Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White has lifted the lid on Frank Fertitta’s attention-grabbing reaction to Conor McGregor’s 13-second knockout victory over Jose Aldo at UFC 194 in December.
Fertitta—co-owner of Zuffa, the company that owns the UFC—appeared to slam the UFC featherweight belt following McGregor’s first-round win, but White explained the outburst to the Boston Herald‘s Jack Encarnacao:
“Frank Fertitta is a (expletive) moose, OK? He’ll flip tables over and everything else. It wasn’t anything negative or positive. It was just his reaction to Jose Aldo getting knocked out in one punch, you know?”
Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter posted footage of said belt-slamming at the time of McGregor’s victory, a win that saw him claim the UFC featherweight championship outright:
There were several theories created for Fertitta’s reaction. Encarnacao hinted the seemingly emotional response was due to the “bargaining leverage” McGregor—arguably the fastest-rising star the UFC has ever seen—claimed as a direct result of that triumph.
However, White’s words suggest his colleague was merely exploding in reaction to the shock nature of McGregor’s win.
BT Sport tweeted McGregor’s knockout in all its glory, as if an excuse was needed to view the fastest-ever win produced in a UFC championship bout:
Confidence is a huge part of McGregor’s allure, and his boastful manner will undoubtedly have grown as a result of his latest win. Encarnacao is likely correct in suggesting his demands for bigger figures will climb following such a dominant display.
The UFC generated a record $600 million in revenue for 2015, as confirmed by Fertitta’s brother and Zuffa co-founder Lorenzo to CNN Money, meaning higher salaries for the company’s biggest stars is sure to follow:
However, Frank Fertitta’s raging reaction could merely have been that of a fan disappointed that the UFC 194 main event was over before he had blinked.
The UFC figurehead most certainly wouldn’t have been alone in expecting a more drawn-out affair between Aldo and McGregor, and like any fan, he simply could have lusted after more bang for his buck.
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