Dana White is putting his foot down with the onsite MMA media.
Typically at a UFC event, president Dana White is on hand to see that things run smoothly and to answer questions from members of the media. However, despite the rules and measures taken to ensure fighters are happy and safe, sometimes unexpected things go down. Something happened prior to UFC 287 between Jorge Mavidal and Kevin Holland. The two were involved in a near altercation twice, once at the fighter hotel, and once on the streets of Miami. This did not sit well with White and he got mad at the media for asking about it.
White is not a big fan of the media as a whole. He has spoken several times about his disdain for having them at events and having them digging into certain topics. At the same time, he knows that it is a benefit in some cases of having the sport covered and brings eyes to the fighters and the event. At UFC 287 however, he laid out a stern warning to the media to keep out of the Masvidal/Holland business.
Dana White did not want the media to ask Kevin Holland or Jorge Masvidal about their altercation
Prior to the UFC 287 event, Dana White warned the media not to ask about the near altercation between Masvidal and Holland. After the event, he went into more detail as to why he put a ban on it.
“The reason I didn’t want you guys talking about other fights, guys were f–king two days before a fight. He’s not fighting Jorge Masvidal, first of all, it creates sh-t backstage and at the hotels, right?” he said. “When you guys ask them questions like that, and they say something, we still got two days until the fight and these guys run into each other backstage and everywhere else. And it’s so disrespectful to their opponent, there’s an opponent sitting up there that they’re gonna fight. I just hate that shit.”
White took it one step further and threatened to attack any member of the media that tried to incite any drama during fight week.
“I get it. You want your f–king clicks or whatever it is, you guys want to get your little f–king moment that you can post but I will f–king attack you if you do that, you know what I mean?” he said. “It just causes a lot of bullsh-t backstage.”
White has been notoriously critical of the MMA media in the past. He has a longstanding beef with prominent MMA media member Ariel Helwani from back when Helwani broke an important story before the UFC wanted it released. White has even mentioned putting together a film bashing certain members of the press.
