Dana White spoke after the Rogers Arena, the first event the UFC has held in Canada for almost four years. White discussed a couple of topics he wouldn’t have been expecting to talk about before last night’s action.
Fight of the night bonuses went to Eryk Anders and Marc-Andre Barriault, while the performance of the night bonuses went to Charles Oliveira for his first-round TKO over Beneil Dariush, Mike Malott for his submission win over Adam Fugitt, and Steve Erceg for his unanimous decision victory on the prelims. All five men benefit from an extra $50k in their paychecks.
Dana White followed this with a warming tribute to Amanda Nunes, claiming that he would have loved to see her carry on fighting but respected her decision and was very happy for her. Oscar Willis from ‘The Mac Life’ asked about the future of the women’s featherweight division; would it be retired along with Nunes?
Presumably, the question was asked due to the lack of apparent stars and top contenders to garner interest from the fans. White suggested that the division could be scrapped, which would not be music to the ears of the likes of Macy Chiasson and Norma Dumont, ranked one and two, respectively. Both women will have their eyes on the interim title but may not get the chance.
A talking point during the UFC 289 broadcast on social media was the backdrop of Mike Malott’s walkout. As he approached the cage, it looked as though something had fallen in the background. Videos from fans inside the arena circulated on social media showing a barricade collapsing as fans reached out to high-five the hometown hero as he made his way to the octagon. Luckily, the barricade narrowly missed Malott, and the broadcast could continue without interruption. Had it struck him, the weight of the fans collapsing on the fighter could have easily caused an injury – a narrow miss.
”Nobody was seriously hurt, just a couple of minor injuries,” said Dana White. Presumably, most, if not all, of the injuries sustained were to the security staff, which could be seen being squashed by the falling punters.
”The arena handled it immediately, roped it off, got security up there, moved people to better seats, and handled it like a bunch of pros.”
Mike Malott, a recipient of one of tonight’s bonuses, put in an impressive display, especially considering the nerves he would’ve felt going into the fight being a crowd favorite. White was asked if we could expect Malott to be used high up on Canadian cards in the future.
”Listen, you can come onto the Contender Series, and that’s a big step up. You have to perform that night, right then, right there. You have to show us what you’ve got. It’s a whole different level when you come into your home country, and you’re on the main card; you have to go and deliver. He [Mariott] absolutely, positively showed us who he is tonight, and the answer to your question is yes, this kid is for real.”
Malott wasn’t the only Canadian impressing on last night’s card. Five Canadians in total came away with a victory at UFC 289, and White said shows like UFC 289 would ultimately be a good thing for Canadian mixed martial arts as he expects there to be a boom in people taking up the sport from the country, as this is what tends to happen when people have success.
Instances of a post-fight press conference without a Conor McGregor question is something you can probably count on one hand over the past few years, so it’s hardly surprising that Dana White was asked about the viral clip at the Miami Heat vs. Denver Nuggets NBA finals game which showed McGregor punching the Heat mascot in a staged segment on the court. What wasn’t staged, however, were the reports that the mascot had to go to ER after being hurt by one of McGregor’s punches.
Dana White wasn’t surprised by this and referenced a previous incident where former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder was seen punching a mascot. Silly decisions by the mascots, inferred White as he said, ‘What do you expect.’
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