Dana White, the president of the UFC, recently shared the heartbreaking story of Shalie Lipp, a talented mixed martial arts fighter who died just two weeks before a significant fight.
Lipp, a native of Colorado and amateur mixed martial artist from Fargo, was involved in a car accident on the I-94 bridge between Fargo and Moorhead.
The accident occurred on a Sunday morning at around 11:30 a.m. and involved her 2015 Chevrolet Malibu and a 2017 Jeep Cherokee headed east. Everyone in both cars escaped unharmed except for Lipp, who was not wearing a seatbelt.
After her passing, Shalie’s mother found her daughter’s journal. Which frequently ended with the phrase “Dana White will know my name.” It was Lipp’s way of manifesting her goal to compete in the UFC.
White learned of her passing from former UFC women’s flyweight title challenger Lauren Murphy and seemed deeply affected by the news. He shared a heartfelt post on Instagram expressing his condolences.
UFC President Dana White sends a heartfelt message following the tragic death of 21-year-old amateur MMA fighter Shalie Lipp.#UFC #WMMA pic.twitter.com/iOCl0I0Uhh
— Women's MMA Rankings (@WMMARankings) May 11, 2023
“She is a 21 year old amateur MMA fight who just passed away in a car accident,” White shared. “She was supposed to fight on May 20th and just got home from training in Thailand. Her mother found her journal and i guess at the end of every entry. She would write “Dana White will know my name.” Lauren Murphy called and told Mick Maynard the story and it broke my heart.. My condolences to her family and friends.”
Dana White and his heartfelt message bring the MMA community together
Just before her scheduled MMA fight against Natalie Gage on May 20 under the No Mercy banner in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Shalie, a rising MMA star, passed away in a tragic car accident.
No Mercy promoter Jeremy Bjornberg, along with many others, believed that Shalie had the potential to make it to the UFC. Lipp used to write in her journal that she hoped to be recognized by Dana one day. Possibly as a way to manifest her dream of competing in the UFC.
On his Instagram account, Dana shared a touching post along with the following caption:
“I KNOW YOUR NAME……. RIP.”
Many UFC athletes shared their condolences on White’s Instagram post after the tragic news. Among them was Conor McGregor, who left a simple comment with a heart and folded hands emoji.
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