Dana White Publicly Upset About Joe Rogan’s Decision at UFC 317

UFC CEO Dana White didn't like the actions of commentator Joe Rogan for an unwanted development following the UFC 317 main event.

Dana White Publicly Upset About Joe Rogan’s Decision at UFC 317

Dana White didn't like Joe Rogan allowing Paddy Pimblett to face off against Ilia Topuria (via Imago/X)

UFC 317 became a huge event as fans witnessed the crowning of a brand new lightweight champion in style. Former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria impressively knocked out Charles Oliveira and successfully claimed the lightweight championship belt. Afterwards, Topuria did a faceoff with popular star Paddy Pimblett inside the octagon, which captured everyone’s immediate attention.

Following their intense back-and-forth, the Georgian-Spanish fighter aggressively shoved Pimblett, which instantly made their heated rivalry even stronger. However, Dana White was visibly unhappy about the unexpected faceoff that occurred inside the octagon without proper planning or approval. During the post-fight press conference, White openly shared his frustration.

I don’t know who the hell let him in there; that should have never happened. I was already back in my room or that would have never happened. We’ll see how this plays out. Who gives a [expletive] if it was fun or not, that shouldn’t have happened.

Dana White via UFC 317 post-fight presser

In reality, it was veteran UFC commentator Joe Rogan who invited Pimblett to step inside. While the UFC CEO didn’t like the situation, the loud reaction from the crowd clearly proved fans want this grudge fight. The bad blood between both fighters has existed for years and now their rivalry can generate massive pay-per-view sales globally.

During the face off, Topuria promised to submit Pimblett and prove a point, but the Scouser was confident about his chances. Following the interaction, the newly crowned champion mentioned that destroying Pimblett would be easier than Oliveira, due to the lack of respect. Topuria wants this mega fight to take place in his home turf inside Real Madrid’s iconic Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Dana White unsure about what’s next after UFC 317

Other than Paddy Pimblett, several top lightweight contenders like Arman Tsarukyan and Justin Gaethje were also present at UFC 317. Tsarukyan, who had previously missed out on a title opportunity at UFC 311, made weight as the official backup fighter. However, despite his efforts, it wasn’t enough because Dana White doesn’t believe Tsarukyan is next for the title.

Who Dana White wants as the top contender
Who Dana White wants as the top contender (via X)

Following his win, Ilia Topuria mocked Arman Tsarukyan’s viral reaction to Charles Oliveira’s brutal knockout loss at UFC 317. According to the newly crowned lightweight champion, Tsarukyan seemed relieved that he wasn’t inside the octagon facing the dangerous ‘El Matador.’ The recent back-and-forth between both fighters has intensified their rivalry, making fans excited about a possible future clash soon.

Many believe Tsarukyan presents the toughest challenge for Topuria due to his elite wrestling skills and relentless grappling pressure. Apart from this, lightweight veteran Justin Gaethje has claimed that he will retire if he doesn’t get a title shot next. During the post-fight presser, Dana White talked about Gaethje’s retirement warning and gave a straightforward answer against the ‘Highlight’s interest.

We love Justin Gaethje and Justin Gaethje did step up and he’s been an exciting and fun fighter to have here in the UFC but to say unless you give me a title shot otherwise I’m retiring, that’s pretty wacky.

Dana White via UFC 317 post-fight presser

Gaethje recently delivered an entertaining fight against Rafael Fiziev, but many fans doubt his ability to defeat Ilia Topuria. In a post-fight interview, the Georgian-Spanish champion confidently claimed that Gaethje would be an easy opponent for him inside the octagon.

Still, it remains interesting to see what direction the UFC chooses for Topuria’s next lightweight title defense in the future. After all, the man who took the best shots from Gaethje, Michael Chandler, and Dustin Poirier succumbed to the devastating strikes from Topuria. As such, anyone facing ‘El Matador’ has a huge task in front of them, and fans are excited for the future of the division.

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