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White apologized to Israel Adesanya over a clip during UFC 305 Countdown that edited mention of Ngannou out of Izzy’s speech.

Dana White is denying he had anything to do with Francis Ngannou’s erasure from a UFC 305 countdown show, while at the same time taking full responsibility for it happening.

Ngannou has been persona non grata within the UFC since leaving the promotion in January 2023. Since then we’ve witnessed several snubs in official UFC programming, from ignoring his place as one of the first Cameroonians to compete in the organization to full blown quote-editing to delete mention of Ngannou from a statement given by Israel Adesanya.

Adesanya wasn’t happy with the sketchy behavior and called the UFC out on it. But UFC CEO Dana White didn’t hear about any of it.

“If that’s true and that was done and it was something that we produced, then somebody in the company made that decision,” White said during a Contender Series post-fight press conference. “You know me, right? If I said we did it, I’d say, ‘Yeah, f— him and this is why we did it.’ I know nothing about it. Nobody ever asked me about it, and this is the first we’re hearing about it or I would tell you.”

White then reached out to reporter Kevin Iole following the event to take responsibility.

“My production team are a bunch of rock stars and they are truly f—ing awesome,” White clarified. “I make it so hard on them sometimes with some of the crazy s— I say and it’s tough. When you asked me about that, I didn’t know anything about it. But someone was editing that and made a conscious decision, thinking that was the right thing to do, that that’s what we would have wanted, what I would have wanted.”

“I didn’t know about it and that was nothing that ever came across my desk,” he continued. “I’m in charge of everything production-related, so at the end of the day, the fact that it happened falls on me 100 percent. It’s my responsibility and I accept it. Blame me for that. I put them in such a tough spot sometimes saying all this crazy s—, it’s hard for them.”

“Whoever was editing it, they thought that was the right decision and did what they thought I wanted. That’s not what I wanted and had I known that, I would have not authorized that. But that’s on me. Totally on me. I already called Israel Adesanya and apologized for it.”

White may not have specifically asked his team to remove Ngannou from the UFC 305 Countdown show, but it’s standard business procedure to remove fighters like Ngannou that have angered UFC brass from any and all mention in promotional material.

This goes back all the way to former middleweight champion Frank Shamrock, who left the UFC shortly after White took control of the company. Since then we’ve seen it with several others, most notably Randy Couture.

When White says he puts his staff in “tough spots saying all this crazy s—,” he may be referring to past instances where people have reportedly been reprimanded and even fired for not adhering to expectations when it comes to keeping various names off the broadcast.

Considering this is all very well documented, this latest statement feels like a bit of a dog and pony show in a time where the UFC is about to head to court over alleged monopsony antitrust violations. Even if it is, here’s hoping it signals the end of the practice, because it really is petty and not necessary at all.

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Dana White cannot believe Merab Dvalishvili would do something like that.

On Tuesday, Dvalishvili sustained a small cut above his left eye during training which required stitches, and immediately went on social media to post about it. Just 25 days out from his upcoming bantamweight title fight against Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, Dvalishvili insisted that the small injury will not impact his training and won’t force him from the bout.

“Everything is good my friends. It’s happening all the time. This is nothing. I’m getting stitched up and make sure I can continue training, tonight, tomorrow, all week. I feel great. O’Malley is in big trouble. This little cut is only going to make me stronger.”

Despite Dvalishvili’s insistence that this won’t effect anything, White was nevertheless, flabbergasted that he would ever do this in the first place.

“The whole world knows about Merab’s cut, he posted it,” White said in his media scrum following Contender Series. “Our guys are so dumb it’s next level unbelievable. All the stuff I talk about boxing, what I will give boxing, when something happens in a camp, let me tell you what, it does not leak. Our guys can’t f*cking wait to throw it up on social media. It’s a small cut. It’s no big deal, but obviously needed to be posted…

“And why the f*ck would you want [O’Malley] to know that?! It is next level stupid. Some of these guys are so stupid it’s mind-boggling. It’s unbelievable.”

O’Malley also had his own spin on Dvalishvili’s cut.

After White’s comments, Dvalishvili posted another video showing he was already back to training with the stitches and reiterating that he still planned to fight at UFC 306.

White may have had a little extra ire for Dvalishvili’s post due to the high stakes surrounding UFC 306. Dubbed Riyadh Season Noche UFC, the event takes place in Sphere in Las Vegas and is being promoted as “the greatest live sporting event of all time.” As such, the event is allegedly an extremely costly endeavor, and having something happen to the main event has White understandably nervous.

“No. [Knocks on wood]. No. I don’t even talk like this,” White said when asked about a possible backup fighter for UFC 306. “Don’t you dare throw the jinx on me. The cost of doing this production if we have to change anything is f*cking devastating.”

UFC 306 takes place on Sept. 14.

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UFC CEO, Dana White has responded to criticizm of a booked headliner between champion, Alex Pereira and challenger, Khalil Rountree later this year – claiming the pairing “makes a lot of sense” – before challenging Magomed Ankalaev to ‘earn’ a shot at the divisional crown.

Pereira, the incumbent undisputed light heavyweight titleholder and a former middleweight gold holder, is slated to return in two months time at UFC 307, headlining the promotion’s return to Salt Lake City in a title showdown with the surging, Rountree.

Most recently featuring in the main event of UFC 303 at the end of June, Sao Paulo finisher, Alex Pereira landed a stunning second round high-kick knockout win over former champion, Jiri Prochazka – felling the Czech Republic native for the second time since their first meeting last November.

As for Rountree, The Ultimate Fighter finalist has been embroiled in an anti-doping violation since he felled former title challenger, Anthony Smith with a third round knockout back in December, however, is set to take on Alex Pereira in his premiere title tilt in the organization.

Dana White defends Alex Pereira – Khalil Rountree booking

And amid scrutiny from former title chaser, Ankalaev – who features just two weeks after Pereira’s return at UFC 308 as he battles Aleksandar Rakic, the Russian has been challenged by White to earn his own title fight next.

“He (Magomed Ankalaev) didn’t get skipped over, he’s got a fight coming up,” Dana White said following the Contender Series overnight. “We were laying the fights out now, Ankalaev’s got a fight lined up, go in there, do your thing, look great, obviously you’re next.”

“We had a to make this fight card and as you go down the line you start looking at it, it’s clear (Khalil) Rountree makes a lot of sense and you said it yourself, ‘No way in hell that’s not a fun one.’” Dana White continued. “Timing is everything.”

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Jon Jones is going to fight Stipe Miocic, no matter what.

Jones won the UFC heavyweight title by submitting Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 17 months ago. He was then scheduled to defend it against Stipe Miocic at UFC 296 before suffering an injury that forced him from the bout. Since then Jones has been recovering, with the intention of returning against Miocic later this year, despite the emergence of interim champion Tom Aspinall.

Understandably, Aspinall appears to be increasingly frustrated by Jones’s insistence on fighting Miocic, who is 42 years old and has not competed in over three years, instead of unifying their titles, even suggesting earlier this week that Jones “there’s no way on Earth” Jones will ever fight him. And Jones isn’t really doing much to dissuade that notion as on Tuesday, he took to social media with a series of posts about Aspinall, his legacy in the sport, and his steadfast resolve to fight Miocic.

“Looks like Tom displaying that amazing UK wrestling. My focus is on stipe, he actually wrestled division one. Best heavyweight of all time as of right now. Maybe Tom will go on and beat Stipe’s record one day, right now I’m focusing on goat things.”

“Haha man, you guys have been really begging me lately. Is the heavyweight division really that boring without me?”

“The beautiful thing about being my position is, I’m not defined by one fight. Most of you grew up watching me win.”

“I guess there was a video that resurfaced recently of me saying that after Stipe, Francis was the only fight I was interested in. That video was recorded well over a year ago. That was recorded before I got injured, before there was an intern champion crowned. I had already voiced that I wasn’t interested in any more randoms. Now magically I’m ducking a fight that’s never been negotiated or discussed at any table that matters. Lol I’m sticking to my plans, Jon Jones jumps for no one. How many belts does one need? How many times do I have to break my own record?”

“There are fighters literally all over the world that think in the back of their mind I can beat Jon Jones. There will be no statues of you. Go out and win more, make your name greater, that is the only way you do it.”

“I’m 37 years old now, I’ve kicked everyone’s ass. My job is to finish strong and make an amazing movie. Go join Tom Brady, Floyd Mayweather, and all the other retired bad asses.”

“It feels good to know on the way out your sport was literally begging you to continue. You never know, maybe the UFC will offer me a deal I can’t refuse.”

“Interesting, from my point of view it seems like an amazing way to finish this good work I started so long ago.”

While this was all happening, Aspinall was also posting, putting up a skit on his Instagram mocking Jones for ducking the fight with him.

“Where are you Jon Jones Is it time for retirement?”

Aspinall also responded directly to Jones’s comments, clearly interpreting them as Jones saying he will retire following the Miocic fight and taking shots at Jones for insisting on fighting Miocic.

“Wonder if it was that video or my fighting that retired him? Please make sure you pass me the belt on the way out of the octagon if you beat Biden.”

While no official date has been set, it is widely believed that Jones will face Miocic at UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden.

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Who knows?
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