UFC President Dana White reportedly named as a victim in sex-tape case

Dana White UFC Brooklyn Post-Fight
Dana White UFC Brooklyn Post-Fight

UFC President Dana White was named in a civil lawsuit filed on Friday as the alleged "prominent Las Vegas businessman" who was victimized in a $200,000 sex-tape extortion case, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Ernesto Joshua Ramos pleaded guilty to criminal charges for extortion in federal court in 2015, serving 366 days in prison. He is accusing White of having backed out of an agreement to pay him $450,000 for not publicly naming him as part of the case.

White on Saturday issued a statement about the lawsuit:

“I just found out that a bulls--t lawsuit was filed against me yesterday. This guy went to federal prison for trying to extort me over five years ago. Now he’s hired a lawyer who is also a convicted felon, and he’s trying to extort me again for $10 million. He got no money from me last time and he won’t be getting any money from me this time. I look forward to the court dismissing this quickly so I can get rid of these scumbags forever.”

Ramos's lawyer, Ian Christopherson, was convicted of tax evasion in 2012.

The criminal case stems from Ramos's attempts to extort $200,000 from an unnamed prominent businessman in Las Vegas, whom he now identifies as UFC President Dana White. He allegedly had video footage of White having sex with an adult nightclub dancer, who was also his girlfriend. He alleged that White paid his girlfriend thousands of dollars to dance for him and have sex with him at the Spearmint Rhino strip club.

Ramos's girlfriend then allegedly had sex with White during an overseas trip and secretly recorded the incident on her phone.

FBI agents arrested Ramos and charged him with extortion after he was videotaped receiving money from the prominent businessman at a late-night meeting at the businessman's office.

White was not identified in the criminal case. The victim of extortion was identified as a married businessman and Las Vegas resident with two minor children and who was “part-owner of a well-known business” with access to a company jet.


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Why is Ramos going after Dana White after having pleaded guilty?

The civil suit filed on Friday alleges that White and his attorneys offered Ramos money to accept a guilty plea and to keep quiet about his target being White. Ramos pleaded guilty, but White never paid him anything. Ramos later tried to rescind his guilty plea, but was denied.

“The actions of White were fraudulent, oppressive and designed to encourage Ramos to plead guilty so he could negotiate a substantial settlement, which would prevent the disclosure of his actions at trial for the personal benefit of White and his related businesses and interest,” the civil suit alleges.

The UFC was also named in the lawsuit alongside Dana White.