UFC CEO Dana White addressed one of the more personal topics during the post-event press conference following the promotion’s return to Winnipeg, opening up about his involvement in supporting Maya Gebala, a young girl from Tumbler Ridge whose name has appeared on the octagon canvas for several months.
White explained that his involvement began after learning about her situation through the media. “I saw it on the news and I reached out to the family,” he said. “That was it.”
From there, he emphasized that his motivation was rooted in compassion rather than publicity, noting that his focus has always been on helping the family access the care their daughter needs.
“I would like to help in any way that I can,” he said. “Obviously the situation that she’s in, when you’re a parent, you want the best possible care.”
White went on to describe the family’s ongoing efforts to secure treatment at top-tier medical facilities across the United States, explaining that several options are currently under consideration.
“They wanted to give their daughter the best chance they could,” he said. “There are some great places in LA, there’s a great place in Houston, there’s a great place in Seattle. So we’re still sort of working through all that.”
He also pushed back against the common assumption that financial resources alone can quickly resolve complex medical situations, stressing that the process is often far more complicated than people realize. “It’s not as easy as it sounds,” he said. “Some guy with money jumps in and everything just happens. It’s not that easy. You would be disgusted to know how hard it really is.”
White acknowledged that the effort has been a collaborative one, crediting members of his organization who have stepped in to help coordinate support.
“Me and my team have been working on it,” he said. “I got to give, you know, Lenee and Hunter too, both have been helping me with this thing. So yeah, it’s still a work in progress, but I’m going to do my best.”
Despite speaking candidly about the situation, White made clear that he is hesitant to discuss the matter publicly out of respect for the family’s privacy. “I don’t want to speak on anybody. It’s not really my place to talk about this publicly,” he said.
