Tag: Dana White

Dana White lobbies UFC star Jon Jones to clash with Tom Aspinall: ‘How do you not fight him?’

Dana White urges Jon Jones to clash with Tom Aspinall how do you not fight him UFCPromotional CEO, Dana White has questioned how UFC heavyweight champion, Jon Jones could avoid a future title unification clash…

Dana White urges Jon Jones to clash with Tom Aspinall how do you not fight him UFC

Promotional CEO, Dana White has questioned how UFC heavyweight champion, Jon Jones could avoid a future title unification clash with interim gold holder, Tom Aspinall – particularly if he gets past veteran foe, Stipe Miocic in his expected Octagon comeback this year.

Jones, a current heavyweight champion and former two-time light heavyweight gold holder, has been sidelined since he headlined UFC 285 back in March of last year, landing the vacant title with a dominant opening round submission win over former interim champion, Ciryl Gane.

And slated to return atop UFC 295 back in November at Madison Square Garden, Rochester native, Jones was forced from a long-anticipated clash with the returning Miocic after suffering a pectoral tendon tear two weeks out from fight night.

In his place stepped the aforenoted, Aspinall, who struck interim heavyweight spoils with a stunning first round KO win over Russian knockout artist, Sergei Pavlovich.

Jon Jones has been backed to fight Tom Aspinall by Dana White

And campaigning for his shot at either Jones or Miocic off the back of their expected title coming together later this annum, Aspinall has been backed to fight the victor by UFC CEO, White – who questioned how either veteran could deny the Brit his shot at unifying the titles.

“Yes, this it should happen,” Dana White told Maxx Crosby of a fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic. “It’s interesting, I think it depends on who wins. I mean, either guy that wins, how do you not fight (Tom) Aspinall.” 

“I think there’s a – it’s almost like a courtesy, if you will,” White explained. “If you’re looked at as one of the G.O.A.T.s, whoever wins this fight, it’s almost like a courtesy thing to give that guy the shot. Give him an opportunity to win or you win and it just absolutely cements – nobody can poke holes in, that nobody can say anything about it.” 

Who wins in a future title fight: Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall?

Oscar De La Hoya challenges UFC CEO Dana White to fight in a potential co-main event with Garcia vs O’Malley

Oscar De La HoyaIf Ryan Garcia gets to fight Sean O’Malley inside the Octagon, Oscar De La Hoya hopes to snag a…

Oscar De La Hoya

If Ryan Garcia gets to fight Sean O’Malley inside the Octagon, Oscar De La Hoya hopes to snag a spot on the card against Dana White.

During Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Garcia called out the reigning UFC bantamweight champion, claiming that he would hand ‘Sugar’ an ass-whooping inside the Octagon if given the opportunity. Soon after, De La Hoya — Garcia’s promoter — stepped into the studio and angled for an opportunity to fight the UFC CEO in some kind of a potential boxing vs. MMA supercard.

“I would actually entertain that because Ryan can fight in the main event and maybe I can [fight] Dana in the co-main” De La Hoya said when speaking about Garcia’s challenge to O’Malley.

The feud between Dana White and Oscar De La Hoya dates back to 2017 when the UFC boss was in the middle of co-promoting Conor McGregor’s clash with Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather. De La Hoya said the bout was “disrespecting the sport of boxing,” which clearly didn’t sit well with White. In 2021, White called De La Hoya a “crackhead” on X (then Twitter) and accused him of using COVID as an excuse to bow out of a boxing match with MMA legend Vitor Belfort.

Since then, De La Hoya has extended an olive branch to White, hoping that they could eventually squash their long-standing rivalry. Asked about his relationship with the UFC CEO, ‘The Golden Boy’ told Helwani:

“We’re cool. It’s all good. Well, I don’t know if we’re cool. I haven’t talked to the guy. I’m good, but that doesn’t mean we can’t go at it.”

Dana White echoed the same “we’re cool” sentiment in 2022 but made it clear that the two would never be friends again.

“I feel like De La Hoya’s apology was sincere, but there’s no way that he and I can ever be friends again,” White said during a fan Q&A with GQ Sports. “He and I were actually friends. I used to go to his fights. I used to watch his fights. I used to promote his fights. That guy did way too much damage for us to ever be friends again. I appreciate his apology. I get it. We’re cool, but we’re never going to be that cool” (h/t Bleacher Report).

Ryan Garcia makes bold claim in bid to fight UFC bantamweight champ Sean O’Malley in the Octagon

Ryan Garcia wants to fight Sean O'Malley in the OctagonRyan Garcia is ready to trade in his eight-ounce gloves for a pair of four-ouncers. The former interim WBC…

Ryan Garcia wants to fight Sean O'Malley in the Octagon

Ryan Garcia is ready to trade in his eight-ounce gloves for a pair of four-ouncers.

The former interim WBC lightweight titleholder has struck up a rivalry with one of the UFC’s top stars and current bantamweight world champion, Sean O’Malley. Garcia recently declared that he would be more than willing to fight ‘Sugar’ inside the Octagon, so long as Dana White writes him a big fat check for doing so.

‘The Flash’ doubled down on his post during an appearance on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani.

“I’ll beat his ass in MMA, guaranteed,” Garcia said. “You don’t understand, I’m a natural wrestler. I just beat my security who’s a wrestler. I beat him. I’m strong and I got crazy conditioning. I know I’m gonna knock him out in boxing. That’s not even fair. What’s fair is to test myself in MMA because I know if I put my mind to it and train every day and I had Nate [Diaz] helping me, even Alex Pereira… All of them and I really locked in, he will not beat me.

“I will come with everything I have and I will destroy Sean O’Malley in the UFC. I’ve already sent text messages to Dana [White]. I’ve already got people connected to Dana to ask him. Let’s do this. I’ll come to the UFC. Pay me a bag and I’m there. I’m down to do it.”

Historically, mixed martial artists have done pretty well moving from MMA to boxing, but the other way around has often produced disastrous results. The most notorious example was at UFC 118 in August 2010 when multi-time boxing world champion James Toney stepped inside the Octagon for a crossover clash with Randy Couture. As expected, Couture quickly took down Toney and submitted him in the opening round.

Not to suggest that Ryan Garcia would suffer the same fate. In all likelihood, Sean O’Malley would opt to stand and trade in an attempt to beat the boxing star at his own game. That would give Garcia a fair chance to score what would undoubtedly be a massive upset — not just for O’Malley, but for the sport of MMA.

On Saturday, April 20, ‘King Ryan’ will challenge reigning and defending WBC super lightweight champion Devin Haney. The bout is expected to emanate from the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, NY.

UFC 306 Announced for Las Vegas Sphere in September; UFC 303 Location, Date Set

The UFC is coming to the Sphere. UFC president Dana White announced on Saturday that September’s UFC 306 pay-per-view will take place at the Las Vegas Sphere…

The UFC is coming to the Sphere. UFC president Dana White announced on Saturday that September’s UFC 306 pay-per-view will take place at the Las Vegas Sphere…

Multiple fighters, including Michael Chandler, set to testify on behalf of the UFC in antitrust lawsuit

Michael Chandler and fighters testify on behalf of UFC in antitrust suitMultiple past and present fighters — including active lightweight star Michael Chandler — are scheduled to testify on behalf…

Michael Chandler and fighters testify on behalf of UFC in antitrust suit

Multiple past and present fighters — including active lightweight star Michael Chandler — are scheduled to testify on behalf of the UFC in an upcoming class-action antitrust case, per a brief filed Thursday in U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada.

As first reported by Bloody Elbow, Chandler and former UFC bantamweight champion Miesha Tate are listed as expected witnesses for the defendants in UFC parent company Zuffa’s trial brief. Also listed in the briefs as expected witnesses are Chael Sonnen and UFC Hall of Famers Michael Bisping and Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone.

The trial is expected to begin on April 15 in Las Vegas, though Zuffa counsel is attempting to push back the date due to a scheduling conflict.

“I don’t have a problem with the quote/un-quote ‘fighter pay’ argument,” Chandler said in a 2022 interview. “I think people think we should make a lot more money because the UFC makes a ton of money on their shows. Well, the UFC’s been at it since 1993.

“Dana White has had 10,000 sleepless nights when most of us fighters are just showing up to practice and going to bed, laying our head on the pillow and getting after it — and getting paid a decent wage for what we do.”

Managers of MMA fighters are also listed as expected witnesses on behalf of Zuffa, including Ali Abdelaziz, Jason House, Josh Jones, Dan Lambert, and Ed Soares. Abdelaziz is best known for representing some of the best pound-for-pound fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Henry Cejudo, Kamaru Usman, and Kayla Harrison. Lambert has worked as a manager but is best known as the proprietor of one of the most prestigious gyms in the MMA world — American Top Team.

Current UFC CEO Dana White is expected to be called as a witness alongside former Zuffa co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta and matchmakers Joe Silva, Sean Shelby, and Mick Maynard.

The plaintiffs, made up of former UFC fighters Cung Le, Nathan Quarry, Jon Fitch, Brandon Vera, Luis Javier Vazquez, and Kyle Kingsbury, are claiming the UFC engaged in a scheme “to acquire and maintain monopsony power in the market for elite professional MMA fighter services” by eliminating competition and suppressing wages. If found guilty, the UFC could be on the hook for damages anywhere between $894 million and $1.6 billion.

After being granted a class certification in August, the entire group of defendants is any fighter who competed in the UFC during the bout class, which runs from December 16, 2010, to June 30, 2017. Thus far, no fighter has opted out of receiving compensation should the plaintiffs win the case or there is a settlement.

Transcription courtesy of ESPN’s Marc Raimondi

Dana White reveals lavish gift Khabib received from Vladimir Putin after UFC 229 win over Conor McGregor

Khabib meets PutinFollowing the biggest win of his mixed martial arts career, Khabib Nurmagomedov had a call waiting for him from…

Khabib meets Putin

Following the biggest win of his mixed martial arts career, Khabib Nurmagomedov had a call waiting for him from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Considered by some to be the greatest fighter in UFC history, Nurmagomedov’s biggest moment came at UFC 229 in October 2018 when he scored a fourth-round submission victory over Irish megastar Conor McGregor. Immediately following the fight, Putin made the call to congratulate his countryman, but found himself on hold for quite a while as Nurmagomedov notoriously hopped the cage and lept into the crowd to fight one of McGregor’s cornermen — Dillon Danis.

By the time Khabib Nurmagomeov waded through a sea of security staff and police officers, Putin was still on the line and ready to hand ‘The Eagle’ a lavish and life-changing gift.

“He didn’t even make it back to his dressing room after the fight, and Putin was on the phone,” UFC CEO Dana White recounted of the UFC 229 saga on the “Games with Names” podcast. “Putin gave him and his father, like, $20 million worth of property in Russia. Then he went into the Muslim territories where these guys are like, cars, money, gyms, whatever he wanted.”

Nurmagomedov also received a Mercedes given to him by Putin’s ally and Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov, who has gained notoriety for his relationships with UFC fighters, most notably Khamzat Chimaev. It is believed that Chimaev’s close relationship with Kadyrov is why ‘Borz’ is running into issues obtaining a visa to fight in the United States.

White believes Khabib Stopped short of becoming the undisputed MMA GOAT

Two years after his victory over McGregor, ‘The Eagle’ walked away from MMA following the death of his father and longtime trainer, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Since then, White has tried to lure the former lightweight champion back, offering him a reported $40 million to return to the Octagon. But as is the situation with Conor McGregor, once you have the kind of money that Nurmagomedov has, it’s hard to wake up in the morning and willingly get punched in the face.

“Once you get to that level [of Nurmagomedov’s fame], it’s like what we’re dealing with with Conor McGregor,” White said. “Conor McGregor lives in a yacht in the middle of wherever the warmest place in the world is at that time. Once you get to that level, you’re not getting up and getting punched in the face anymore.”

White also believes that Khabib Nurmagomedov’s hasty exit after just three title defenses is the reason he failed to obtain MMA GOAT status in the eyes of the many, himself included.

“The GOAT is Jon Jones,” he said. “Jon Jones is undefeated. Khabib is undefeated, too, but I would have liked to have seen Khabib do more” (h/t MMA Fighting).