“Absolute clowns” – UFC CEO Dana White destroys MMA Media for falsely reporting ‘fake’ Israel Adesanya vs. Khamzat Chimaev fight for Saudi Arabia card

The MMA world is rife with rumors about potential fights. This creates a headache for UFC officials to clean up after. Recently, the news about Israel Adesanya fighting Khamzat Chimaev on the Saudi Arabia card was released. Dana White was not happy about it. The UFC CEO lashed out at MMA media outlets for spreading false information.

White strongly denied these rumors after pictures surfaced online advertising such a bout. MMA news site Fullsend MMA shared images from the Kingdom Arena website. These showed the venue promoting an event headlined by Adesanya vs. Chimaev on June 23rd. The post quickly gained traction before being removed. Dana White put up an Instagram story sharing this with a message that said:

Not happening. It was a fake post. All the MMA Media that ran with it are the problem. Absolute CLOWNS.

Dana White via Instagram story

White’s forceful denial appeared to shut down the speculation once and for all. Chimaev vs. Adesanya fight could make sense down the line. However, the UFC does not have immediate plans for it. 

After Ramadan, Khamzat Chimaev recently expressed interest in fighting on the Saudi Arabia card. Israel Adesanya has also discussed a potential fight with the Chechen fighter in the past. White maintained this was not something being discussed for the June event. He blasted journalists who spread the misinformation without proper verification.

Dana White attacks MMA media for instigating fights

The relationship between Dana White and MMA media has always remained a rocky one. Both sides have unleashed scathing criticism towards each other in the past. White had recently accused the MMA media of instigating fights between athletes competing in different matchups. 

White issued a stern warning during the UFC 287 press conference in Miami. Previously, White and the mainstream media clashed over Fight Island. Reporters repeatedly questioned White about the recent altercations between Kevin Holland and Jorge Masvidal. White shut down the line of questioning, blaming the media for stirring trouble between fighters who aren’t set to compete against each other. 

White expressed frustration over journalists fishing for controversial things to generate clicks and buzz. He accused them of lacking respect for the actual fights. White believed that sensationalist media questions exacerbate already tense environments. The UFC boss vowed to retaliate aggressively against any reporters attempting to manufacture drama between athletes. White declared those actions unacceptable in his company’s events.

In case you missed it:

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