Today marks one week to the day since we ran a story about Dana White vowing to never speak about Jake Paul again. In contrast, “The Problem Child” has ramped up his side of the feud to new levels.
Friday morning, Paul released a rap song where he relentlessly roasts Dana White for over two minutes, and a few UFC stars were targeted as well.
The video begins with “Dana White” and UFC executives pressuring a fighter played by Cris Cyborg to sign a three-fight contract worth $12,000 a fight. When the fighter asks about long-term health care, “White” snaps, “Don’t worry about that right now! Just sign on the dotted line or no one’s gonna know who you are.”
At this point, Paul and his entourage crash the signing, and the YouTuber cracks “White” with a baseball bat. The music video then commences.
Jake Paul Targets White & Three Big UFC Stars In Diss Track
The biggest themes of the video are the UFC’s mistreatment of fighters, Dana White’s greed, and a wide-scale roasting of the UFC president in general.
There were also some shrapnel that fell on UFC stars Jorge Masvidal, Nate Diaz, and Conor McGregor, three names that Paul has lobbied for fights against in the past. Here what he had to say about each fighter.
Jorge Masvidal
Jorge Masvidal, Credit: Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
“First of all, Masvidal, you ain’t rich. 50 fights for 5 mill’ that ain’t shit.”
Nate Diaz
“I like havin money conversations. All that little Stockton shit is cool, but that lisp got me thinking Diaz speak a different language.”
Conor McGregor
(via John Locher/AP)
“McGregor, I ain’t seen you win in five years. You rich little weirdo, ugly ass veneers. Took so many losses wounded up at VMAs, tryna fight with MGK, no surprise here.
Lamborghini boat but your career is sinkin’. Really got me wondering what Dee is thinkin’. I ain’t even dissin now I’m really speaking. Wounded up in jail too many times with all dat liquor drinkin’.”
“Suga” Sean O’Malley has inserted his two cents into the UFC’s contract negotiations with Francis Ngannou.
The conflict between Ngannou and the UFC has been marinating for about a year. To put it simply, Ngannou has been asking for more money and more freedom.
“Dude, if you’re gonna go out there and just talk [expletive] about the boss and the company you can’t just expect no backlash…And I don’t wanna say talking [expletive] in a bad way. I guess he’s just talking facts but it is talking [expletive] and you can’t do that to the UFC. You can’t do that to Dana. You can’t do that to your boss.”
O’Malley also defended White not putting the belt around Ngannou’s waist after the fight. In all fairness, Dana has since claimed that he had urgent business in the back he had to deal with. What that business is? We do not know, as he did not explain further than that.
White also indicated that he has no issue with Ngannou at all, contrary to the common perception that trailed the event.
Francis Ngannou is now set to have surgery on his right knee, which was injured coming into his UFC 270 title defense against Ciryl Gane.
As for Sean O’Malley, the outspoken bantamweight last competed at UFC 269 in a first-round TKO win over Raulian Paiva, which earned him Performance of the Night honors.
Do you agree with Sean O’Malley’s take on Francis Ngannou’s comments about his UFC negotiations?
Jake Paul says he wants to make real change in the combat sports world.
The boxer and entertainer has previously mentioned how he believes UFC fighters are mistreated by their promotion. He has called out UFC President Dana White and in the past has demanded that White take steps to better accommodate his fighters.
Paul now says he wants to get a union for fighters in MMA and boxing. This statement came during an interview on ESPN, where he mentioned how fighters deserve better pay and healthcare.
“I want to create a fighters’ union,” said Paul during a recent appearance on ESPN’s “The First Take.” “This is my goal to really impact the whole entire sport, both MMA and boxing, and leave an everlasting stamp. I just so happen to not be beholden to anybody. A lot of these UFC fighters they are beholden to Dana White. They can’t speak out against him, so I’m using my platform because I’m one of a very few people who actually can.”
Paul has constantly gone after UFC and their brass as of late. In early January, Paul put out an ultimatum to the Dana White, saying he would join the promotion if they met a list of his demands. This list included providing healthcare to fighters and raising the minimum pay for a fighter.
Paul is now teasing a diss track that will be directed towards White. He recently posted a photo of him inside a spoof MMA cage that looked to be used for a music video shoot. This post was captioned “Tomorrow. Diss track,” and had White tagged in the post. Meanwhile, White recently vowed to never discuss Jake Paul ever again.
Some have questioned whether Paul is actually campaigning for better fighter pay, or if he is simply going after the UFC for popularity. Many people, including UFC fighter Anthony Smith, have argued that Paul is likely genuine in his message.
Do you think Jake Paul will make real change for fighter treatment in MMA?
UFC President Dana White might be interested in a fight between Henry Cejudo and Alexander Volkanovski, that is if it can happen.
White mentioned the fight during a live Q&A session on Wednesday. This came when he was asked by a viewer about “superfights” he would be open to making in 2022. Along with a fight between Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou, he mentioned a series of matchups that would see retired Cejudo face champions.
“Well, we just had Henry Cejudo talking about coming back. If he really wants to come back, there’s a process that he has to go through, which includes getting back in the USADA pool. And if that’s really the fight he wants, he wants to come back and fight either Petr Yan, or Aljamain Sterling, whoever is the champion, or something crazy like jumping up a weight class and really taking on Alexander Volkanovski,” said White. “But right here off the top of my head, as far as superfights go, Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou, the only other one that comes to mind would be Cejudo (versus) either Yan, Sterling, or Volkanovski.”
Cejudo Has Proposed Fight Against Volkanovski Before
Alexander Volkanovski (Image: Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty), Henry Cejudo (Image: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Cejudo got the public’s attention earlier this month when he was vocal about wanting to face Volkanovski. This came due to Max Holloway being forced out of a fight against Volkanovski that was set for later this year. He has also called for this fight multiple times in the past. However, UFC eventually landed on The Korean Zombie as the next featherweight title challenger.
Cejudo has been retired for over a year now. He departed the sport in 2020 after defending his bantamweight belt, stopping Dominick Cruz in the second round of a fight.
Cejudo has given himself the nickname “Triple C” in recent years. This is because he has a belt at flyweight and bantamweight in the UFC and also earned a gold medal for freestyle wrestling at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Should he ever find himself in a featherweight title fight, he might have to change his nickname.
Would you be interested in a fight between Henry Cejudo and Alexander Volkanovski?
Dana White is dismissing all the post-fight drama surrounding his sudden exit from the Honda Center after Francis Ngannou’s title retention at UFC 270.
The buildup to UFC 270 was not short on drama. It featured the bitter split between Ngannou and ex-coach Fernand Lopez, a backstage blowby gone viral, and of course the ongoing contract dispute between Ngannou and the UFC.
While there always is an air of “what’s next?” following every big event, typically, all the storylines coming in are settled by the end of the night. In the case of the UFC 270 aftermath, we learned the drama was only just beginning.
Hordes of spectators could not help but notice that UFC President Dana White did not wrap the world title around the waist of Francis Ngannou after his big victory over Ciryl Gane, as he typically does to the winner of every title fight. They also noted that White was conspicuously absent in the post-fight press conference as well.
Due to the tense contract negotiations between Ngannou and the UFC being common knowledge, people of all walks of life chalked up White’s abrupt exit as rage-fueled disrespect towards Ngannou launched from a corporate foxhole.
During his much-anticipated Q&A Wednesday on ESPN+, White attempted to shut down this narrative and also had a few choice words for those who have been spreading it.
“For anybody thinking I was showing any type of disrespect towards Francis: I saw Francis all week, you idiots. I shook his hand, I said hi to him, I was out there for the staredowns, the whole thing. So for anybody to think that there was some type of disrespect shown towards Francis—I wasn’t out there for [Michael Bisping vs Luke Rockhold 2 at UFC 199], either, because I was dealing with some stuff. And I sprinted from the back. I didn’t even have my jacket on. I still only had my shirt on to go out there and put the belt on Bisping, but I couldn’t make it out there to put the belt on Francis.
“There’s only been one time that I’ve walked out on a fight and made it very clear, showed up to the press conference and said, ‘This is exactly why I left.’ It was in Abu Dhabi. So there’s the answer.”
It should be noted that White took the initiative to bring the subject up himself, as the above remarks were not a response to any question submitted by a fan.
White Shares Positive Thoughts About Ngannou Following UFC 270
Francis Ngannou, Dana White (Image Credits: Jeff Bottari/Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
White was also complimentary towards Ngannou’s game plan in his victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. He expressed his belief that Gane was just as shocked as everyone else to see Ngannou adopt a wrestling-heavy approach, and this element of surprise was a huge ingredient to Ngannou’s success in the final three rounds.
“In 2022, I think people are excited about Gaethje and Oliveira,” White said. “A lot of people are excited about that fight. You saw the pop that Gaethje got on Saturday night at the arena. And I think another big fight, if it’s possible to get it done, would be Jon Jones and Francis.”
Francis Ngannou is set to undergo knee surgery in the near future with an estimated recovery timetable of nine months. Perhaps during this time, he and the UFC will be able to come to terms on a new deal before the end of the year.
Do you believe Dana White’s explanation for his UFC 270 exit and that he did not intentionally disrespect Francis Ngannou?
UFC President Dana White is holding a fan Q&A session exclusively for ESPN+ subscribers amidst his recent Francis Ngannou snub.
Fans around the MMA community have remained perplexed on why White didn’t put the belt around Ngannou following his win over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. Arguably even more surprising was White’s noted absence from post-fight media obligations.
This comes just days after a wild weekend in the UFC at UFC 270, the promotion’s first pay-per-view of 2022. Ngannou’s win over Gane was preceded by Deiveson Figueiredo’s win over Brandon Moreno to reclaim the UFC flyweight title.
White has been under fire in recent days for how he’s handled the promotion’s ongoing dispute with Ngannou. The two sides are currently at a standstill as contract talks have seemingly hit a dead end.
Following the win over Gane, details have surfaced regarding what Ngannou had to go through in the lead up to UFC 270. He alleged that the UFC threatened to sue his manager, Marquel Martin for being in contact with Jake Paul’s team to talk boxing.
Ngannou has remained in a holding pattern in his stance against the UFC and White. He’s adamant that money alone won’t fix the relationship he has with the promotion, as speculation runs rampant regarding his next Octagon appearance.
As for White, we could get answers regarding all of the Ngannou controversies as soon as tomorrow, unless White declines to answer those questions at the upcoming Q&A.
UFC President Dana White’s abrupt exit from the Honda Center following Francis Ngannou’s UFC 270 title retention did not go unnoticed by the spectating public.
Among the various observers of White leaving the arena without customarily wrapping the world title around Ngannou’s waist or taking part in the post-fight press conference were renowned MMA journalist Ariel Helwani and civil rights activist, journalist, and New York Times best-selling author Shaun King.
While MMA fans have grown accustomed to Helwani criticizing White and the UFC on various issues over the years, it is not every day that a social justice activist shares a strong commentary about the current happenings of the UFC.
However, after White conspicuously took no part in any post-fight festivities, King shared the following to his 3 million-plus social media followers.
“Something wildly disrespectful happened last night for the @UFC. 1. The @UFC account was ordered not to tweet a single highlight during the fight as they did every other fight. 2. Then @DanaWhite refused to put the belt on Ngannou and refused to attend the press conference,” King wrote.
King later embedded the above tweet in a follow-up post on Facebook, where he wrote: “It’s so ugly to see @danawhite and the @UFC treat the HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP OF THE WORLD this way. And @francisngannou is a GREAT guy. A hero all over the world.”
To King’s point, if one were to visit the UFC’s Twitter page, they would not find a single highlight from Ngannou’s victory over Gane. This is indeed a very strange, if not historic occurrence for a pay-per-view main event ever since the promotion began posting highlights to the page.
The running theory is that White’s behavior is due to the very tense contract negotiations between the UFC and Ngannou. Ngannou and his management have been quite public about their unhappiness with how the champion has been paid and promoted by the company.
Ariel Helwani Stunned By White’s Exit, Tyron Woodley Chimes In
Back around to MMA circles, Ariel Helwani also had something to add about one of the biggest talking points following the UFC 270 event.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZEz02yLZ6n/
“After all that, didn’t put the belt on and didn’t show up to the press conference. Remarkable. Respect to Francis for handling it all with class and grace,” Helwani wrote.
Among those to chime in under the post was none other than former UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley.
“seen this before,” Woodley wrote.
Woodley is referring to White’s post-fight reaction when Woodley retained the welterweight title over Darren Till at UFC 228, a reaction that gave us the following timeless meme.
Many took notice of the similarities between White’s reaction to Ngannou’s win and Woodley’s 2018 victory over Till. In both cases, White declined to attend the post-fight press conference.
Several other notable figures had something to add in the comments section of Helwani’s Instagram post, including Quinton “Rampage Jackson” and Mark Hunt.
What are your thoughts on Dana White leaving the Honda Center without wrapping the world title around Francis Ngannou’s waist or taking part in the post-fight press conference?
This article was published on MMANews.com on January 24, 2022, at 12:00 PM ET.
The Pulse of MMA: Fan Reactions To The Sport’s Biggest Stories
In this installment of The Pulse of MMA, we dive into the raw, unfiltered reactions of MMA fans afterDana White bounced after Francis Ngannou retained the UFC heavyweight championship over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270.
Dana White Abruptly Exits After Francis Ngannou Tops Ciryl Gane At UFC 270
Dana White (Image Credit: Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC)
All things considered, Dana White kept a pretty solid poker face heading into UFC 270 if his post-fight reaction is any indication of how he felt about the prospect of Francis Ngannou retaining the heavyweight title.
By now, it’s no secret that Ngannou and the UFC are in the middle of very tense, if not historic contract negotiations that could potentially see a sitting champion exit the promotion with the title if a new deal is not met.
Yet, after Ngannou was declared the victor via unanimous decision, White was conspicuous in his absence both in wrapping the title around Ngannou’s waist and also at the post-fight press conference. Just how conspicuous was his absence? Well, let’s allow The Pulse of MMA to fill you in on that…
Not so long ago, Dana White appeared on a show where he was asked about Ariel Helwani and Dana called him a "pussy". Dana refused to put the belt on Ngannou tonight and then avoided media. Is there a bigger pussy than Dana White? #UFC270
The often polarizing YouTuber turned boxer Jake Paul isn’t letting UFC President Dana White off the hook for his previous remarks.
White has recently alluded to being done with his back-and-forths with Paul on social media and in interviews. However, Paul doesn’t appear to be done with White just yet.
Paul has hinted at a future move to MMA after a few more boxing fights and has allegedly contacted American Kickboxing Academy to train there. Promotions such as Bellator and the PFL have reportedly been interested in Paul’s services.
Despite White’s calls of a cease-fire between him and Paul, “The Problem Child” isn’t willing to oblige as evidenced in a recent tweet.
. @danawhite when I make my MMA debut, I could cut 20 pounds & do it at Welterweight / 170 pounds. That’s what all UFC fighters do and many have destroyed their bodies & minds doing it.
But I’m gonna do it at Middleweight (185). Health first.
“[Dana White] when I make my MMA debut, I could cut 20 pounds and do it at welterweight/170 pounds,” Paul said. “That’s what all UFC fighters do and many have destroyed their bodies and minds doing it. But I’m gonna do it at Middleweight (185). Health first. PS Conor [McGregor] walking around at 190.”
Paul wrapped up his stellar 2021 boxing calendar year with back-to-back wins over former UFC champion Tyron Woodley. He also knocked out former UFC welterweight Ben Askren in seconds last spring.
Paul has criticized White and the UFC for their treatment of fighters. He has specifically targeted the issue of fighter pay as a primary focus of his outside of the ring.
It had appeared that the White/Paul drama had briefly died down, but it didn’t take long for Paul to take shots at his combat sports adversary.
Do you think the Jake Paul/Dana White drama will ever end?
UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is just as confused as anyone about why company president Dana White didn’t put the belt around him at UFC 270.
Ngannou grinded out a hard-fought victory against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. While it wasn’t quite the showcase that everyone expected, he used his vastly improved wrestling and patience on the feet to stifle Gane’s attack.
After earning a unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards, UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard was the one who put the belt around Ngannou and not White. This surprised many around the MMA community since Dana White is usually the one to perform these honors. This has caused some to wonder whether or not Ngannou requested not to have White be involved.
“I don’t know, you’ll have to ask him,” Ngannou said about the reason for White’s absence. “I had nothing to do about that. I think that was their decision, I’m about to ask about that, too.”
Ngannou was later told by a reporter that White also didn’t attend post-fight media availability, which was apparently news to the champ. He was then asked if White’s cryptic post-fight absence makes him wonder about his future with the promotion with his contract negotiations still at a standstill.
“It’s been a long time that I’ve been wondering about my future in the company,” Ngannou said, shrugging off that notion. “So, nothing has changed. I’m still in the same position.”
Ngannou and White have had their fair share of tense moments leading up to UFC 270. Since Ngannou first earned the belt at UFC 260, he and the UFC brass haven’t been on the same page in regard to contract negotiations.
White has previously claimed that with a win at UFC 270, Ngannou has one more fight on his deal. However, White’s absence during Ngannou’s post-fight celebration could be telling with what lies ahead between the two of them.
Why do you think Dana White wasn’t present after Francis Ngannou’s win at UFC 270?
Dana White believes Joe Rogan can not be canceled.
Recently, a coalition of over 200 medical professionals and educators have written an open letter to Spotify to implement a “misinformation policy” as they claim Rogan is spewing lies on his podcast.
“This is not only a scientific or medical concern; it is a sociological issue of devastating proportions and Spotify is responsible for allowing this activity to thrive on its platform,” the letter concludes.
“Well, I know they had come out and said it was 200, 250 doctors or whatever. I guess when they started researching these people, they weren’t really doctors,” White said.
MMA Weekly
With most of them not being doctors, Dana White proves that Joe Rogan should keep doing what he is doing. He also believes the UFC commentator will never be canceled.
“You’re not canceling Rogan. And the thing is with Rogan, he’s a brilliant guy, he does his homework, and he knows what he’s talking about,” White said. “And guess what? This is fuckin’ America, and you can have your own opinion about these things, and you can voice ’em. That’s what this fuckin’ country was built on. And all these little whiny fuckin’ pussies that don’t like it, too fuckin’ bad, man. Too bad.”
Joe Rogan has been vocal about COVID-19 on his podcast, but he has had some experts on his podcast to talk about it. However, given how many people listen to him, the coalition wanted Spotify to have a misinformation notice on his podcasts. Whether or not that will happen is uncertain.
What do you make of Dana White saying Joe Rogan can’t be canceled after the coalition came out against him?
In 2017, UFC President Dana White had a hunch that Francis Ngannou could be the next big thing in the UFC. Five years later, Ngannou is now the UFC heavyweight champion with an incredible résumé attached to his name on his way to a unification headliner against Ciryl Gane tonight at UFC 270.
The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED OCTOBER 18, 2017, 9:35 AM]
Headline: Dana White: ‘I Think Francis Ngannou Could be The Next Big Thing’
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White believes Francis Ngannou doesn’t need the “gift of gab” to be a star.
Ngannou is a rising heavyweight known for his punching power. In his 10 victories, Ngannou has six knockouts and four submissions. His last win came against former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski via first-round TKO.
On Dec. 2, Ngannou will take on Alistair Overeem inside Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The bout will be featured on the main card of UFC 218.
Speaking to TSN, White explained why he feels “The Predator” can be a star without trash-talking (via BJPenn.com):
“I like Francis Ngannou. I think Francis Ngannou could be the next big thing, literally and figuratively. Listen, when you’re a badass, language has nothing to do with it man. It’s all about how you – look at Anderson Silva. The list goes on and on. It’s about your performances. Listen, we think about the talking because Conor is so good. Conor is a great fighter and every time he opens his mouth it’s hilarious, you know? You find those guys once in a blue moon.”
A win over “The Reem” could see Ngannou compete for the UFC heavyweight title sometime in 2018.
UFC President Dana White has big plans for the UFC going forward, including an unorthodox way of hosting fights.
White and the UFC are set to host their first string of pay-per-views to begin the 2022 calendar year. It all begins with UFC 270, featuring a heavyweight clash for the ages between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane.
But White has always looked ahead to what’s next for the sport of MMA, more specifically his promotion. During a recent interview on the Full Send Podcast, White raised eyebrows when he iterated plans to combine MMA fights with virtual reality.
“We’re looking to do a fight in the metaverse,” White said. “We’ve been working on it for a while. It’ll be a live fight, an actual fight that takes place inside the metaverse.”
When further pushed on what that would look like, White described how it would play out.
“It’d be kids at home, you put on your fuckin’ goggles and you can fuckin’ get up and go walk around. We’re still working it out, but yeah, it’ll be soon. We’ll be doing a fight in the metaverse. It’ll be a real fight.”
White even stated that fans would be able to buy tickets and experience these events virtually.
The metaverse is a network of virtual worlds of the internet, most prominently linked to the Oculus Quest virtual reality headset. Devices such as the Oculus have become more popular in recent months.
As virtual reality becomes more prominent in the current technological evolution, White and the UFC are looking to adjust to the times. It’s unclear when this will all take place, but it sounds like it has been in the works for a while and could happen as soon as this year.
What do you think of Dana White’s claims?Would you attend a fight virtually?
Dana White is chucking up the deuces to his lengthy feud with YouTuber turned boxing star, Jake Paul.
Over the past year, UFC President Dana White has been involved in a war of words with Jake Paul. After it was announced that Floyd Mayweather would be fighting Logan Paul, White trashed all the fans who had any interest in watching either of the Paul brothers compete in legitimate sports. It was at this time that White also stated Amanda Nunes would leave Jake Paul comatose.
But of course, the biggest theme of the White/Paul feud has been the topic of UFC fighter pay. Paul has continued to criticize White and the UFC for the way the promotion compensates its fighters, and he hasn’t stopped at just talking. The YouTuber even took money out of his own pocket to help UFC women’s flyweight Sarah Alpar pay for her training-camp expenses.
White/Paul Drama Reaches Its Climax
Another subject that has risen multiple times during the White/Paul feud is Paul’s claim that White is a “cokehead.” In fact, the former Disney actor opted to dress up as a “coked-up Dana White” for Halloween accompanied by “his hookers.”
After Paul made this accusation one time too many, the UFC boss decided to make Paul a little offer. He would allow Jake Paul to drug test him for cocaine for the next 10 years if he, in turn, could drug test Paul for performance-enhancing drugs for two. Paul would respond by agreeing to be tested by USADA in a UFC fight if White agreed to a list of terms regarding improving the pay and benefits of the UFC roster.
White considers Paul’s counterproposal to be a non-response. And not only did it terminate his original offer, but it also killed any desire the UFC president had to address Paul ever again.
During an appearance on The Full Send Podcast, White was asked what Paul would have to do to earn his respect. It was at this point White broke some news about his feud with the outspoken YouTuber.
“It’s not that he doesn’t have my respect. I don’t even know the kid, at the end of the day,” White said. “I don’t even know the kid. And you know what? To be honest with you, I’ll tell you right here right now: This is the last time you’ll hear me talk about him. I’m done.
“I put out the challenge, he said, ‘You do coke,’ I said, ‘I think you use performance-enhancing drugs. Let’s do it.’ He never responded to it, so fire away, kid. Do your thing.”
White went on to say that his decision was made after he realized that his feud with Paul, with whom he has no professional ties with whatsoever, is going nowhere.
“I’m sitting here, I’m arguing with this kid that doesn’t fight for me and is never gonna fight for me, so what’s the point of he and I going back and forth with each other?” White asked.
White may be done addressing Paul, but it’s highly unlikely Paul is done talking about White, UFC fighters, or the subject of fighter pay. Therefore, it would seem inevitable that reporters will continue to ask White to chime in on Paul’s latest antics and statements. Therefore, White may become very well-acquainted with the phrase “no comment” heading into the future.
On the other hand, he might get worked into breaking this promise by inquiring media members or directly by the king troll himself, “The Problem Child” Jake Paul.
Do you believe Dana White when he says he will never talk about Jake Paul ever again?
UFC President Dana White does not yet feel confident in confirming whether or not former 205-pound king Jon Jones will fight for the heavyweight title next.
Jones, who is widely considered the leading contender for GOAT status in the UFC, hasn’t been in action since February 2020. After returning to the Octagon in 2018 and regaining the light heavyweight title, “Bones” defended the gold three times against Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos, and Dominick Reyes.
But his much-awaited heavyweight debut is yet to arrive. After a blockbuster showdown with champion Francis Ngannou fell through due to a public pay dispute with White and the UFC, Jones sat out the entirety of 2021.
In the meantime, fans have seen glimpses of the Albuquerque resident’s transformation through gym pictures and training footage he’s uploaded to Instagram.
Given some previous interviews and a tweet that read, “Champion 2022,” many expect Jones to challenge either Ngannou or Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight belt later this year. “The Predator” and “Bon Gamin” are set to square off this weekend in an intriguing unification clash.
In an interview with ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, Dana White suggested Jones will be watching this Saturday’s UFC 270 main event closely from home and expects him to make a statement of intent on social media following its culmination.
“He’s absolutely sitting back at home and watching, and seeing how this plays out,” White said. “I think as soon as this fight is over, either way, however, the fight ends, whoever wins will probably hear from him on social media. He might even hear from him during the fight, who knows?”
However, when asked if Jones is likely to be next for whoever emerges as the undisputed titleholder, White said he’s not yet confident enough to confirm that. In his mind, Jones’ future and next step is yet to be decided, and we could even still see the veteran return to his old stomping ground of light heavyweight.
“Yeah, I don’t feel confident saying that Jon Jones is next,” White added. “Not because I think he’s unreliable. It’s because I honestly don’t know what Jon Jones wants to do next. I think Jon’s gonna watch this fight and, you know, he’ll decide, maybe he doesn’t fight at heavyweight, maybe he goes back and tries to regain the light heavyweight championship. I honestly don’t know the answer to that question.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CY4baMPNZ1z/
With the UFC’s opening pay-per-view main event of the year already boasting a host of intriguing storyline heading into it, the idea of Jones waiting in the wings for the victor is another facet to a compelling heavyweight title fight.
Would you like to see Jon Jones face the winner of this weekend’s UFC 270 main event later in the year?
UFC President Dana White says he’d never fault YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul or anybody for that matter for trying to earn money.
In a short space of time, Paul has grown from an internet celebrity trying his hand at boxing against other online stars to a professional pugilist knocking out former MMA champions.
Whether you admire his presence and growth in the sport or see him as a disturbance, no one can deny the rapid rise “The Problem Child” has made into the combat sports mainstream.
Having fought and finished fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib and former NBA star Nate Robinson, Paul turned his attention to mixed martial artists.
In three 2021 bouts, he knocked out former ONE and Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren and defeated former 170-pound UFC titleholder Tyron Woodley twice, once on the scorecards and once with a brutal KO.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXp11JYOGY4/
In his quest for more eyeballs, bigger paychecks, and, if you believe it to be genuine, better pay for fighters, Paul has consistently called out and berated Dana White, the leading man for the world’s premier MMA promotion.
Despite all that, and in spite of his responses and accusations of steroid usage directed at the Cleveland native, White maintains that he doesn’t actually hate Paul. Instead, the 52-year-old sees “The Problem Child” as a kid who is simply “doing his thing” and making money, something White says he’d never criticize.
“He really hasn’t been a thorn in my side. I don’t hate the guy like people think I hate him,” White told Manouk Akopyan. “You know, he’s out there doing his thing. He’s a young guy who’s got a fanbase and is trying to make some money. I don’t ever fault anybody for that.”
Nevertheless, White has appeared unlikely to ever consider doing business with the 25-year-old star.
But citing the blockbuster ‘Money Fight’ between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor in 2017 as an example of fan demand pushing him into the crossover market, the UFC kingpin hinted he’d be open to joining the ongoing surge in crossover bouts if the desire for him to do so reaches a similar level to what it did four years ago.
“It’s a tough one. Obviously, when there’s this underground swell from the fans and the media and the thing builds up into something like Mayweather vs. McGregor was, you know, you saw how that worked out, I ended up doing it,” added White. “But I haven’t seen anything that big and that crazy since… If there’s a fight that could be made with some of this other stuff that’s that big that my fans really wanna see it, I usually do it.”
Year 25 goals:
1) Get better every single day & enjoy every moment doing it
While White continues to put together and host weekly fight cards, Paul will seemingly continue his unbeaten venture into the squared circle, with UFC stars Nate Diaz and Masvidal on his radar.
Should Paul continue to gain momentum and popularity in the combat sports realm, perhaps we’ll eventually see him enter the Octagon or do business in some way or another with White.
Can you picture Dana White ever doing business with Jake Paul?
Dana White believes UFC Flyweight Champion Brandon Moreno has already established himself as a “huge star” on the global MMA stage.
In 2018, Moreno was cut from the UFC following back-to-back losses to Sergio Pettis and Alexandre Pantoja. Fast forward three-and-a-half years and “The Assassin Baby” sits atop the flyweight mountain having etched his name in history as the promotion’s first Mexican-born titleholder.
Moreno achieved that status at UFC 263 last June. After taking the seemingly-unstoppable Deiveson Figueiredo to a majority draw at UFC 256 six months prior, the Tijuana native earned an immediate rematch.
With his coveted status as Mexico’s first champ, his unique and likeable personality, and his immense ability in the Octagon, Moreno is quickly becoming one of the UFC’s top names and most popular champions.
During a recent interview with Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole, UFC President Dana White was asked if he believes Moreno is on his way to becoming a star. He responded by suggesting “The Assassin Baby” already is one.
“He already is (a star), he already is. I’ve been saying this to everybody,” White said. “Watch Saturday night when that kid comes into the arena. You don’t realize it until you do. We do some of these signings, and things like that with him, this kid’s a huge star and you’re really gonna see it and feel it on Saturday.”
Moreno Is Gearing Up For A 3rd Consecutive Title Fight Against Figueiredo
Having secured his spot on the 125-pound throne in 2021, Moreno’s attention will now turn towards defending the title and further cementing his place at the top of the division.
While Moreno is being seen as the favorite by many, including oddsmakers like Draft Kings, the Brazilian appears to be in fine shape heading into his chance at redemption.
If Figueiredo avoids the weight-cutting issues he claims hampered his UFC 263 outing, we may see “Deus Da Guerra” back to his best on Saturday. If that’s the case, he’ll be a tough man to beat.
Who do you think will emerge victorious in the UFC 270 co-main event, Brandon Moreno or Deiveson Figueiredo?
Dana White has given some advice to Henry Cejudo and Ali Abdelaziz on how to get the former flyweight and bantamweight champion a fight.
After it was revealed Max Holloway was out of his trilogy match against Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight belt, Cejudo was vocal about wanting the fight. However, the UFC showed no interest in the bout and decided to turn to the Korean Zombie instead. This was not the first time Cejudo has teased a comeback or called for a fight against Volkanovski. “Triple C” has been calling out Volkanovski frequently since his decision to retire.
Now, White has given Cejudo and Abdelaziz some advice on what they should do if Triple C is really serious in wanting to return.
“The thing is, Cejudo is retired,” White told Yahoo Sports (via MMAFighting). “There’s a way to go about it if you really want to fight, if that’s what you really want to do, you want the Volkanovski fight. What you don’t do is – I mean, you could. You could go online and start talking to Volkanovski and calling him names and all this stuff, but what you’d really have to do is pick up the phone and call and say, ‘Hey, what’s the procedure I need to follow to get back into a fight? I want to unretire and when can I get back into the USADA pool? How fast and what do I need to do?’ That’s how you get a fight.
“His manager (Ali Abdelaziz) has 280,000 fighters under contract in the UFC, Cejudo’s been here forever,” White continued. “If you really want to fight, get down here and make some calls and say, ‘Hey, what do I need to do to get back in to fight? I want to jump back in.’ That’s how you do it. You don’t call people out and call them names on Twitter and then expect we’re gonna pick up the phone and go, ‘Hey, we’ve got a fight for you!’”
Photo via Instagram @henrycejudo
Henry Cejudo retired following a TKO win over Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 to defend his bantamweight title for the first and only time. Although he retired, he has continued to talk about returning. Yet, Dana White says he or his manager hasn’t made a serious effort to actually book a fight.
For White, he makes it clear, if Cejudo is serious about returning, he needs to prove that and not demand a title fight on social media.
“Then get it done,” White said. “You know how to do it. Have your manager call over here and get the deal done. That’s why I was saying the other night and the media is saying, ‘Well, Henry Cejudo said this and this guy said that,’ – it’s a silly conversation. This is ridiculous to even talk about. You’re asking me about a retired fighter that isn’t anywhere near coming back, to take on Alexander Volkanovski, who is in a different weight class, in a short notice fight. Why are we talking about this? How does this make sense?
“If you really want to fight, get on the phone with your matchmaker and get the ball rolling.”
Do you think we will see Henry Cejudo fight again?
This is the third time that ESPN has bumped the price of UFC pay-per-views since the biggest MMA promotion found its new broadcasting home. The price tag moved to $64.99 at the beginning of 2020 and bumped up to $69.99 last year.
“We don’t. We don’t have any say in that,” White said. “We gave the pay-per-views to ESPN. So yeah, that’s their decision. You know how I feel about that stuff. I don’t love when prices get raised, but it’s not my decision. It’s theirs.”
Fans went wild when news first broke regarding the PPV increase. It’s unclear if this will hurt the UFC’s sales as 2022 begins.
White and the UFC’s calendar year began with UFC Vegas 46 and an exciting featherweight main event between Calvin Kattar and Giga Chikadze. The event was available to watch for ESPN+ subscribers at no extra charge.
As White gets ready for UFC 270, the residual impact of the PPV price increase could be a story to watch as the event gets closer.
What are your thoughts on the new UFC pay-per-view price? Will this hurt the UFC financially?
UFC President Dana White made some strong accusations about the United States health care system’s response to Joe Rogan’s COVID-19 treatment advice.
Last week, 270 doctors, scientists, professors, and nurses among others penned an open letter to Spotify calling on the streaming platform to create a misinformation policy. The letter was written as a reaction to a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience that had Dr. Robert Malone on as a guest.
In the letter, the coalition accused Malone of spreading COVID-19 conspiracy theories. They also criticized Rogan for being a consistently negative influence on the public, particularly his younger audience members.
“Well, how about this? Ever since I came out and said what I did, it’s almost impossible now to get monoclonal antibodies,” White said. “They’re making it so you can’t get ’em. Medicine that absolutely works, they’re keeping from (us). I don’t want to get too political and start getting into all this shit, but ivermectin and monoclonal antibodies have been around for a long time. Now all of a sudden you can’t dig ’em up to save your life. Doctors won’t give ’em to ya.
“And even when I did it here in Vegas, which was, however many weeks ago that I had it…I made one phone call and was able to get it done. And that’s not like some fuckin’ rich, famous-guy shit. Like, anybody could’ve called….now, Rogan’s been talking about it, then I went crazy talking about it, you can’t get those things to save your life now, literally.”
White was then asked if he’s surprised that people are not being allowed to even openly discuss alternative treatment options to COVID-19. The UFC boss provided the following strong response.
“It’s disgusting. It’s disgusting,” White said. “Yeah, it’s one of the craziest things I’ve ever witnessed in my life. And we’re not talking about experimental drugs. This stuff’s been around.”
At this point, someone in the audience shouted out, sarcastically asking White if he is a doctor.
“No, but I took ’em, and they both worked for me, so why shouldn’t I be able to take ’em again—or other people?”
After poking fun at the audience member’s outburst as another example of people trying to silence the conversation around this topic, White went on to use the prescription rate of pain relievers as an example of the health care system’s hypocrisy.
“You want to know what’s scary? Bet I can get some fuckin’ pain pills quicker than I can get monoclonal antibodies,” White said. “No, not maybe. That’s a fact. That’s a fact. They fuckin’ hand out pain pills like they’re Tic Tacs….Monoclonal antibodies and ivermectin isn’t gonna do anything to ya. Pain pills kill ya. Fact. And I’m not a doctor, but that’s a fact,” White concluded with a light chuckle.
Today, Francis Ngannou is pushing hard for a fight against Tyson Fury. In fact, the UFC heavyweight champion says he will not re-sign with the promotion unless he is allowed to explore such boxing opportunities.
Thus far, the only time the UFC has allowed a contracted fighter to participate in such an endeavor was in 2017 when Conor McGregor boxed Floyd Mayweather. As recently as last year, White was open to the idea of allowing McGregor to crossover again, this time against boxing legend Manny Pacquiao. However, at the time, the two sides were far apart on when it could take place.
The original story is presented in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day One Year Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 15, 2021, 6:29 PM]
Conor McGregor and Dana White are not in agreement on whether the Irishman will be boxing Pacquiao this year, if ever.
Before Conor McGregor agreed to fight Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, his sights were originally set on a boxing match with Manny Pacquiao. And even when he agreed to fight Poirier, there was speculation that McGregor accepted the fight in part to help prepare for Pacquiao’s southpaw style. Speaking to The Mac Life recently, McGregor reaffirmed that his interest in boxing Pacquiao stands, and he even expects the match to take place this year (via The Sun).
“I am excited for a Manny Pacquiao bout and it looks like it will happen this year. What time this year? I am not sure. “We’ll have to have some good discussions with Dana White and the UFC and see where it goes.”
Dana White’s Short-Term Plans for McGregor Differ
Conor McGregor assures that his interest in fighting Manny Pacquiao is not in conflict with his plans for an active MMA year. McGregor said in his MacLife interview that he plans to have a very active year in MMA for 2020. However, McGregor’s confidence in his abilities to multitask is not convincing enough for Dana White, who would love McGregor to focus on one thing while he is at his peak (via MMA Fighting).
“The way that this kid is right now mentally, physically, emotionally, I mean this kid is on and ready to fight,” White told ESPN. “I would love to see him focused on what he can do here at the UFC. Whether it’s take another shot at that title against Khabib [Nurmagomedov] or fight for the title against somebody else if Khabib retires and defend that title.
“A boxing match with any of these guys, that stuff’s always going to be there. You are the absolute best in the world right now in MMA and the timing is right now. Not getting any younger. I’d love to see him go for it here over the next year. If he wants to fight one of these boxing guys, do that next year. That fight’s always going to be there.”
Dana White chalks up McGregor’s previous boxing blockbuster against Floyd Mayweather as being a “perfect storm” that took on a life of its own. At least for the time being, White feels this 2017 boxing contest was a one-off, and there is currently substantial real estate between White’s vision for McGregor’s future and what McGregor has planned for himself in the world of boxing.
Do you think we will ever see Conor McGregor box Manny Pacquiao?
UFC President Dana White is big on the promotion’s upcoming heavyweight title fight.
White recently had high praise for the UFC 270 bout between UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou and interim champ Ciryl Gane. In an interview with BT Sport, White gave his pitch for why the title unification bout could be one of the greatest heavyweight bouts of all time.
White cited the high level of the fight and the storylines behind it as reasons for why people should pay attention.
“That fight’s ridiculous—one of the best if not the best heavyweight matchup ever. You got two guys that train together, two guys that had a falling out now and don’t like each other,” said White. “One guy has unbelievable knockout power and the other guy moves around like a middleweight, probably the best technical striker in heavyweight history. So I mean, you couldn’t ask for a better matchup.”
White: This Fight Has ‘Bad Blood’
Francis Ngannou, Dana White
As White said, there is seemingly a real rivalry between Ngannou and Gane heading into this fight. Controversy struck last month, as old sparring footage of them was released by Gane’s camp. Ngannou argued the footage was used to make Gane look good before their fight, potentially playing mind games with the champ and the public as a whole.
Gane will enter the fight with an undefeated record of 10 wins, including seven in the UFC cage. Ngannou will be fighting to defend his title for the first time in the bout. He first gained the championship last year, stopping Stipe Miocic with a brutal second-round knockout.
White feels that the stars have aligned perfectly for the upcoming heavyweight title fight.
“They’re both champions. You got one (who) has the interim title; the other one has the title. Everything’s on the line—and how in-depth the bad blood is between the camp. You just couldn’t write a better story than this.”
Do you agree with Dana White? Does this fight have the potential to be one of the greatest heavyweight bouts of all time?
Headline: Dana White Says Jon Jones One Day Rehab Story Isn’t True, “The Truth Will Come Out Soon”
Author: Matt Boone
Although Jon Jones’ mother, Camille Jones, claimed that her son checked himself out of rehab after only one day, UFC President Dana White says that is “not necessarily the case.”
White spoke with the Boston Herald this week about the highly publicized story of Jones’ positive test for cocaine and subsequent rehab stint, indicating that there’s more to the story than people might think.
“When the whole story comes out, people will understand, it will be put into perspective,” said White. “When Jon Jones comes out and does his interview, the truth will come out, and everyone will understand. Or they won’t, you know. Jon is a very polarizing guy, people either love him or they hate him. Either way, the truth will come out soon.”
White and the UFC have taken some pretty heavy criticism themselves regarding the matter, as many questioned how a failed drug test on December 4th did nothing to prevent a fight between Jones and Daniel Cormier taking place a month later at UFC 182, and how Jones has ultimately seen zero consequences despite the fact that he consumed illegal drugs.
White was quick to point out that although it’s a serious situation, legally speaking, he and the UFC’s hands were tied.
“You can bust guys, you can fine guys, but I can’t pull him out of a fight,” said White. “That thing will be in a lawsuit in 3.5 seconds and I’ll lose. So then we don’t have a fight and I’ve still got to pay the money.”
The UFC boss continued, “When you start talking about cocaine and some of these other drugs, that’s hardcore stuff, man, and that’s when people need help. So I want to know that. I wish I could know what everybody was doing, but you can’t police 567 guys year-round.”
Jones is rumored to be attending the NFL’s AFC Championship game on Sunday, as both of his brothers will be playing, however, whether or not he breaks his silence once he’s back in the public eye for the first time since all of this has gone down remains to be seen.
As we now know, Calvin Kattar did survive his fight against Max Holloway last year, but Dana White wasn’t so sure that would be the case while watching the fight.
One year ago immediately following the Holloway/Kattar fight, UFC President Dana White said thought the main event between Max Holloway and Calvin Kattar should’ve been stopped after the fourth round.
In a video the UFC uploaded, it showed White freaking out thinking Kattar might die due to all the damage he sustained.
After the fourth round, White spoke to UFC executive Hunter Campbell and said he wanted Kattar to the hospital immediately after the fight.
“He took so much f*cking punishment in this fight, I’m freaking out a little bit, man. I don’t know. I don’t like it. This reminds me of the kind of fight where the fight’s over, and he walks out back and f*cking dies. I think that f*cking Herb Dean should’ve stopped it before the (fifth) round. He was wobbling all over the f*cking place,” White said on the UFC’s Grand Stage video.
“When we had him up against the cage, that’s when he had him,” Campbell said.
“He should have stopped the fight right there,” White said.
Kattar’s Manager Explains Non-Stoppage
Weeks later, Kattar’s manager, Tyson Chartier, offered the following explanation for why the fight was not stopped:
“It definitely did [get close to us stopping it],” Chartier stated to MMAFighting. “I’m sitting in the corner and every time things were getting really bad, Calvin’s back was to us, and we see Max, and we see Herb. There was a couple of times when we were like, ‘F*ck, is he gonna stop it?’ And I was hoping Herb would stop it. And then all of a sudden we saw he wasn’t going to stop it, we were like, ‘Should we throw in the towel?’ And then I’m thinking we’re gonna throw in the towel, and then Calvin would crack him. Then he would get off the fence and start landing shots. Like, damn it!”
“It definitely did [get close to us stopping it],” Chartier stated to MMAFighting. “I’m sitting in the corner and every time things were getting really bad, Calvin’s back was to us, and we see Max, and we see Herb. There was a couple of times when we were like, ‘F*ck, is he gonna stop it?’ And I was hoping Herb would stop it. And then all of a sudden we saw he wasn’t going to stop it, we were like, ‘Should we throw in the towel?’ And then I’m thinking we’re gonna throw in the towel, and then Calvin would crack him. Then he would get off the fence and start landing shots. Like, damn it!”
“There was one point in the fourth round where I looked at Jake [Mainini], the Muay Thai coach, and I was like, ‘Dude, Max is getting tired.’ It was crazy because he was beating us up, but you could see it in his eyes like, ‘Ughh,’ and then he tried to wrestle, tried to take us down, he was getting tired from beating us up and then Calvin landed a good shot again and the round ended.”
The good news was that Calvin Kattar ended up healing up his injuries and there was no significant life-altering damage. However, “The Boston Finisher” did sustain a plethora of injuries.
Tonight will be the first time he competes again since absorbing a record number of strikes from “Blessed.” He will be featured in the UFC Vegas 46 against another top-level striker, Giga Chikadze.
Henry Cejudo will have to wait if he wants a title shot upon return.
Dana White hears pleas from fighters all the time. Many times fighters think they deserve a title shot, but White has to be the person to set them straight. This is the case recently with former two-division champion Henry Cejudo.
Cejudo wanted to return from retirement and step in to face Alexander Volkanovski when Max Holloway pulled out. Instead, the UFC went with Chan Sung Jung as the replacement. White has now explained why that was the road taken.
“I can tell you this: The ‘Korean Zombie’ has been here fighting,” White told BT Sport. “This guy’s retired. He’s been off for how many years now, and he wants to come in and fight Alexander Volkanovski? You’ve got guys like the Zombie, Josh Emmett, Giga who’s fighting this weekend. You’ve got these guys that are in here doing it three times a year and working their way up. For Cejudo to retire and then just think he should be able to come in and jump into any weight division and take on the champion, it’s not how it works.”
Cejudo retired from MMA following his last win back in May of 2020. However, since he walked away he has still continued to tease a return. His desire to fight again has been a bit more prevalent recently. Cejudo was interested in a return to bantamweight but has been calling out featherweight champion Volkanovski as well. Cejudo was interested in jumping into the title fight with Volkanovski but has never competed in the UFC featherweight division.
Unlike Cejudo, Jung has been active in the featherweight division and has won three of his last four against top opponents. If Cejudo is serious about a return, the UFC would most likely accept it. However, he might need one fight at 145 pounds against someone in the top five if he is looking for a title shot.
Do you think Cejudo’s résumé could allow for an immediate title shot?
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