5 fighters Dana White has banned from UFC for life - and for good reasons
Dana White is the UFC's most well-known authority figure, serving as the promotion's public face due to his unapologetic, even brash, persona and ability to shield the rest of upper management from heat. This has drawn him into his fair share of conflicts, including with his own fighters.
While much has been made about White's difficult relationship with a percentage of the roster, he is occasionally tough on the promotion's fighters for a more than justifiable reason. Some fighters have violated the sanctity of MMA's competitive spirit by cheating in such a way that they cannot possibly return.
In other cases, fighters commit the sin of assaulting an opponent after the bell. Neither and more, in White's eyes, are forgivable, and it is easy to see why.
#5. Rousimar Palhares, former UFC middleweight/welterweight
Rousimar Palhares is one of the most notorious fighters in modern-day MMA. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu phenom is a leg-lock specialist who terrified his opposition. Unfortunately, much of the fear he evoked was due to his unsportsmanlike conduct in the cage, which first came to light at UFC 111.
The Brazilian took on Tomasz Drwal, heel-hooking him in round one to win via submission. However, he continued to crank on the hold despite his opponent tapping out and the referee stepping in. For this, he was suspended for 90 days. Two years later, he tested positive for elevated testosterone levels.
This landed him a 9-month suspension, but there was more to come. At UFC Fight Night 29, he heel-hooked Mike Pierce, again refusing to stop even after the referee ended the bout. This led to Dana White releasing him a day after, but it wouldn't be the last time that Palhares held on to a submission for too long.
#4. Ruslan Magomedov, former UFC heavyweight
Dagestani MMA has taken the sport by storm. Thus, it is understandable why there was a tremendous amount of hype surrounding Ruslan Magomedov when he first signed to the UFC. He was the owner of an 11–1 record and was a teammate of legendary lightweight, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Despite an undefeated start to his run, during which he scored three straight wins, Magomedov's tenure with the promotion has been forever stained by not one, not two, but three anti-doping violations. After his final two positive tests, he refused to submit to a subsequent out-of-competition PED test.
Due to the severity of his transgressions, Magomedov became the first fighter to receive a lifetime USADA ban. This consequently banned him from competing in the UFC, for whom USADA managed an anti-doping program at the time before parting ways years later.
#3. Thiago Silva, former UFC middleweight
Few fans today will remember Thiago Silva. He had an unremarkable 7-5 (2) run in the UFC, and his most notable fight was a violent knockout loss to future light heavyweight champion and karateka extraordinaire Lyoto Machida. Unfortunately, he was just as violent outside the cage as he was inside it.
In early 2014, he threatened his estranged wife Thaysa Kamiji—from whom he had separated in late 2012—and her boyfriend Pablo Popovitch with a handgun at the latter's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu center, where Popovitch works as a coach. Furthermore, a police report from a month prior revealed other harrowing details.
Silva had previously threatened to kill Kamiji with a revolver. The promotion promptly cut him and Dana White promised that he would never fight there again. Shockingly, Silva was re-signed after the charges were dropped, but the subsequent release of video evidence led to his second and final release.
#2. Paul Daley, former UFC welterweight
Paul Daley is a hothead, and at UFC 113, his temper got the better of him when he faced reviled trash-talker Josh Koscheck. At the time, the Englishman was on a four-fight knockout streak, and the bout was a title eliminator to determine the next challenger for the then-welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
Round one saw Koscheck seemingly fake being illegally kneed in the head, which led to a point deduction for Daley, who was subsequently outwrestled for the remainder of the bout. After the fight's conclusion, a furious Daley attempted to punch Koscheck but was quickly wrestled away by the referee.
In response to the situation, Dana White immediately announced that he would not only be cutting Daley from the promotion but that the Englishman would never be welcomed back, regardless of any accomplishments he may or may not earn in the future. He subsequently competed for Bellator but has since retired.
#1. Jason High, former UFC welterweight/lightweight
Jason High first competed in the UFC back in 2010, but his promotional debut was disastrous. He lost via unanimous decision and was immediately released. After rebuilding himself and even amassing a winning streak in Strikeforce, he was given a second chance.
Unfortunately, his second stint with the promotion was short-lived, consisting only of four fights and lasting just a year. His final fight in the promotion was against future lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. Ahead of the bout, the American was supremely confident, demanding to be placed in the top 10 after his win.
Only, he didn't win. He was dropped and TKO'd in round two. High, however, took issue with the referee's stoppage, and in his anger, shoved the official. A furious Dana White condemned him for putting his hands on the referee, before releasing him and banning him from the promotion.