Dana White clarifies why he ranted about a Las Vegas Journal Review piece on the UFC bringing fans back amid ongoing pandemic
UFC president Dana White has clarified why he blasted the Las Vegas Review Journal for sharing a story criticizing the promotion's decision to allow fan attendance at UFC 261.
In the post-fight press conference following UFC 261, Dana White defended his statement on the journal by claiming that there are some editors working for the Las Vegas Review Journal who sensationalize issues intentionally. White further stated he was disappointed that the local paper would write something negative on the day the promotion finally allowed fans to attend an event after over a year.
However, acknowledging the free speech of media, Dana White said that even he is entitled to having his own opinion, like everyone else. White admits he might not be on the same page with everyone about the decision to welcome back fans amid a pandemic. Having said that, the UFC frontman claims that experiencing normalcy in Florida, thanks to the presence of fans this week, had to feel good.
Check out Dana White's initial statement on the piece by the Las Vegas Review Journal below.
How did Dana White's decision to bring back fans affect UFC 261?
UFC 261: Usman vs. Masvidal 2 took place on April 24, 2021, at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. After more than a year of holding events behind closed doors, the UFC hosted 15,000 fans for the blockbuster pay-per-view.
While the repercussions of allowing so many people to attend the event have yet to be felt, the presence of fans has made for a much better viewing experience for fight fans across the globe.
The main card for UFC 261 produced some jaw-dropping performances with two spectacular knockouts in the main and co-main events. Rose Namajunas became the first woman in UFC history to reclaim the strawweight title by knocking out Weili Zhang with a picture-perfect head kick.
In the main event, Kamaru Usman violently knocked out Jorge Masvidal to retain the welterweight title. Usman promised he'd knockout Masvidal and did exactly that with a vicious right cross in the second round of the fight. This was the first time Masvidal had been knocked out in his entire career.