Despite being downplayed by the ‘Sin City’ crowd over the weekend at WrestleMania 41, UFC boss Dana White has taken the time to issue some praise and support to another entertainer in the industry.
Jason DeFord, better known as Jelly Roll, has come into the UFC bossman’s radar after revealing a staggering weight loss this week.
White, the long-time leader of the UFC himself, famously trimmed 40 stubborn pounds from a rather unhealthy 300 lbs in 2022, in under three months. In the years since, he has steadily focused on lifting weights, with an extra focus on diet to achieve a rather muscular frame.
So, when the Tennessee rapper appeared on NFL veteran and WWE commentator Pat McAfee’s podcast, the UFC boss let him know he had his back.
“I started at 540 pounds, I’m 357 pounds this morning, baby. I’m going to lose another 100 pounds and go skydiving with my wife in Sweden, baby,” Jelly Roll told McAfee.
White shared the incredible achievement on his Instagram story and said, “Keep kicking ass A** @jellyroll615“.
— THE UFCGUY (@the_ufcguy) April 21, 2025
Jelly Roll’s weight loss journey compared to White
Interestingly, a 5k run played a huge part in beginning Roll’s weight loss journey. Before doing the race, in April last year, he had told reporters that in preparation for the event, he was running two to three miles a day for four to six days a week.
To complement, the Grammy-nominated rapper was also doing 20-30 minutes in the sauna and six minutes in a cold plunge, without missing a day.
“I’m probably down 70-something pounds“, he had told People Magazine. Roll also confessed to eating healthy. He also claimed moving past his food addiction was a huge part of his weight loss journey.
“I’ve never had a healthy relationship with food, so that was the hard part. But once you get into that discipline and commitment, it’s like an avalanche“, he had noted in November last year.
Interestingly, White’s journey has also been a little similar to Roll – as in, the UFC boss also took his sweet time getting to where he is today. But White, being White, managed to push things to the extreme.
White’s intense 86-hour fast
Enlisting the help of Gary Brecka, White engaged in mass body transformation in less than a week.
“Obviously, I’m not a doctor. But I’ve been told by the experts that water fasting can help to significantly reduce the risk of cancer, alzheimers and a ton of other health issues“, he had claimed back in 2023.
Strictly consuming just litres of water, as well as a special blend of beef bone broth, the UFC boss claimed that he felt like incredible like feel like a superhero.
However, he instructed anyone who wanted to follow suit to take electrolytes just to stay on the safe side.
“So, the first 24 hours, you drink water, and you can use that [electrolytes] in your water,” White explained.
“Then, the next day, this is the cleanest broth that you can buy. This thing only has 45 calories, less than one gram of carbs, and it has like 13 grams of protein”, he added, pointing to a product he claimed to be consuming himself.
Asking people to repeat the process for two days, he promised incredible results.
“And obviously, you’re doing it for the internal, but externally, you get absolutely shredded on this thing”, the UFC boss noted.
Unsurprisingly, despite White’s steadfastness in his belief, health experts are not completely sold.
So, leaving himself free of liability, White maintained that while he recommended the fast, others should consult their own medical professionals.
