Dana White slams fighter who beat Alex Pereira in kickboxing for unimpressive performance at DWCS Season 8: "I'm not interested"

Dana White appeared to be critical of the recent performance of a former Alex Pereira opponent. Despite the fighter winning on DWCS (Dana White's Contender Series) Season 8, the UFC CEO denied him a UFC contract.

The fighter in question is 32-year-old Yousri Belgaroui, a Tunisian-Dutch striking savant who's fought Israel Adesanya twice and Alex Pereira thrice in the sport of kickboxing. He suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Adesanya under the Glory of Heroes banner in Aug. 2016 and a split decision defeat against him in the Glory organization in Oct. 2016.

Belgaroui defeated Pereira via unanimous decision under the Glory banner in April 2017. In their rematch in Dec. 2017, then-Glory middleweight champion Pereira beat him via third-round TKO. Pereira won their trilogy via first-round KO, defending the Glory middleweight title in July 2018.

Well, Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira ascended to superstar status after full-time transitions to MMA. Adesanya is a former two-time UFC middleweight champion. Pereira is a former Glory middleweight and light heavyweight champion, a former UFC middleweight champion, and the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion.

Meanwhile, Yousri Belgaroui competed at DWCS 60 in Aug. 2023. He faced Marco Tulio Silva in a middleweight bout, lost via unanimous decision, and failed to secure a UFC contract.

Belgaroui received another shot at a UFC contract, competing at DWCS 71 (Sept. 10, 2024). He faced Japan's Taiga Iwasaki, who'd accepted the matchup on short notice, in a middleweight bout. The mammoth favorite seemingly struggled against and eye-poked the significantly smaller Iwasaki several times.

Ultimately, he defeated Iwasaki via third-round TKO, but it wasn't enough for Dana White's approval. Speaking to UFC interviewer-cum-commentator Laura Sanko, White lambasted Belgaroui (8-3 MMA) and denied him a UFC deal. He said:

"Yousri. He was an eleven-to-one favorite against a guy who took the fight on short notice. He's a six-foot-five middleweight. Instead of closing his hands and using them to keep him off him or to finish him; he poked him in the eyes five or six times, or four or five times, whatever the number was. He did not impress me tonight. I'm not interested."

Check out White's comments below (1:42):

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Dana White's remarks regarding former Alex Pereira foe Quemuel Ottoni's last-minute withdrawal from DWCS 71

Brazil's Quemuel Ottoni defeated Alex Pereira via third-round submission in a middleweight MMA bout at Jungle Fight 82 in Oct. 2015. It marked Pereira's MMA debut and is his lone submission defeat. Ottoni was booked to face Kody Steele in a lightweight bout at DWCS 71, but the UFC broadcast team announced Ottoni's withdrawal mid-show.

During a conversation with Dana White, Laura Sanko implied that Ottoni withdrew from the fight, spoke to UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby, re-wrapped his hands, and again refused to compete.

Furthermore, White attributed the pullout to the big stage's pressure, that too against an elite prospect like Steele. Highlighting that Steele would get his show money, win money, and a fight on another DWCS episode this season, White stated:

"Yeah. That's what this show is all about. You know, sometimes, you don't have to actually get in the cage to realize this isn't for me. I can't handle the pressure. I don't wanna do this. So this is what this is all about."

Watch Dana White's assessment below: