He might not turn up at post-fight press conferences for a lot of Fight Night events these days, but Dana White has denied the suggestion that he’s “checked out” when it comes to the MMA promotion he took from near-oblivion to the top of the combat sports world.
White, in a recent interview with the Sports Business Journal, has gone on record to address those claims, which he feels stem from reaction to his appearance on CBS Mornings earlier this month, promoting UFC 324.
Uncrowned’s Ariel Helwani was among those critical of White’s appearance, noting that he failed to explain to the casual fan just why Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes (since scratched from the line-up) was the greatest female fight of all time.
White, in response, told SBJ that “I did one interview with CBS, and I didn’t answer the question the way they thought I should answer the question, so I don’t care about the UFC anymore?”
“Well, I’ll tell you what, here’s my answer: come see what we do in 2026 going into 2027, and you will find out that I care very much about the UFC,” continued White, adding Zuffa boxing and other endeavors to the list.
Perhaps that’s the crux of the complaint: White is spread thin these days, with the UFC, Zuffa boxing, UFC BJJ, PowerSlap, a seat on the board at Meta, and a big UFC White House show to plan.
White, now CEO and President of the UFC, working under the TKO Group and Endeavor, admits his job duties have shifted over the years, however. “Honestly, when I became the CEO of the company, my job description has changed a little bit. I’m taking on more, and I don’t know what they saw in the CBS interview— I don’t even know how to answer that question. It’s weird— one interview, one question in the interview, to think I don’t care about the UFC anymore. It’s kind of a weird thing.”
