UFC President Dana White recently revealed his involvement in successfully securing the release of a woman from a Russian prison.
Speaking about the previously undisclosed diplomatic effort, White explained how the situation unfolded following a UFC event in Sydney, Australia.
“I got a call from a friend of mine and asked if he could come by my hotel room and talk to me,” White said. “And he came by and told me the story and then asked if I would go to the president.”
According to White, the woman’s supporters had been working unsuccessfully for approximately a year with the previous administration to secure her freedom. Seeing an opportunity to help, White leveraged his well-known relationship with former President Donald Trump.
“So, they asked if I would talk to Trump. So, I said, of course. So, I called him and he said, yeah, let me see what I can do,” White recounted.
What happened next surprised even White himself. “Literally, in three weeks, he had her out,” he said.
The UFC president described the satisfying aftermath of the successful intervention, noting that the freed woman recently reached out to express her gratitude.
“She FaceTimed me like two days ago,” White shared. “What an incredible… sweet, positive human being she is.”
White was careful to distribute credit for the diplomatic achievement, specifically mentioning both key world leaders involved. “President Trump and Putin. Give them both credit for getting her out,” he stated.
The identity of the woman and specific details of her case remain unclear from White’s account, but the story highlights an unusual instance of behind-the-scenes diplomacy facilitated through personal connections.
White expressed surprise that his role in the matter hadn’t received more attention, remarking, “It’s crazy you asked me that question now because nobody’s even asked me about that.”
This successful negotiation adds another chapter to the sometimes unconventional diplomatic approaches that have characterized international prisoner exchanges in recent years.
