That’s the question regarding Sean Strickland at the moment. The newly re-crowned middleweight champion, who dethroned Khamzat Chimaev in the second notable major upset of his career, has claimed to be banned from the UFC’s White House card, a.k.a. UFC Freedom 250, which arrives this Saturday and takes place on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.

“The only male American champ banned at the White House because I said Trump is owned by BB [Benjaimin Netanyahu],” Strickland stated on social media roughly a week ago. “That’s not public opinion, it’s fact.”

UFC CEO and President Dana White claimed otherwise during a media scrum on Tuesday (h/t MMA Fighting).

The post Strickland Disputes White’s Claim That He’s Not Banned from UFC White House appeared first on Cageside Press.

MMA fans and White himself no doubt consider that a big deal for the sport, and the promoter personally, though being TIME Magazine, the accompanying story is more geared towards a general audience.

However, the article does quote White, who reveals during it the fight that slipped away from the upcoming UFC Freedom 250 card at the White House. That would be Mackenzie Dern vs. Weili Zhang, which would have been a third title fight on the much-anticipated card, alongside Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje and Ciryl Gane vs. Alex Pereira.

“We did try to make a women’s fight. We couldn’t get it done,” White said of the White House card, revealing to TIME that the fight in question was Dern vs. Zhang. Mackenzie captured the women’s strawweight title against Virna Jandiroba last year, after Zhang vacated her belt for a failed bid to win gold at 125lbs opposite Valentina Shevchenko.

Per White, the reason the fight didn’t get booked was that Zhang is taking time off from fighting.

Neither Weili Zhang, nor Mackenzie Dern, have fought fought in 2026 thus far. UFC Freedom 250 at the White House takes place on June 14.

It’s unclear as to whether Dern vs. Zhang was the fight White was alluding to back in March when he revealed that one planned bout for the White House event had fallen through. “One of the fights literally just fell out when I walked in here. I think Hunter [Campbell] killed himself,” White deadpanned on a live stream with Nina-Marie Daniele.

Although originally announced with just six fights, a seventh featuring heavyweight Derrick Lewis taking on Josh Hokit was added weeks back, after U.S. President Donald Trump questioned why Lewis, one of his favorite fighters, wasn’t on the card.

The post UFC: Dana White Reveals White House Fight That Slipped Away appeared first on Cageside Press.

The one who admitted he’d gone too far with his trash talking. The one who claimed his “hate battery” had run out.

“One of the many things that I love about combat sports is the unique type of badass— mentally, physically and emotionally— that you have to be to compete in the sport,” White said in regards to Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev showing nothing but respect at the conclusion of their grudge match.

“And when you look at all the things that were said by those two leading up to that fight, normal people like us can never even imagine what it must feel like to walk out of that tunnel and then go deliver in front of the entire world. It’s part of what makes combat sports so unique and badass, and the athletes that compete here, amazing.”

That said, White went on to state that “I highly doubt we’ll have a new and improved Sean Strickland. I’ll believe it when we see it, but I’m not buying it.”

Instead, White suggested that “I think that night, all the emotion comes out after the win. And yes, he broke his nose in the first round.”

“I think we saw that much of Sean Strickland,” said White, holding his thumb and forefinger rather close together. “I don’t know how long that will last. If that’s where he’s headed now, no one’s happier than me, I promise you that. But I’m not buying it.”

Dana White also touched on taking Zuffa Boxing to the UK, which will mark its international debut. “We have an incredible Sky [Sports] deal. We’re going to do a lot of fights over in the UK,” stated White, who went on to add that “realistically over the last 15, 20 years, boxing has become a European sport. It definitely doesn’t have the same power it had in the United States in the 90s and early 2000s.”

Watch the full Zuffa Boxing 06 post-fight press conference with Dana White above.

The post Dana White Doesn’t Buy Sean Strickland’s Sudden Shift in Character appeared first on Cageside Press.

The first loss of his professional career saw Chimaev drop a split decision against the American, in a fight that could best be described as solid, but at the same time one that did not live up to the hype generated by the pair’s pre-fight rivalry.

Things even wound up cordial after the main event had been settled, with Chimaev putting the belt on Strickland, and Strickland admitting that he’d gone “too far” with his trash talk selling the match-up.

Speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press at the UFC 328 post-fight press conference, UFC CEO and President Dana White revealed that Chimaev had told him afterwards that he was done with 185lbs.

“I don’t want to fight [here] again. I want to move up,” White said Chimaev told him.

“Ever since Fight Island, he’s gone on a run, he’s undefeated, won the world title. He did everything he’s said he’s going to do. But with the level of success, and lifestyle, it makes it tough,” noted White.

“Borz” had teased a move to 205lbs prior to the Strickland bout. He had been 15-0 prior to the loss, starting his career on “Fight Island” during the coronavirus pandemic. Back then, White saw something special in the fighter, who also competed as a welterweight. On Sunday, White suggested Chimaev had lived up to the hype.

“He’s a champion. When you see somebody fight for the first time, and you’re like ‘wow this guy’s special’ and they become a world champion in the UFC, yeah I would say so [that he lived up to expectations].”

And so White is satisfied that Chimaev has reached the potential he saw in the Chechen fighter all those years ago. “100%”

Jim Miller, an ageless wonder at 42, earned a Performance of the Night bonus at UFC 328 for a submission of Jared Gordon. Miller had missed an entire year, due in part to his son battling, and beating, a rare form of cancer.

“I wasn’t [aware] until tonight. Until tonight. And tonight was the last fight on his contract, and we just signed him to five more fights,” White said in response. “If he fights four, it’s 50 fights in the UFC, if he fights the last one it’s 51.”

The extra fight, added White, was one that “I just threw it in there.” The UFC exec is off on the math, however. Miller fought in his 47th UFC fight on Saturday. He needs just three more to hit 50, an unthinkable number for any UFC fighter. That number, 50 fights with the company, has been Miller’s stated goal for the last few years.

Miller has been with the company nearly 18 years now, debuting at UFC 89. He’s fought at all three UFC centennials, UFC 100, 200, and 300. He has the most wins in UFC history (28), the second most finishes, and is third all-time in post-fight bonuses. Yet he’s never been a megastar for the company, more of a workhorse. That led one reporter to suggest to White that Miller, perhaps, was underrated.

“I don’t know if it’s underrated, I don’t know what you’d call it. The guy’s special,” White said in response. “I think he was a 3-to-1 dog tonight and he wins in the first round by submission. That’s why when we were looking at the Performances of the Night, it’s hard not to give it to Jim. I don’t know if I’d call it underrated. He’s special, what he’s doing is pretty amazing.”

Watch the full UFC 328 post-fight press conference with Dana White above.

The post Dana White: Chimaev Wants 205 Move After UFC 328, Miller Signs 5-Fight Deal appeared first on Cageside Press.

As it turns out, there might have been more action at the dinner.

A lone gunman attempted to breach security at the Washington Hilton — the same hotel where Ronald Regan was shot in 1981 — on Saturday, failing to enter the ballroom where Trump, White and other guests were housed but firing on law enforcement and secret service agents, striking one officer. That officer was saved by a bullet proof vest, according to President Trump.

The suspected shooter, Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old California native, referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” in communications with family members in the minutes before the attempted attack. Family members including Allen’s brother contacted authorities, though with the short timeframe, no warning could be sent in time.

In an interview with USA Today immediately following the event, which was in progress and ultimately cancelled, UFC CEO and President White recalled that there were “tables getting flipped over, guys running in with guns, and they were screaming ‘get down.'” The longtime friend of Trump, who hosted the UFC at his Trump Taj Mahal casino on New Jersey early in the promotion’s run, added that “I didn’t get down. It was freakin’ awesome, I literally took every minute of it in. It was a pretty crazy, unique experience.”

White stated that he had been seated immediately in front of the American President. “We were sitting right in front of the table. Right in front of where the president was,” noted White. When asked if security had tackled anyone, at least from his view of the scene, White added that “nobody got tackled. Guys came in looking for shooters. They came toward our table. I thought the shooter was over by us or something.”

The shooter was apprehended and will be facing multiple charges.

In roughly a month and a half, the UFC will host Freedom 250 on the White House lawn in Washington, with roughly five thousand spectators exclusively invited, and tens of thousands more viewing on screens at the Ellipse, a 52-acre park immediately south of the White House.

Whether Saturday’s apparent assassination attempt on Trump and U.S. Vice President JD Vance, both of whom were evacuated from the Washington Hilton, forces any changes to the White House card’s security remains to be seen.

The post “Flipped Tables,” Guys with Guns: Dana White Recounts White House Correspondents’ Dinner Chaos appeared first on Cageside Press.

Nationality really shouldn’t matter in fighting, mind you, except when it does (more on that shortly). What should matter is the fights, and we certainly had some entertaining ones over the weekend.

Having made my way back to sunnier shores this morning after several days in the bipolar climate of Winterpeg sorry, Winnipeg, and after a pit stop on Alex K. Lee’s On to the Next One to do a little matchmaking (be sure to go check that out!), it’s time for me to give a few final thoughts on the UFC’s first trip to Canada in 2026.

Main Event Talent Is Back in Canada

The last Canadian to headline a UFC event, prior to Mike Malott on Saturday, was Felica Spencer, who challenged Amanda Nunes for the now defunct UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship at UFC 250 on June 6, 2020.

Let that sink in for a bit. Nearly six years ago. Peak COVID-19 MMA, empty venue. A numbered event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, in fact.

MMA isn’t a sport where nationality should really matter. I’ve long suggested (though UFC VP of International and Content David Shaw feels otherwise) that you don’t need a big Canadian star to run events in Canada. Just bring a few big names, like adopted Canuck Max Holloway, and educated fans will be perfectly happy.

That’s worked with Holloway, with Charles Oliveira, it certainly worked with Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165 in Toronto, which happens to be the first UFC event I was ever in the building for.

The promotion, however, favours having Canadian talent topping Canadian cards, Brazilian talent topping Brazilian cards, British talent topping British cards, so on and so forth. Especially for Fight Nights, where champions and megastars are far less likely to appear.

Enter UFC Winnipeg, and Mike Malott. After putting together a 6-1 record through his first seven UFC bouts, the UFC decided it was time to give the unranked welterweight another step up. He’d had one of those at UFC 297 a couple of years back, against Neil Magny, and stumbled, dominating until he gassed late. Magny stole a come-from-behind victory. Malott’s lone UFC loss, and he proved on Saturday that the gas tank concerns have, to at least some extent, been addressed. Paired up with Brazilian veteran Gilbert Burns, Malott found the TKO finish at 2:08 of the third round.

No, he didn’t go five, didn’t need to. But through two and a half rounds, he never seemed to be tired, never seemed to slow a step. It’s a good sign.

The UFC is positioning Malott and Aiemann Zahabi, who fights at the White House in less than two months, to do some heavy lifting in Canada. Jasmine Jasudavicius kicked off the UFC’s return to Canada a few years ago, but Malott is the most bankable star, while Zahabi is closest to a title shot. Expect Malott to headline the UFC’s next trip to Canada if it’s a Fight Night. If it’s a Pay-Per-View, well, if Zahabi gets the win over Sean O’Malley at Freedom 250 on June 14, there are worse ideas than Petr Yan vs. Aiemann Zahabi on Canadian soil. And Malott almost certainly gets a co-main event slot there.

Farewell, Gilbert Burns

Gilbert Burns has called it a career. We think.

MMA retirements have a funny tendency not to stick, but Burns said following his loss to Mike Malott at UFC Winnipeg that he thought he was done, adding that he was “content” and had fought “everyone.”

Burns, who started at lightweight but wound up challenging Kamaru Usman for welterweight gold in 2021, was a workhorse for the UFC. A reliable fighter who competed in big fights, took on all comers, and headlined five events for the promotion.

He was also the Gilbert whose name was spelled correctly by Reebok, so he had that going for him.

Burns is one of those fighters that every promotion needs. Even when he wasn’t at the top of the card, he put on big performances. In wins, and losses. Burns is responsible for giving Khamzat Chimaev his biggest test to this day. Picked up wins over the likes of ex-champ Tyron Woodley, title challenger Demian Maia, fan favourite Jorge Masvidal, and future PFL two-time champ Olivier Aubin-Mercier. Elite fighters and fan favourites.

Don’t remember him for the tailspin at the end. Just remember the exciting fights, win or lose.

Rough Start, Strong Finish for Team Canada

4-5 on the night isn’t what Canada was hoping for.

Yes, I just got finished saying that nationality shouldn’t matter in MMA. And for individual cards, that’s true. The health of the sport in a given region is important though, and for the last few years, Canada has been in rebuilding mode.

The likes of Georges St-Pierre, Rory MacDonald, Mark Hominick, Valerie Letourneau, and Olivier Aubin-Mercier have all retired. Malott, Jasudavicius, Jourdain, and Zahabi are at the forefront of the sport now, but none have fought for a title, let alone held one.

There was a lot, and I do mean a lot, of chatter online criticizing the UFC’s selection of Canadian fighters, and the performances of those fighters themselves.

My immediate response is the most Canadian possible: take off, hosers! More seriously, don’t panic just yet.

Jamie Siraj, Julien Leblanc, and Mandel Nallo all made their promotional debuts at UFC Winnipeg, and all three were finished. Siraj and Nallo were in very entertaining fights, particularly Nallo, and there is zero question that “Rat Garbage” (or “Mango, if we must) is a quality fighter. Siraj went through hell just to stay alive, overcoming sepsis, an autoimmune disorder, and spending time in a medically induced coma just to be here walking the earth, let alone fighting. Both he and Leblanc will get another look. Nallo obviously will as well.

Jamey-Lyn Horth… well, judges are what they are. Plenty of robbery talk. Dana White shut that down by saying two of the three judges were Canadian, and that all three judges awarded the same score. That doesn’t make her loss to JJ Aldrich any less questionable.

Tanner Boser’s reintroduction to the UFC, at heavyweight, was wildly entertaining. So while he was finished by Gokhan Saricam, he can at least say he helped continue the recent (very recent) resurgence of the heavyweight division.

With Jasudavicius, Jourdain, and Malott winning on the main card, all was not lost for Canada. Sometimes it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. The lasting images from UFC Winnipeg will be Malott finishing Burns, and his electric walkout to Sum 41’s Fat Lip.

The post UFC Winnipeg Aftermath: Slow Start, Strong Finish for the Home Team appeared first on Cageside Press.

Gebala, 12, was shot in the head and neck as part of a shooting spree on February 10, 2026 that left eight dead and six others wounded across two crime scenes including a local school in the small British Columbia town. The shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, had previously been apprehended under the Mental Health Act and had weapons seized by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which were later returned.

Van Rootselaar was found dead at the scene of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Gebala’s mother, Cia Edmonds, previously revealed that the UFC had reached out to the family, with White in particular offering assistance. Maya’s name has also been featured on the octagon itself at UFC events for months now.

White told Cageside Press during Saturday’s UFC Winnipeg post-fight press conference that he got involved the same way many who have donated to Gebala’s recovery have. “I saw it on the news, and I reached out to the family. That was it.”

“I would like to help in any way that I can. Obviously, the situation that she’s in, when you’re a parent, you want the best possible care,” White added. Edmonds has at time been critical of the care her daughter has received in B.C., with doctors originally telling her that Maya would not survive the night.

White declined to get into any criticism.

“They felt- I don’t want to sh*t on anybody, it’s not really my place to talk about this publicly, but they wanted to give their daughter the best chance they could and there’s some great places in L.A., there’s a great place in Houston, there’s a great place in Seattle,” he stated. “So we’re still sort of working through all that. It’s not as easy as it sounds, ‘oh some guy with money jumps in and everything just happens.’ It’s not that easy. You would be f*cking disgusted to know how hard it really is. So me and my team have been working on it.”

That includes UFC Senior VP of Communications Lenee Breckenridge, and UFC Chief Business Office Hunter Campbell.

“So yeah, it’s still a work in progress, but I’m going to do my best,” promised White.

Gebala has survived being shot and overcome infection, but her recovery will almost certainly be a lengthy process no matter where it occurs. With the kind of resources White has, she no doubt has a much better chance at the best outcome possible with the UFC exec in her corner.

The post Dana White Speaks on Funding Treatment for Maya Gebala appeared first on Cageside Press.

“Listen, Eddie says a lot of dumb sh*t,” White told Cageside Press among other media at his post-fight scrum.

“I’m getting used to it. Eddie said that me and him are the biggest fight in boxing. There in lies the problem with boxing, and the fact that a fight promoter who’s actually put on big fights and have a stable of good fighters would say something that f*cking stupid is starting to not be as shocking as it was in the beginning.”

White didn’t mince words when addressing Hearn and other criticisms surrounding his latest ventures outside the UFC, particularly with Zuffa Boxing. The promoter pushed back against detractors questioning recent deals and the direction of his involvement in the sport. Framing the criticism as noise, White doubled down on letting results speak for themselves moving forward.

“You’re a f*cking bum, I’m old, and we don’t even deserve to be on a card with a bunch of real fighters, number one. Number two, everybody’s talking sh*t about Conor Benn and the deal that we made,” he said.

“I will say this like I said a few months ago; sit back, watch what we do this year, and then judge us by our body of work at the end of the year. I said that a few months ago and look where we are now and what we’re doing.”

White continued his critique of the boxing industry, expanding his frustration beyond promoters to include what he sees as a growing chorus of self-proclaimed experts online.

Speaking candidly, White took aim at both the structure of the sport and the voices that frequently weigh in on it, arguing that his firsthand experience has only reinforced his long-held beliefs. He’s clearly grown weary of the criticism specially when it comes to the deals Zuffa Boxing has made with up-and-coming star Conor Benn.

“It’s funny because I knew how f*cked up boxing was, but I never really realized how bad it was and how bad these guys that run the sport are at what they did until I got into it,” he said.

“Then all these guys on the internet that are so smart and such f*cking experts in the fight business man. Just because you have $35 and can start a f*cking website, and do a podcast means you’re some type of expert…you guys should be running f*cking Bellator and PFL and ONE FC. Go help these guys out man!”

As far as Benn is concerned, the long-time UFC president made it clear that he’s a fan.

“He’s been incredible. He’s a great kid, hilarious, very positive person. I like him,” said White.

“So far, so good.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Dana White above.

The post Dana White Goes Off On Eddie Hearn, Boxing, Internet Criticism appeared first on Cageside Press.

Josh Hokit put on a double-bonus winning performance in Miami, claiming Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night in a slugfest with Curtis Blaydes. The fight started hot and neither man ever stopped swinging, but Hokit had the clear decision and $200,000 in bonus money in the end.

He also has a claim to one half of what some have called the best heavyweight fight of all time, up there with Bigfoot Silva and Mark Hunt.

UFC CEO and President Dana White, meanwhile, will no longer speak out against Hokit’s antics. In fact, he’s instead added the heavyweight to the White House card.

“He walked the talk tonight. When people come out and say stupid sh*t and have sort of schtick, it’s not my thing,” stated White, speaking backstage with media outlets including Cageside Press. “But nothing but respect to both of those men tonight, and that fight was unbelievable. You won’t hear a word out of me from here on out about him. Like I said, he walked the talk.”

Before reporters could get another question in, White added that “it’s one thing to have a schtick, whatever, and it’s another thing to go and fight the number five guy in the world who is a bad dude and do what he did to him tonight.”

The UFC exec was in good spirits following UFC 327 in Miami, and for good reason. Every fight delivered, even the rather weird main event that saw Carlos Ulberg suffer an injury than win anyway. Hokit, however, wound up the biggest star, and now has a date with Derrick Lewis at Freedom 250.

So much for not matchmaking on the night of the fight. The event wasn’t even over, in fact, when White announced Lewis vs. Hokit. He later revealed to the media how it all came to be.

“So what’s crazy is, organically, about an hour before that, the President [Donald Trump] said to me ‘why is Derrick Lewis not on the White House card.’ I said ‘I’ll be back in five minutes.'”

White called Lewis, who joked that “politics kept me off the White House card.” Lewis then agreed to fight at the event, and the search was on for an opponent. After Hokit’s fight, Joe Rogan questioned on air if there was still a spot open on the White House card. “I go, ‘holy sh*t,'” stated White. “So I grab Mick [Maynard, UFC matchmaker] and said ‘go back there and talk, see if he’s in.'”

Hokit, according to White, “was getting into an ambulance and said ‘yes.'”

As to why President Trump likes “The Black Beast” so much, “he’s a fan. He loves Derrick Lewis, he likes his personality, he likes the way he fights.”

The post Dana White Reveals How Lewis-Hokit Was Made, Says Hok “Walked the Talk” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Gebala’s mother, Cia Edmonds, revealed the news in a post on social media on Wednesday. The UFC had previously featured Maya’s name on the octagon, recognizing the survivor of one of Canada’s worst school shootings.

The 12-year old was shot in the head and neck on February 10 while attempting to lock the library doors at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School as 18-year old shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar opened fire on fleeing children. A classmate then pulled Gebala to safety.

Van Rootselaar’s mother and 11-year old half brother were killed by the shooter at their home before six other victims were slain at Tumbler Ridge Secondary. The killer had previously been detained under the Mental Health Act and had weapons seized, though they were later returned.

A bullet fragment remains lodged in Gebala’s brain, and she has undergone multiple brain surgeries. She remains unable to move her right side outside of wiggling her toes, though she has communicated through yes/no paddles using her good arm.

In Wednesday’s post by Edmonds, who has been documenting Maya’s progress for over 100,000 followers, she wrote that “after a week of being in the ICU we were contacted by the president of the UFC, Dana White, he’d offered Maya full paid medical in one of the world’s most top tier hospitals in LA California.”

“He has also offered to pay for a place to stay,” she added. “It’s incredible really. I would have never thought this is where this would go. I’m finally excited to see her become the best version of who she can ne through all this. For anyone who watches UFC, they put my babe’s name in the ring. Super cool. The children’s hospital has an extensive brain trauma clinic and more resources. However, Maya hadn’t been stable enough to travel. Until now.”

Edmonds noted that plans were tentative, and will no doubt rely on Gebala’s condition and ability to travel.

“It feels as though the air got lighter, and Maya has some light in her eyes… hope just got a little more brighter,” Edmonds added. “My fighter… I always said her stubborn hard head will work well for her some day.”

Doctors in British Columbia originally did not expect Maya to live, and had prepared the family for the worst. Recently, a surgery to place a prosthetic in her skull had to be called off after an abcess was discovered. However, Gebala has continued to show incredible resilience.

A GoFundMe set up by the family has raised over half a million dollars CAD to date, though with the extent of her injuries, lifelong care remains a possibility. Making Dana White’s generosity no doubt very welcome news for her family.

The post Dana White Offers to Cover Full Medical Treatment for Shooting Victim Maya Gabela appeared first on Cageside Press.