Dana White to Address Oxford Union Society

LAS VEGAS, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Dana White, the President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® organization, will follow in the footsteps of US Presidents, British Prime Ministers and heavyweights from the political, scientific and sporting arenas when he addresses Oxford University's famed Oxford Union Society on October 13th, 2010.

Founded in the 11th Century, Oxford University is the oldest surviving seat of learning in the English-speaking world. The Oxford Union was formed by Oxford University students in 1823 as a "haven for free speech during an age noted for University repression" and boasts a guest speaker tradition second to none.

Previous speakers at the Union include former British Prime Ministers, former US Presidents Carter, Nixon and Reagan, over a dozen heads of state from around the world, including the Queen of England, such notables as US Civil Rights activist Malcolm X, US Attorney General Bobby Kennedy, cosmologist Stephen Hawking, biologist Richard Dawkins, theoretical physicist Albert Einstein, and popular icons such as Pierce Brosnan, Clint Eastwood and Martin Sheen.

White said: "It is a great honor to be invited to address the Oxford Union. Anyone who knows anything about me knows I always speak my mind and am very passionate about what I do, and the Oxford Union was founded on exactly those principles. I'm looking forward to meeting the students, and I know they have a reputation for asking tough questions and expecting straight answers from their guests. That's exactly what they'll get from me."

Ash Sangha, the Vice President of the Oxford Union Society charged with inviting guest speakers, added: "Throughout its history, the Oxford Union Society has been a renowned stage for high profile and deeply interesting figures to share their stories and promote their passions.

"We are delighted that Dana White will be making his contribution to this great tradition when he visits us in October. As President of UFC, Dana has created a billion dollar global sports company in less than a decade and we look forward to hearing his take on the rise of the UFC and giving us greater insight into this phenomenon."

During his visit to Oxford University, White will visit the historic Oxford Union Library, as well as meet with Oxford Entrepreneurs, another campus student society, who are keen to quiz White on the strategies he deployed to transform the UFC organization from a money-losing spectacle into the fastest growing company in the history of sport.

White will be in England for UFC 120, which takes place at the O2 Arena, London, on October 16. Headlined by British middleweight Michael Bisping taking on Japan's Yoshihiro Akiyama, UFC 120 is the fourth consecutive event the UFC has sold out in the biggest arena in Great Britain. The UFC will also be celebrating the first ever British UFC Fan Expo, which takes place at Earls Court, London, on October 15 and 16.

About the Oxford Union 

The Oxford Union is hailed as the world's most famous and prestigious student society, having been founded in 1823 to provide a forum for free speech in an age when the University banned all discussion of politics and religion. Since then it has prospered remarkably. The Oxford Union is run by an elected student committee and students who have won elections here have gone on to do the same later in life, and it has produced five British Prime Ministers and numerous Presidents. The Union's record of guest speaker visits is world renowned. Its Chamber has played host to some of the most influential figures in the world: Presidents Reagan, Nixon and Carter have all spoken there, as have the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa and the Queen of England.

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SOURCE UFC