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Dana White has, historically, been one of the strongest personalities in the UFC. What is most surprising, though, is that he isn't a fighter. Instead, he's a top executive in the promotion, acting as its CEO and public face. And given his power and unfiltered nature, he isn't above criticizing others.
In 2024, he oversaw a year in which the UFC enjoyed tremendous success. Unfortunately, it had enough downs to go with its ups. In particular, the promotion dealt with match officials and judges being at the forefront of fight-related controversies, which White was not shy about pointing out.
In fact, he was even critical of a cage-side doctor for stopping a fight due to circumstances that drew widespread outrage among the MMA fandom. Speaking of which.
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#5. Dana White takes aim at UFC Tampa's cage-side doctor
UFC Tampa saw the return of former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington after a year away from the octagon. He took on streaking 170-pounder Joaquin Buckley. Unfortunately for him, he suffered a cut on his eyelid early in the fight, which only worsened as the rounds progressed.
Toward the end of round three, the cage-side doctor called for an end to the bout, fearing that Covington would have lost his eyelid otherwise. The decision didn't sit well with many, including Dana White.
"I was curious to see how it would go if it went five rounds, if it went later in the rounds. No doubt that was a bad cut, but that fight doesn't get stopped in [Las] Vegas, that fight keeps going in Vegas. 100%."
Check out Dana White criticizing the cage-side doctor (0:44):
Even Covington himself complained about the stoppage, but it did little to change the fact that he was trailing on the scorecards.
#4. Dana White lambasted a UFC 302 judge
UFC 302 featured a thrilling encounter between former middleweight champion Sean Strickland and ex-middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa. It was a fairly comfortable win for Strickland after five rounds, with many expecting a unanimous decision.
However, judge Dave Tirelli saw it differently, scoring the bout for 'Borrachinha,' leading to a split-decision win for Strickland. So, at the UFC 302 post-fight presser, Dana White expressed his confusion over the judging.
"It wasn't weird. It was f***ing nuts is what it was. Insane. That guy should never ref [judge] a big fight ever again. They should kick him back down to the minor leagues and let him work on his judging."
Check out White's indignation (2:55):
It was one of the most bizarre cases of poor judging in 2024, but unfortunately, it wasn't the last, with other instances taking center-stage as well.
#3. Dana White shows his frustration with Mike Beltran
Mike Beltran is a veteran referee of the game, having officiated countless high-profile fights. Unfortunately, in Dana White's eyes, his officiating at UFC 307 wasn't his finest work. In the third-last bout of the evening, Mario Bautista implemented a stifling, clinch game against José Aldo.
However, Bautista showed no intent to truly engage, and White was left frustrated by Beltran not enforcing enough action.
"When the guy keeps doing it, and is doing everything he can to not fight, and not win the fight, as a ref you should break it up immediately."
Check out Dana White criticizing Mike Beltran (7:20):
While Bautista ultimately won the bout, many were critical of his performance and unwillingness to engage an all-time great like Aldo. Yet, Baustista remained unapologetic, pointing out that it wasn't his fault that the former featherweight champion lacked the ability to escape the clinch.
#2. Dana White highlights issues with judging at UFC 310
Dana White was displeased by some of the judging at UFC 310, in particular with the judging on Alexander Volkov vs. Ciryl Gane, as well as Bryan Battle vs. Randy Brown. Both fights were closely-contested, with potential swing rounds in the mix. Yet, the scorecards led to criticism in the MMA world.
White was among those critical of the judging, even consoling Volkov over what many regarded as an unjust split-decision loss. Thereafter, the UFC CEO shared his thoughts on the post-fight presser.
"You heard the boos. I went over to Volkov, I apologized to him. I thought he won the fight."
Afterward, White brought up the Battle fight.
"They [the judges] were making the argument on why the fight was judged the way it was. I had a problem with the Battle fight too."
Check out White's criticism of the judging at UFC 310 (15:04 and 15:23):
Despite disagreeing with the judges, White opted to remain diplomatic in the end.
#1. Dana White eviscerates the judging at UFC 307
If UFC 310 featured two fights wherein Dana White found fault in the judging, UFC 307 was the same but magnified. Julianna Peña dethroned Raquel Pennington as the women's bantamweight champion in a controversial split-decision, while Mario Bautista authored his own split-decision win over José Aldo.
White couldn't have disagreed more with the judging he saw that night.
"I thought the judging tonight was atrocious. I felt like I was at a boxing match in Ireland tonight."
Check out White blasting the UFC 307 judges (2:59):
For White to compare it to the judging seen in boxing, which he has been historically critical of, said enough about his low regard for the judging at UFC 310.
