Tag: Dana White

Dana White clueless on return opponent for Conor McGregor: ‘He’s in New York and he’s training’

Dana White clueless on return opponent for Conor McGregor: 'He's in New York and he's training'Amid the booking of a rematch clash between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler for later this year, Conor McGregor’s…

Dana White clueless on return opponent for Conor McGregor: 'He's in New York and he's training'

Amid the booking of a rematch clash between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler for later this year, Conor McGregor’s return to the Octagon is up in even more smoke according to UFC boss, Dana White, who claimed an opponent for the Dubliner would not be selected until his return was loctite.

McGregor, a former undisputed lightweight champion and featherweight gold holder, has been out of action since he headlined UFC 264 over three years ago in a trilogy rubber match against former interim champion, Dustin Poirier.

Ben Askren rips 'Addict' Conor McGregor amid UFC layoff: 'This guy is clearly out partying'

Fracturing his left tibia and fibula in a first round doctor’s stoppage TKO loss, Conor McGregor was scheduled to headline UFC 303 back in June in a welterweight matchup against the above-mentioned Chandler, until a fractured toe ruled the striker from a hiatus-snapping return on just week’s notice.

And in the time since, the Missouri native has now given up on a grudge fight with Conor McGregor — albeit for the time being, booking a five round rematch fight with former undisputed titleholder, Oliveira in the co-main event of UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden.

Conor McGregor
Images via: Getty

Dana White provides update on Conor McGregor’s return

Appearing overnight in Dublin at a press event, UFC boss, White provided an update on the future of McGregor once more — claiming that while the ex-two-weight champion is currently training, a potential return opponent has yet to be selected.

conor mcgregor ufc suit

“It’s going to [be] determined when Conor (McGregor) comes back, who the opponent is,” Dana White told assembled media. “Whenever Conor is ready and he comes back. He hit me up last night when he heard that I was here. He’s in New York right now, and he is training.”

Without a win since 2020, McGregor’s most recent outing came in the form of a first round high-kick and strikes TKO win over former title challenger and Hall of Fame inductee, Donald Cerrone in his most recent venture to the welterweight limit.

UFC President Dana White Teases Venture Into Boxing: ‘Big Announcements’ Coming Soon

Dana White’s next venture could be into the world of boxing. The UFC president teased “big announcements” coming soon, hinting that those announcements…

Dana White’s next venture could be into the world of boxing. The UFC president teased “big announcements” coming soon, hinting that those announcements…

Steve-O Reveals Dana White ‘Dipped Out’ Of UFC Main Event To Watch Jake Paul Fight

Stephen Glover, better known as Steve-O, recently made a stunning revelation, claiming that Dana White once ditched a UFC main event to watch Jake Paul’s boxing match instead. It’s well-known that for several years, Paul and White have been locked in a heated war of words, frequently clashing with starkly opposing views on a range […]

Continue Reading Steve-O Reveals Dana White ‘Dipped Out’ Of UFC Main Event To Watch Jake Paul Fight at MMA News.

Stephen Glover, better known as Steve-O, recently made a stunning revelation, claiming that Dana White once ditched a UFC main event to watch Jake Paul’s boxing match instead.

It’s well-known that for several years, Paul and White have been locked in a heated war of words, frequently clashing with starkly opposing views on a range of issues. It’s primarily “The Problem Child” who has, time and again, slammed the UFC CEO for underpaying his fighters and failing to provide adequate medical coverage.

On the other hand, White’s frustration with Paul became public when the YouTuber-turned-boxer began taking on retired UFC fighters like Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley in the squared circle. The UFC head honcho has fiercely dismissed the 27-year-old Ohio native’s criticism of fighter pay. White has also voiced his opinion that Paul only fights opponents well past their prime.

Although White isn’t fond of Paul’s crossover boxing exploits, according to Steve-O, the 55-year-old businessman once tuned in to watch “The Problem Child” take on one of the most prominent ex-UFC superstars.

Steve-O Claims White Skipped UFC Nashville Main Event to Watch Paul vs. Diaz

During a recent appearance on BS w/ Jake Paul, Steve-O, a close friend of White, revealed an interesting moment from UFC Fight Night Nashville in August 2023. While Cory Sandhagen battled Rob Font in the main event, White apparently found the fight dull and slipped backstage to his room.

Instead of watching the UFC headliner, he tuned in to catch Paul’s cruiserweight showdown against Nate Diaz, which was happening simultaneously at the American Airlines Center in Texas.

“I can tell you that when you boxed Nate Diaz that night, there was a UFC Fight Night in Nashville, Tennessee,” Steve-O said. “I had arranged to fly to Nashville because I was very interested in looking at properties… You know, that’s why I was in Nashville for this fight night. It was Cory Sandhagen versus Rob Font, and the main event was dreadfully boring. Dana dipped out of the arena, and after the fight, I was walking out, and we were like, ‘Oh, what’s up with Dana?’ We go into his room, and he’s just turned on you fighting Nate Diaz, and I watched you fight Nate Diaz with Dana.”

In an interview with boxing icon Mike Tyson last year, White dispelled the widespread belief that he harbors hatred for “The Problem Child”. In fact, White clarified that he doesn’t dislike him at all.

Instead, he’s friends with Jake’s sibling, Logan Paul, whose beverage Prime became the official hydration partner of the UFC in February 2023.

Continue Reading Steve-O Reveals Dana White ‘Dipped Out’ Of UFC Main Event To Watch Jake Paul Fight at MMA News.

South Africa’s Sports Minister Says Dricus Du Plessis-Headlined UFC Event In ‘Final Stages Of Negotiations’

South African sports minister Gayton McKenzie recently revealed that negotiations are underway for a potential UFC event in Cape Town, with Dricus Du Plessis slated to headline. The reigning UFC middleweight champion has been very adamant in his push to bring the promotion to his homeland of South Africa for the first time. His campaign […]

Continue Reading South Africa’s Sports Minister Says Dricus Du Plessis-Headlined UFC Event In ‘Final Stages Of Negotiations’ at MMA News.

South African sports minister Gayton McKenzie recently revealed that negotiations are underway for a potential UFC event in Cape Town, with Dricus Du Plessis slated to headline.

The reigning UFC middleweight champion has been very adamant in his push to bring the promotion to his homeland of South Africa for the first time. His campaign gained momentum after he secured the title with a hard-fought split decision victory over former champion Sean Strickland at UFC 297 this past January.

The push for the event seemed to lose steam as the UFC had already locked in most of its venues for the upcoming quarter. However, the topic gained traction again before UFC 305 last month when UFC CEO Dana White hinted that if ‘Stillknocks’ could defeat fellow African star Israel Adesanya, the promotion would seriously consider bringing an event to South Africa.

With Du Plessis’ impressive submission victory over “The Last Stylebender,” it seems his wish is finally coming to fruition. Positive developments have been steadily aligning, especially after White, during the Noche UFC 306 post-fight press conference, confirmed that he’s “very serious” about hosting a UFC event in Africa.

McKenzie Confirms Du Plessis As Headliner For Potential UFC Africa Event, Host City Remains Up In The Air

According to multiple media reports, the DHL Stadium in Cape Town is in talks to construct a temporary roof at an estimated cost of R30 million (around $1.7 million) in preparation for hosting a UFC event in 2025. The 55,000-seat arena was one of the flagship venues during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Following these reports, the South African sports minister recently took to X to acknowledge that they are on the brink of sealing the deal to bring Du Plessis’ next fight to Africa. However, he also noted that the choice of host city is yet to be finalized.

“I see news articles about @UFCfight of @dricusduplessis happening in Cape Town,” McKenzie tweeted. “We are in the final stages of negotiating for the fight to happen in South Africa. We have not been given the green light. We will know by the end of October, no decision of hosting city can be made yet.”

With the host city still up in the air, the question of who ‘Stillknocks’ will face in his next title defense remains equally uncertain. Rumors are circulating, with some hinting at a possible rematch against Strickland.

Alternatively, Du Plessis has also suggested moving up a weight class to challenge reigning UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira — or perhaps Pereira could move down to face him, a possibility he himself has hinted at.

However, “Poatan” is already scheduled to defend his light heavyweight crown against Khalil Rountree in the main event of UFC 307 on October 5. Only time will reveal who will ultimately stand across from Du Plessis in the Octagon at the much-anticipated showdown on African soil.

Continue Reading South Africa’s Sports Minister Says Dricus Du Plessis-Headlined UFC Event In ‘Final Stages Of Negotiations’ at MMA News.

Sean O’Malley Let Dana White Down with ‘Flat’ Performance at UFC 306

Sean O'Malley Dana WhiteSean O’Malley has not only lost his UFC bantamweight title but also let down the man who runs the…

Sean O'Malley Dana White

Sean O’Malley has not only lost his UFC bantamweight title but also let down the man who runs the show: UFC president Dana White.

Sean O’Malley

Before the fight with Merab Dvalishvili, O’Malley promised an extravagant first-round knockout. He even went so far as to say that Dvalishvili could sleep with his wife if O’Malley failed to knock him out. Now, ‘Suga’ is licking his wounds and nursing his injured pride after suffering a loss via unanimous decision at UFC 306.

Furthermore, Dana White was very vocal about his former champion’s performance and admitted to being pretty disappointed in his young star.

Dana White opens up about Sean O’Malley’s performance at UFC 306

“He looked flat,” Dana White said at the post-fight press conference, speaking on O’Malley’s performance (H/T MMA Fighting). “He didn’t look sharp.”

In fact, ‘Suga’ struggled to land any significant damage in the fight, and it wasn’t until the end of the last round that he finally had a compelling moment. O’Malley landed a beautiful front kick on Dvalishvili’s body and hurt his opponent. Unfortunately, ‘Suga’ failed to capitalize on the moment and finish the fight. The horn would eventually sound, and the fight was over. Dvalishvili would capture his first-ever title with scores of 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47 to land the unanimous decision victory.

“He didn’t look crisp until the last round,” White continued. “He hurt him with that body shot, and he knew he hurt him with the body shot, and he kept going in trying to finish. But I looked at the punch stats; it was like six in a couple of the rounds.”

UFC 306

At the end of the day, the tenacity of Merab Dvalishvili was just too much for Sean O’Malley. ‘Suga’ could never get rolling offensively because he was forced to constantly fend off the takedown or was too busy being controlled.

Now, Sean O’Malley has nothing left to do other than take time and start launching a comeback to reclaim his lost UFC bantamweight title.

Sean O’Malley Let Dana White Down with ‘Flat’ Performance at UFC 306

Sean O'Malley Dana WhiteSean O’Malley has not only lost his UFC bantamweight title but also let down the man who runs the…

Sean O'Malley Dana White

Sean O’Malley has not only lost his UFC bantamweight title but also let down the man who runs the show: UFC president Dana White.

Sean O’Malley

Before the fight with Merab Dvalishvili, O’Malley promised an extravagant first-round knockout. He even went so far as to say that Dvalishvili could sleep with his wife if O’Malley failed to knock him out. Now, ‘Suga’ is licking his wounds and nursing his injured pride after suffering a loss via unanimous decision at UFC 306.

Furthermore, Dana White was very vocal about his former champion’s performance and admitted to being pretty disappointed in his young star.

Dana White opens up about Sean O’Malley’s performance at UFC 306

“He looked flat,” Dana White said at the post-fight press conference, speaking on O’Malley’s performance (H/T MMA Fighting). “He didn’t look sharp.”

In fact, ‘Suga’ struggled to land any significant damage in the fight, and it wasn’t until the end of the last round that he finally had a compelling moment. O’Malley landed a beautiful front kick on Dvalishvili’s body and hurt his opponent. Unfortunately, ‘Suga’ failed to capitalize on the moment and finish the fight. The horn would eventually sound, and the fight was over. Dvalishvili would capture his first-ever title with scores of 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47 to land the unanimous decision victory.

“He didn’t look crisp until the last round,” White continued. “He hurt him with that body shot, and he knew he hurt him with the body shot, and he kept going in trying to finish. But I looked at the punch stats; it was like six in a couple of the rounds.”

UFC 306

At the end of the day, the tenacity of Merab Dvalishvili was just too much for Sean O’Malley. ‘Suga’ could never get rolling offensively because he was forced to constantly fend off the takedown or was too busy being controlled.

Now, Sean O’Malley has nothing left to do other than take time and start launching a comeback to reclaim his lost UFC bantamweight title.