UFC CEO Dana White with President-elect Donald Trump at an election night watch party.AP Photo/Alex BrandonDana White grew the UFC into a multibillion-dollar company after acquiring it in 2001.In that time, White also became a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump.Now, he is joining Meta's board of directors.Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White has been on quite the journey over the last two decades.From managing MMA fighters to appearing at the Republican National Convention three times to support President-elect Donald Trump, White has become a global figure in both sports and politics.And now he's entered the sphere of Big Tech, joining the board of directors at Mark Zuckerberg's Meta.Here's how White went from a small-time trainer to the board of one of the world's most influential tech companies in just a few years.White purchases the UFC in 2001 for $2 million.White purchased the UFC for $2 million with his childhood friends, Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta.Photo by Getty ImagesWhite started out as a boxing trainer in Las Vegas and then Boston before shifting focus to mixed martial arts, he told Forbes in a 2014 interview.Eventually, White managed MMA fighters who participated in UFC bouts, which resulted in a contract dispute with the UFC.