(Video) Dana White Puts ‘Dehydrating’ Ilia Topuria to Test Again With Hilarious Water Cup Gesture

UFC CEO Dana White repeats his cup of water antics in front of Ilia Topuria for the second time in a row.

(Video) Dana White Puts ‘Dehydrating’ Ilia Topuria to Test Again With Hilarious Water Cup Gesture

Dana White puts water in front of a dehydrated Ilia Topuria (via X)

As a promoter, Dana White has a long, action-packed weekend ahead as UFC prepares to host a major 2025 blockbuster event. This weekend at the T-Mobile Arena, Ilia Topuria will face Charles Oliveira in a thrilling bout for the vacant lightweight title. Ahead of this massive fight, the promotion held the pre-fight press conference where both top fighters answered questions and faced off.

During the press conference, White accidentally placed a glass of water on Topuria’s table while he was weight-cutting. UFC fighters usually attend press conferences dehydrated, and placing water in front of them during that time is extremely inconsiderate. Surprisingly, this wasn’t the first time the UFC CEO had made this mistake with the former featherweight champion previously.

When Topuria fought the legendary Max Holloway at UFC 308, White made the same mistake during the press conference. At that time, the UFC CEO didn’t notice his mistake immediately, but later acknowledged it after the press conference had already ended. This time, however, White quickly realized the mistake and removed the water, sharing a light-hearted and hilarious moment with Topuria.

However, after removing the glass from Topuria’s table, White humorously placed it right in front of Charles Oliveira instead. Fans immediately burst into laughter as the funny moment added a relaxed vibe to the already enjoyable pre-fight press conference atmosphere. Overall, the press conference was pretty chill, with both fighters speaking respectfully and not engaging in nasty trash-talks.

Unlike past intense build-ups where rivals cross lines and things escalate quickly, the fighters kept everything calm and professional throughout. However, things got heated up during the face-off with the main event superstars claiming to knock each other. Going into the fight, the ‘El Matador’ is the betting favorite, but Oliveira has his own motivation to win the belt again.

Fight fans react to Dana White putting a water glass in front of Ilia Topuria

Charles Oliveira isn’t worried about being the underdog against Ilia Topuria, and confidently believes he will emerge victorious in this fight. He spoke passionately about his preparation and focused mindset while openly expressing his plans to decisively beat Topuria. Oliveira also made a heartfelt promise to his seven-month-old son, vowing to bring the UFC lightweight championship belt home.

Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira face to face
Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira face to face (via X)

The Brazilian superstar does have the tendency to get hit during fights. However, against Topuria’s punches, he can’t take that risk. Nevertheless, the cup of water antic from Dana White sparked much reaction online. Here are some reactions from the UFC 317 presser where the UFC boss put a water glass in front of Topuria.

As expected, fans made several hilarious jokes about Dana White accidentally testing Ilia Topuria’s patience during the intense weight-cut process. Others humorously commented on Oliveira possibly missing the weight limit because of White’s sneaky antics during the press conference. Nevertheless, most fans are extremely excited for this fight since both fighters are two of the biggest superstars on the UFC roster.

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