"I think he's a scumbag" - Dana White blasts former UFC employee Nakisa Bidarian in response to Jake Paul's challenge
Dana White wasted no time in responding to Jake Paul's list of demands from his promotion. In his latest rant, he also rained fire on a former employee, Nakisa Bidarian, who has jumped ship to work alongside Jake Paul.
Nakisa Bidarian is the former UFC CFO (chief financial officer) and CEO (chief executive officer) of Fertitta Capital. Bidarian currently works with Jake Paul as his manager. He also represents Amanda Serrano in the same capacity.
Jake Paul has frequently argued about the conditions of fighters across multiple MMA promotions, especially the UFC. He most recently wagered his entire career in a bid to prompt a change in the way business is conducted in the UFC by Dana White.
Dana White was not impressed. Here's what he had to say about Jake Paul's call for greater benefits for fighters:
"That thing that you came out with today, nobody on earth thinks that you really wrote that. You’re too stupid. And for those of you that don’t know, if you’ve ever watched one of his fights and you see the staredown, the guy that’s standing in the middle with the warlock nose and the big wart on his face, apparently that’s his manager. That guy used to be an accountant for me and let’s just say this: He no longer works for me, and I think he’s a scumbag."
Watch Dana White's response to Jake Paul's demands:
.@jakepaul you never responded to the challenge https://t.co/1uzI9mur1T
Dana White urged Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian to dip their toes in the promotional pool. White subsequently challenged Paul to start a business of his own and offer greater remuneration to the fighters fighting in his promotion.
How did Nakisa Bidarian champion the sale of Dana White's UFC?
Nakisa Bidarian spearheaded one of the biggest transactions in the history of combat sports, as he brought forth the sale of the UFC to Endeavor in July 2016 for $4 billion.
Bidarian found his way into the MMA realm owing to his relationship with the former owners of the UFC, the Fertitta brothers. The three became acquainted with each other through their experience with casinos.
Before his move into the realm of combat sports, Bidarian worked in acquisitions for an investment firm that was funded by the government of Abu Dhabi.
After his split from the UFC, Nakisa Bidarian refused to part ways with combat sports. He founded BAVAFA Companies and BAVAFA Sports and went on to join the ranks of Triller as an executive, developing a strong dynamic with Jake Paul in the process.
.@JakePaul's agent, @BAVAFASports' Nakisa Bidarian, said Thursday that Paul is going to take some time off to start 2022 and his next opponent isn't clear yet.
🗨: 'There isn’t a fighter who doesn't talk about wanting to fight Jake Paul. ... It speaks to the impact he's having.' https://t.co/A4BC2t9j9x
Jake Paul is currently coming off a massive win against Tyron Woodley. Although there has been talk of a fight between Paul and Tommy Fury, Bidarian has revealed that 'The Problem Child' would prefer to take some time off from boxing for a while. Rest assured, the YouTuber-turned-boxer will be back in the ring soon enough.