5 biggest Dana White rants

UFC Fight Night Cejudo v Dillashaw: Press Conference
UFC Fight Night Cejudo v Dillashaw: Press Conference

Dana White is known to lose his cool during press events. The UFC boss has been a crucial part of the company's growth over the last 20 years. He took over as president in 2001 and helped the UFC become the mammoth organization it is today.

During this time, Dana White has been involved in many controversies. This has caused the UFC head honcho to go on tirades about people inside and outside the MMA promotion.

On that note, let's take a look at five of Dana White's most explosive rants.


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#5. Dana White slams "silly" Triller event

UFC 249 Ferguson v Gaethje
UFC 249 Ferguson v Gaethje

Dana White has been a vocal critic of Triller Fight Club and its matchmaking process. At a recent press conference, the UFC boss went on a rant against the promotion, its aging fighters and anyone "dumb enough to pay" for the tickets.

Speaking to the media after Dana White's Contender Series, the UFC supremo was asked about the Triller fight card that saw former UFC champion Vitor Belfort box Evander Holyfield. The event also included an exhibition bout between UFC legends Anderson Silva and Tito Ortiz. Going on an expletive-filled rant against Triller Fight Club, White said:

"Let me put it to you this way. Anybody who’s f**king dumb enough and willing to pay and watch these f**king fights – Anderson Silva boxed Tito Ortiz, boxed Tito Ortiz. Tito Ortiz has no business f**king boxing anybody. And Tito’s 40-f**king-something-years-old. Evander Holyfield is almost 60-years old, and he’s f**king fighting. I just think, you know what I think about this sh*t. It’s silly. All of it is silly."

Speaking about how some people would always watch washed-up fighters like Tito Ortiz, Dana White said:

"There’s always going to be a certain amount of people that are dumb enough to buy these fights and pay for them. Tito can’t box. Tito’s a horrible boxer. That’s why I said I would box him. You ever see me saying I’ll fight any other f**king guy in the UFC? No, and I never will and never would. Ten years ago I wouldn’t, but I would Tito all day long."

#4. Dana White blasts Paulo Costa for asking for excessive pay

UFC 253 Adesanya v Costa: Weigh-Ins
UFC 253 Adesanya v Costa: Weigh-Ins

After losing a blockbuster event against Israel Adesanya via knockout, Paulo Costa went on a rant against the UFC and Dana White for not paying him enough money for his next fight.

'Borrachinha' was scheduled to fight Jared Cannonier in a UFC event on August 21 but withdrew following complaints regarding fighter pay. He was later replaced by Kelvin Gastelum, but Dana White blasted the Brazilian for his antics.

Paulo Costa complained about YouTubers receiving more money for celebrity bouts than UFC fighters get for professional MMA contests. White responded to Costa, saying:

"Guess what? You should have started a YouTube channel when you were fu**ing 13 years old and built your name up and everything else and you could have had the fight on Saturday night. But you didn’t. You’re not a fu**ing YouTuber, you’re a fighter, and this is what you do for a living. Or you don’t. It’s up to you."

Dana White slammed Costa for his underwhelming performance against Adesanya and then asking for more money. He added:

"And you’re in no position to be talking about crazy money after your last performance. Okay? So you either want to fight or you don’t want to fight. No problem. You don’t want to fight, you can hang out and do whatever you want. When you’re ready, you let me know."

#3. Dana White slams Mario Yamasaki for incompetent officiating during a UFC women's fight

UFC 236 Holloway v Poirier 2
UFC 236 Holloway v Poirier 2

UFC president Dana White went on one of his most impassioned rants against veteran referee Mario Yamasaki. The bout in question was Valentina Schevchenko vs. Priscilla Cachoeira in 2018. 'Bullet' was a massive favorite going into the fight. She dominated Cachoeira and submitted her in round two.

Yamasaki drew flak from Dana White as he didn't step in when Shevchenko punished Cachoeira with ground-and-pound. Many people, including the UFC president, felt that the referee should have stopped the fight well before the submission took place.

Replying to Yamasaki's comments about allowing Priscilla Cachoeira to be a warrior, Dana White said:

"I think it's disgusting. I think he (Yamasaki) is disgusting and I never wanna see him reffing ever again.. And she (Cachoeira) did fight like a warrior. For that idiot to say that he gave her the opportunity to be warrior. No. No, you moron. You're in there to protect her from herself. He makes me sick. That guy has no business reffing fights and I promise you, you're not going to see him again."

Check out Dana White's opinion on Yamasaki below:

youtube-cover

Dana White even took to Instagram to congratulate Cachoeira for her efforts while slamming Mario Yamasaki yet again.

Check out Dana White's post below:

#2. Dana White challenges Jake Paul to fight Anderson Silva

Jake Paul v Tyron Woodley
Jake Paul v Tyron Woodley

Dana White does not like the way Jake Paul picks smaller, older and washed-up opponents.

Speaking about how Anderson Silva is in the GOAT conversation of combat sports, White invited Jake Paul to fight 'The Spider.'

Anderson Silva reigned in the UFC middleweight division for nearly a decade. Since leaving the MMA promotion, he has returned to the squared circle. He defeated Julio Chavez Jr. and, more recently, Tito Ortiz. Dana White said that Jake Paul would be scared to fight a more talented boxer of his own size.

"I f***ing guarantee you this, you ain't going to see Jake Paul calling Anderson Silva out. That I f***ing promise you. He's his size and he's actually good. He's old, which is what Jake Paul likes, to fight old guys that are too small and that are absolutely positively washed up."

#1. Dana White's rant against Ariel Helwani

Jake Paul v Tyron Woodley - Weigh In - Ariel Helwani interviews Woodley
Jake Paul v Tyron Woodley - Weigh In - Ariel Helwani interviews Woodley

Ariel Helwani was banned from covering UFC events in 2016. Often known as one of the premier MMA journalists, Helwani leaked the announcement of Brock Lesnar's return mere hours before the UFC.

Dana White has since gone out of his way to rant about Ariel Helwani and his alleged unfair practices.

Their rivalry has often made headlines, sometimes even shadowing UFC events. Helwani was also barred from covering the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor boxing fight at Dana White's request.

Explaining why he banned Ariel Helwani from the UFC, Dana White said:

"It's getting worse and worse. It's like with this whole Ariel Helwani thing, it's more about 'oh, what can I sneak in and get out, steal from the fans', you the excitement and enjoyment of the fans seeing it when it comes out, instead of actually doing some real journalism."

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Edited by Utathya Ghosh
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