It appears as if the rift between UFC President Dana White and Alistair Overeem continues to widen with each passing day.
White put Overeem directly in his crosshairs on Wednesday’s episode of UFC Tonight, claiming that the heavyweight contender turned down not just one, but two bouts against Junior dos Santos. White went on to state that Overeem “wants nothing to do with dos Santos” and was “literally hiding” from the Brazilian.
Overeem, who recently dominated Frank Mir at UFC 169, responded to White’s statements by explaining to MMAFighting.com that he was nursing a rib injury and was unsure regarding a timetable for his recovery.
However, White, when asked by reporters in Las Vegas on Thursday, scoffed at Overeem’s claim.
“I have a feeling this rib injury is going to last as long as it takes for dos Santos to get another opponent,” White said. “That’s what I’m willing to bet. This is going to be the longest rib injury ever. As soon as we get dos Santos a fight that rib is going to heal right up.
“You say you want to be the best in the world? You want to be the world champion? This is the No. 1 guy. This is the guy. This is the f–king gatekeeper. You beat this guy, nobody is going to question you. Shouldn’t he be chomping at the bit for a fight like that? Especially when you told us how much money you deserve and how you’re going to be the next champ.”
Overeem is currently vacationing in Jamaica, although this is not the first time in recent weeks that White has clashed with the UFC’s No. 7 ranked heavyweight.
White criticized Overeem following UFC 169 for what the UFC President perceived to be a conservative gameplan against Mir, as well as Overeem’s decision to publicly call out Brock Lesnar — a fighter who is not only retired, but also one who Overeem soundly defeated in his 2011.
Though regardless of any public criticism directed his way, White isn’t backing down from his statements.
“[Overeem] marches his f–king ass in here, tells us how much he’s worth,” White said. “He’s worth all this money, he’s the best heavyweight in the world, he’s going to be the champion, and he doesn’t want to f–king fight anybody. I bet you his f–king rib wouldn’t be hurting if we got Brock Lesnar, bet you his rib would be fine. … Did anybody hear anything about a rib injury until I offered him dos Santos two different ways?
“You guys come to whatever conclusion you want to on that, I know what the truth is.”