‘Uninterested’ Dana White Makes Factual Blunder Involving Islam Makhachev and Anderson Silva

UFC CEO Dana White was confused about welterweight champion Islam Makhachev's historical milestone heading into UFC 330.

‘Uninterested’ Dana White Makes Factual Blunder Involving Islam Makhachev and Anderson Silva

Dana White makes blunder while talking about Islam Makhachev (via X, Yahoo Sports)

Dana White transformed MMA through his passion, helping make the UFC what it is today. However, in recent times, White has faced criticism over his perceived lack of interest in the promotion. He has now made another mistake involving Islam Makhachev ahead of UFC 330.

Makhachev is set to face Ian Garry at UFC 330 in his first welterweight title defense. The Dagestani phenom currently has 16 consecutive UFC wins, tying UFC legend Anderson Silva’s long-standing record. A victory over Garry would give Makhachev sole possession of the UFC’s longest winning streak.

UFC 330 carries major implications for Makhachev as he targets another historic achievement. A win would break the UFC winning streak record and make him the fifth fighter to defend titles in two weight classes. However, White mistakenly said entirely different.

Islam vs Ian you know, Islam in this fight if he wins does he break Anderson Silva’s record or tie it? Ties it. He ties Anderson Silva for most defenses. Ian Garry is an intersting matchup because the kid has really good takedown defense.

Dana White via Exciting Mics

The mix-up adds fuel to recent criticism of White and how he handles major UFC storylines. MMA insider Ariel Helwani also criticized the low-effort announcement of Makhachev’s move to welterweight for UFC 322. The Dagestani star then defeated Jack Della Maddalena to become a two-division champion.

Helwani later criticized White’s Instagram Live announcement of Israel Adesanya’s return against Joe Pyfer at UFC Seattle. White announced the matchup during an Instagram Live session while reading details from a sheet beside him. Helwani criticized the presentation, adding to his concerns about the fight announcements.

The MMA insider has accused White of proving critics right about his UFC commitment. He pointed to White promoting Bob Menery’s fight against Johnny Manziel with more energy than recent UFC announcements. Helwani argued that White still creates excitement, making his UFC presentation more noticeable.

More recently, White also caught flak over his announcement of Conor McGregor’s return at UFC 329. White revealed the matchup during UFC Vegas 117, drawing attention because it came during MVP’s first MMA event. The card was headlined by Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, making the timing particularly notable.

White has pushed back against criticism that he has lost interest in the UFC following several recent appearances. The UFC CEO challenged critics to see what spectacles await the promotion heading into 2027. He also maintained that his passion for the UFC remains strong despite the criticism surrounding his recent involvement.

Islam Makhachev enters UFC 330 as the promotion’s top star and pound-for-pound leader. The fight offers him a chance to strengthen his legacy and make UFC history with another milestone.

For Dana White, however, the recent mix up adds another viewpoint to criticism over his perceived lack of interest.

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Dana White gives additional information regarding groundbreaking UFC event

Under Dana White, the UFC has reached new heights by staging events in groundbreaking venues. UFC 306 became the first live sporting event at Las Vegas’ Sphere in September 2024. The production cost more than $20 million and drew a sold-out 16,024 crowd, generating a then-record $22 million gate.

The UFC pushed its boundaries again with UFC Freedom 250, staging the White House event on June 14th. The event attracted around 4,300 attendees and reached roughly 34 million viewers worldwide. Despite costing an estimated $60 million, it became another landmark production under White.

Dana White
Dana White (via X)

White has already teased another groundbreaking UFC event following the success of UFC Freedom 250. The UFC boss revealed that Chief Content Officer Craig Borsari came up with the new concept. White has kept the details private while working to make the “impossible event” happen soon.

We’ll never do anything bigger than the White House. The White House and being there that night was literally one of the greatest nights of my life. It was an amazing experience. What Craig came up with is a great idea and if we can make it happen — I have a couple calls after this weekend to see if we can get it done. And then he’s going to fly out and start doing some recon work on the impossible event.

Dana White via TMZ Sports

UFC Freedom 250 faced hurdles including weather concerns, gnats and a lawsuit seeking to stop the event. The lawsuit was rejected, while weather remained a major challenge surrounding the outdoor card. Those issues will remain considerations for Dana White as he works toward the newly teased event.

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