Dana White steps outside the Octagon to champion son's debut manga at New York Comic Con

UFC CEO Dana White took a rare step away from fight promotion at New York Comic Con, appearing alongside his son Aiden White and nephew Will Carter to promote their debut manga, Martial War.

The title marks the first foray into comics for both Aiden and Carter, and White used the platform to publicly back the project. Joining them at the event were two significant names from the manga world: Hiroyuki Takei, the legendary artist behind the iconic series Shaman King, and Steve Dutro, an Eisner Award-nominated letterer recognised for his work on Monster, 21st Century Boys, and I Am a Hero.

The presence of Takei and Dutro lends considerable creative credibility to Martial War as a debut effort. Takei’s Shaman King ran for years in Weekly Shōnen Jump and became a globally recognised franchise, while Dutro’s Eisner nomination places him among the most respected craftsmen in Western manga localisation.

White spoke with MMA Fighting’s José Youngs as part of the outlet’s Anything But Fighting series, which places combat sports figures in contexts well outside their usual arena. The Comic Con setting proved a natural fit for a story that blends martial arts themes — familiar territory for the UFC chief — with the visual storytelling traditions of Japanese manga.