3 Times Dana White was brutal about a UFC fighter's performance
It is no secret that UFC President Dana White does not like when fighters speak about pay, especially when there is room to criticize their performance. Whether it's fair to demand fighters put everything on the line for the amount of money UFC pays them is a topic of a different debate.
However, the ongoing back-and-forth between UFC and Paulo Costa over fighter pay compelled Dana White to show his brutally critical side.
White urged Costa to 'put himself in a position to do something big' after a 'ridiculous' and 'horrible' performance against Israel Adesanya in 2020.
Dana White's criticism is stingy and humiliating for the Brazilian fighter but by no means the most brutal. Here are three times when White was brutal about a UFC fighter's performance.
#3 "You look stupid" - Dana White on Curtis Blaydes' trash-talk ahead of UFC on ESPN 11
Trash-talk and self-promotion work as long as they're backed by impressive performances. UFC Heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes took several shots at UFC over fighter pay and the title shot heading into his UFC on ESPN 11 showdown against Alexander Volkov in June 2020.
However, Blaydes only managed to escape with a unanimous decision win after getting visibly exhausted heading into the final stages of the five-round fight. Dana White, who waited patiently until the event, unloaded his verbal assault on Curtis Blaydes in the post-fight press conference.
“I like Curtis Blaydes, but Curtis Blaydes has the wrong attitude as far as I’m concerned. I don’t have anything against the kid at all, when you talk sh*t like he talked this week, you better come in and whoop somebody’s ass when you talk sh*t like that. When you talk the sh*t that he did and perform like he did tonight? You look stupid," said Dana White.
#2 "People don't wanna watch you fight" - Dana White to Tyron Woodley
It shouldn't be surprising at all to have Tyron Woodley's name on the list. T-Wood and Dana White have never been on good terms, at least in recent memory.
After Tyron Woodley's third title defense against Demian Maia at UFC 214 ended up being a five-round snoozefest with almost no action, it was only a natural reaction for White to launch a verbal attack on his Welterweight Champion. Apart from a three-minute rant criticizing Tyron Woodley, Dana White said:
"What do you think about watching a Tyron Woodley fight? Listen, when you break the record for the least punches ever thrown in a five-round title fight and you beat it by, it was like 130 and these guys threw 60 or something like that. I think that sums it up. It's easy to say a win is a win. But when you get booed out of arena, that means people don't wanna watch you fight. That's how you make a living. It's not good if people don't wanna watch you fight."
Later, it was revealed that Tyron Woodley had suffered a torn labrum in his right shoulder during the fight. This prevented him from pressing the action, despite having seriously hurt Demian Maia early in the fight.
#1 "I don't think I've been more embarrassed" - Dana White on Anderson Silva's UFC 112 win
The UFC organized its first pay-per-view event, UFC 112, in the middle east after the Abu Dhabi government-owned Flash Entertainment acquired a 10% stake in the promotion.
Being one of the most stacked fight cards then, UFC 112 delivered every bit as advertised until the main event fight between Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva and Demian Maia kicked off.
Silva kept circling the cage for the majority of the fight while clowning and taunting Maia, who appeared to be the only aggressor in the fight.
Anderson Silva eventually won the fight on the judges' scorecards. However, the champ's antics received harsh criticism from the fans, media, and UFC president Dana White alike. While speaking to the reporters during the post-fight press conference, Dana White said:
"So, while they're getting these guys in, believe me I'll answer the questions of what a disgrace the main event was and what an embarrassment it is. I don't think I've been more embarrassed in the ten years of being in this business. This is the first time that I have ever walked out in the main event and given the belt to the guy's manager and told him to put it on him."
The impact of Anderson Silva's controversial performance was so magnanimous that one of the most important upsets in UFC history, Frankie Edgar's win over BJ Penn in the Lightweight title fight, went practically unnoticed!