Professional Bull Riders (PBR) just lost one of its most popular attractions.
“Twisted Steel,” the prized bull owned by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White, died earlier this week after battling an undisclosed illness. One of the nastiest bulls on the PBR circuit, Twisted Steel had an average buck-off time of 3.04 seconds for an astounding 87 percent.
“Like many others, Dana established a special bond with Twisted Steel, whose popularity among fans matched his soaring buck-off percentage,” PBR wrote on social media. “While Twisted Steel will never be replaced, Dana loves the sport and with his partner Dennis Davis continues on with Sour Diesel and White Thunder. Don’t be surprised to see his roster of bulls grow.”
White jumped into the bull-riding circuit back in 2016 with “Stank Face” before moving on to “F-Bomb.” Both bulls have since retired from competition. UFC fans on social media were split on the update about Twisted Steel, with some expressing their condolences while others panned the news as irrelevant to combat sports.
“I think the reason that I fell in love with (bull riding) is because the mentality is much like fighting,” White previously told PBR. “To step into a cage in front of the whole world and test yourself against somebody that’s trained and is as good as you are is crazy and scary. Then, to get into that rack and slide in on a bull – they strap your hand in, you’ve got to (signal) to tell them to open the (chute).”
“I said, ‘I don’t know if I would do it. I don’t know if I would actually do it.’ Oh, you’ll do it, because the bull is smashing your legs into the side of the rails, and it’s like, the ride can’t be worse than what’s happening inside here,” White continued. “The mental toughness and the absolute craziness you have to have in you to be a bull rider is just next level.”
Just ask this returning UFC fighter.
