UFC CEO Dana White explained he joined Meta’s board due to a request from Mark Zuckerberg, specifically noting how the Meta CEO cited the need for his company to have “a backbone.”

Zuckerberg announced earlier this year that White, an ally of President Donald Trump, would be joining the company’s board as part of a shakeup happening at Meta, which also saw the company ditch its fact-checkers in favor of community notes. In reflecting on joining Meta’s board, White suggested that many Silicon Valley billionaires are relieved that “the woke nutty madness” that took place throughout the COVID-19 era is ending. He also said he received Zuckerberg’s invitation following his 2024 Republican National Convention speech.