again, despite his current situation. He is now learning how to walk about with prostheses while exercising from a wheelchair.
He told NJ Advance Media:
“When I was laying there in the hospital, I realised I have two paths ahead of me. I can mope and cry about it, but what’s that going to do for me, or I can learn and adapt.”
“Of course, I still have my moments. Muay Thai, I think, helped me a lot. It’s all about perspective. If you look at it as your life’s over, that’s what it is going to be. Just like positive thoughts, your negative thoughts can manifest into reality,”
Liam Tarrant, the creator of The Muay Thai Project, and his pals Chris and Sarah Romulo established a GoFundMe after learning about his story. Tarrant discussed Esposito’s story on the Ceremonial Weigh-In podcast hosted by UFC’sAngela Hill.
White decided to give $10,000 (AU$15,400) to the charity after listening to the podcast and being moved by the narrative.
Thanks to contributions from White and others, the GoFundMe is almost at $30,000 (AU$46,000) target. This will be used to fund Esposito’s recovery-related expenses.
Esposito is determined to return to Muay Thai after his rehabilitation. He said:
“Right now, I just don’t think there’s any commission that would allow that. Believe me, if there’s a way to keep doing Muay Thai, I would certainly do that. I want to start getting into boxing.”