Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White visited Tuptim, the little girl he once saved by paying for her liver transplant operation back in 2010 in Phuket, Thailand.
White, who was in Thailand visiting veteran UFC fighter Mike Swick, paid Tuptim a visit at her father’s Muay Thai gym, as relayed online by Thailand-based MMA journalist James Goyder via Twitter.
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It all began in 2010 when Tuptim, who was only 7 months old at the time, was in desperate need of a liver transplant, MMA Mania reported. Many students as well as workers at Tiger Muay Thai, where her father World Muay Thai world champion Rattanachai Jadngooluem used to work before owning his own gym, helped the family set up an online campaign for her operation.
About $10,000 was raised out of the $50,000 goal. White saw a thread in an Underground forum and contacted the owner of the gym, Ray Elbe, agreeing to cover the bill for the little girl’s liver transplant.
“[I have] Just received confirmation that Dana White is the reason for the season. Monday morning he will have his assistant contact Grainne Farrell of [Phuket-based medical toursim company] Lotus Medical to make arrangements for the payment of the liver transplant operation.Thailand is a beautiful country and this story is an amazing example of how good things happen for good people. Rattanachai deserved to have someone step up in his time of need,” Elbe told Phuket Gazette in 2010.
“It’s one of the greatest things ever in my life,” White said while speaking with Kevin Lole for Yahoo Sports, MixedMartialArts.com reported.
Featured Image (lef) via Wikimedia Commons / Andrius Petrucenia (CC BY-SA 2.0)
