UFC 135 held its pre-fight press conference earlier today, and UFC President Dana White was there to discuss everything surrounding the event, including last week’s controversial boxing match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Victor Ortiz.
White spoke to Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting about the latest topics in MMA and boxing. UFC 135 will feature a title fight between UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.
On Jones-Jackson spygate:
“I think that you get different personalities, and not just in the fighters but in the camps and the people that surround them, that leads to things like this. What’s interesting about it is how pissed off they both get about it. The fact that Rampage says he did it. Jon Jones says he didn’t. They both are pretty mad about it.’
On Matt Hughes vs. Josh Koscheck:
Matt Hughes is a winner. Matt Hughes comes to fight, and he always wants to win. Matt Hughes just doesn’t want to lose, and I know that he was really focused and really excited about his fight with Diego Sanchez so opponents get switched, completely different opponent and got Koscheck, and Hughes is still here.
On Diaz brothers:
I actually have a great relationship with Nate Diaz. Since he came on the Ultimate Fighter, he and I have become friends, and I like Nate. I always have a good time dealing with him, and over the last few weeks, I feel like I’ve gotten a lot closer to Nick, and I feel like I’m getting to the point where Nick and I are going to be able to work through all that stuff and be able to work together.
On B.J. Penn comments on scripted pre-fight hype:
What we do is sit these fighters down, and you interview them. If B.J.’s answer to that question, and you heard the question. The answer to that question was, “do you think you can beat Nick Diaz on Saturday or do you think you’re going to win?” If B.J.’s answer to that was “no,” that’s the answer to the question.
Say what you want about Floyd Mayweather. He does 24/7. Those camera live inside his house. In his car, in his house. Those guys are in the gym when they go to train. They see everything, and Floyd Mayweather gets on there, and let’s them into his life. You’ll see his personality, and where he is and what he does.
On Boxing and Mayweather’s victory over Ortiz:
There’s no doubt whatsoever that I think you get more consistent, great fights out of the UFC. There is no doubt about it. It’s a fact. Plus, boxing only does two big fights a year and it’s when Mayweather or Pacquiao fights.
Who ruined that fight was Cortez, the referee. He never had control of the fight from the first round, and just so you know, I bet on Ortiz. I said this kid has got a puncher’s chance. I threw some money on Ortiz. Ortiz was head-butting from the first round. He was rubbing his head in Floyd’s face. I think Floyd handled himself like a professional.
Joe Cortez, absolutely, 100 percent destroyed that fight and ruined it. When that stuff goes down like that, first of all, when the head-butt happened, he’s supposed to jump right in the middle of those two and break it up, send the guy to the neutral corner. Then he brings the doctors in, and the doctors check Floyd out, make sure he’s okay to continue.
The fact that this guy has done as many fights as he has and doesn’t know that you take two points away for an intentional foul. He should stand in the middle of the ring while both guys are on opposite corners, and he says “we’re taking two points, two points,” and tells all the judges we’re taking two points.
It’s easy to hate Floyd, but Floyd didn’t do anything wrong in that fight.
Entire interview available from MMA Fighting, here.
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