UFC fans feel like Dana White's Khabib 'announcement' trolled them

UFC President Dana White had MMA fans on their toes after making a surprise announcement earlier today. He gave a teaser regarding the decision that would dictate Khabib Nurmagomedov's future in the UFC.

However, Dana White said that the decision would only be revealed during the live telecast of today's main card at Yas Islands. Consequently, the hype and predictions around this announcement scaled up rapidly.

Met with UFC Lightweight Champion @TeamKhabib last night. Will announce his decision LIVE on ABC at 3pm ET #InAbuDhabi @visitabudhabi pic.twitter.com/ztNmrSEBQw
— danawhite (@danawhite) January 16, 2021

Unfortunately, the final news that did come out was not deemed worthy of all the hype it generated by the fans. According to the fans, Dana White's statement regarding the decision left even more doubt regarding what 'the decision' will be.

The #UFC257 stakes have been raised! 👀@DanaWhite gives us an update on @TeamKhabib's fighting status. pic.twitter.com/FFC2GNeIUY
— UFC (@ufc) January 16, 2021

Dana White revealed what happened in his talks with Khabib Nurmagomedov. Again, 'The Eagle' didn't take a definitive step towards retirement or continuing to fight. Nevertheless, he said that he would consider returning if he saw something spectacular in either of the two top-tier lightweight events on January 23.

Essentially, the situation remained unchanged, and the excessive amount of hype it gained did not sit well with the fans.

Fans express disappointment over announcement by Dana White

UFC fans on Twitter bombarded the clip displaying the decision with comments. The majority of the comments were pretty unhappy about how let down they felt because of the nature of the announcement.

Khabib: I’m retired

Dana: if the lightweights show him something he’ll return. pic.twitter.com/bISAQmAVn5
— Kevin Thang (@Skip2MyJays) January 16, 2021

That’s bullsh!t. Either he’s going to fight or not. You got the biggest star in the sport coming back so I don’t give a damn how Conor wins but if he wins he is owed another title shot. Whether it’s against Khabib or not.
— Mac 11 (@Corey_Mac11) January 16, 2021

Dana: "big announcement on whether khabib stays retired or not"

The announcement: "he might stay retired but he might not"
— Robert (@TweetsByRobert) January 16, 2021

Another factor that seemed to bother fans was the timing of the announcement. Dana White did not announce the decision initially, but instead in the middle of the main card. The immediate theory was that Dana White employed the hype to gain viewers for tonight's PPV.

Dana used this faux Khabib announcement to get people to tune in to the premiere on ABC, and waited until after the first fight so it wasn't obvious that people watched and then left.#UFCFightIsland7
— Pretty Whitty (@WhittyPosts) January 16, 2021

Dana cut the bullshit just tell people you want them to buy the next PPV lol
— 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 (@Comiskey4Life) January 16, 2021

Well, Dana White's announcement does make catching the next event all the more enticing, with the possibility of a Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor 2.

Biggest let down since the GOT final episode
— Jordan Reed (@JordanValleys) January 16, 2021

Yeah... the stakes aren’t raised. Literally nothing changed lol
— Alex Taulbee (@KYReal23) January 16, 2021

Another section of people believe Khabib Nurmagomedov actually said no to the offer to return. According to this theory, Dana White only made the announcement to keep the hype going.

Khabib said no and Dana twisting his words so he doesn't have to disappoint everyone live on air lol
— Mainly Oasis (@mainlyoasis) January 16, 2021

Even though the announcement didn't have an impact as drastic as people were expecting, it did give a little perspective. For all we know Khabib Nurmagomedov may return to defend his title again.

With fighters like Chaprles Oliveira in their best form, defending the title in such an intense division will be difficult.