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Dana White has absolutely ruined the UFC in the last few years, especially this year

Jonjonesgonemad

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The UFC is becoming what Dana White always hated about Boxing, the only fights that were good was Alex vs Ankalaev 1, Merab vs Umar, other than that, 2025 has shown nothing good:

-Barely stripped Jon of the title after fans begged him to do it for many months or even 2 years since Aspinall became interim champion.
-Attempts to promote Boxing, which rivals the UFC.
-Refused to book Volk and Movsar despite both fighters appealing for the fight.
-Has put together increasingly scrappier and more mediocre fight cards as time goes on.
-Refuses to make Super fights, no Valentina vs Zhang, no Tom vs Jon, ilia vs Islam...and the list goes on.
-Barely promotes fights (no face to face interviews, mediocre fight posters, lazily announcing fights on Instagram live whilst trying desperately to sounds remotely passionate about the sport)
-Other than him releasing Mokaev and refusing to sign Francis back but Francis doesn't want it either way to save the HW division, also he has been releasing fighters who are winning at HW, like Martin Buday, Alexander Romanov, Rozenstruik whom lost to top HW Pavlovich...and some of these talented HW's, and many unfair releases of fighters.
-Barely books title fights which adds more excitement to the UFC, he keeps one shotting the fans, hypes the fans first and then ONE SHOT, he lied to fans about he will make a fight that will drive people crazy, like saying he will make Tom vs Jon but didn't.
-Overpricing everything and underpaying the fighters, gives wrong bonuses to fighters, like Dustin vs Max 3 didn't win FOTN or Holland vs D-Rod but Vettori vs Hernandez which wasn't that "WOW" or didn't give Reyes any POTN despite coming back to W column, or no POTN in the last event of Taira.
-He still doesn't want to give Russian fighters title shots even if they solidified their position for title fights, or denying No. 1 contenders title shots like Virna Jandiroba.
-Like, at least book more fights for WMMA, the Women champions are inactive af, Zhang Weili hasn't fought for 6 months but DDP who fought with her on same card is gonna make his next title defense in a few days.
-Some MMA Legends like: Frank Shamrock, Tim Sylvia, Dan Henderson, Mirko Cro Cop...and among others are still not in the UFC but rather inducts guys who win TUF and few title fights to the UFC HOF.

Do you believe Dana White should retire?
 
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I think every current UFC executive needs to be fired and cast into the sea

More serious response: Dana is definitely part of the problem, but the bigger issue is WME’s and now TKO’s corporate culture. That’s why I suggested cleaning house because that comes from the top and any replacements could fall into the same behaviors.
 
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Dana is not running as much as you would think nowadays, most of the points you brought up are UFC corporate, Hunter and the matchmakers. UFC used to allocate extra bonuses when there were multiple fighters deserving, but now there is a hard limit so they prioritise those who are making a lot less.
 
The UFC is becoming what Dana White always hated about Boxing, the only fights that were good was Alex vs Ankalaev 1, Merab vs Umar, other than that, 2025 has shown nothing good:

-Barely stripped Jon of the title after fans begged him to do it for many months or even 2 years since Aspinall became interim champion.
-Attempts to promote Boxing, which rivals the UFC.
-Refused to book Volk and Movsar despite both fighters appealing for the fight.
-Has put together increasingly scrappier and more mediocre fight cards as time goes on.
-Refuses to make Super fights, no Valentina vs Zhang, no Tom vs Jon, ilia vs Islam...and the list goes on.
-Barely promotes fights (no face to face interviews, mediocre fight posters, lazily announcing fights on Instagram live whilst trying desperately to sounds remotely passionate about the sport)
-Other than him releasing Mokaev and refusing to sign Francis back but Francis doesn't want it either way to save the HW division, also he has been releasing fighters who are winning at HW, like Martin Buday, Alexander Romanov, Rozenstruik whom lost to top HW Pavlovich...and some of these talented HW's, and many unfair releases of fighters.
-Barely books title fights which adds more excitement to the UFC, he keeps one shotting the fans, hypes the fans first and then ONE SHOT, he lied to fans about he will make a fight that will drive people crazy, like saying he will make Tom vs Jon but didn't.
-Overpricing everything and underpaying the fighters, gives wrong bonuses to fighters, like Dustin vs Max 3 didn't win FOTN or Holland vs D-Rod but Vettori vs Hernandez which wasn't that "WOW" or didn't give Reyes any POTN despite coming back to W column, or no POTN in the last event of Taira.
-He still doesn't want to give Russian fighters title shots even if they solidified their position for title fights, or denying No. 1 contenders title shots like Virna Jandiroba.
-Like, at least book more fights for WMMA, the Women champions are inactive af, Zhang Weili hasn't fought for 6 months but DDP who fought with her on same card is gonna make his next title defense in a few days.
-Some MMA Legends like: Frank Shamrock, Tim Sylvia, Dan Henderson, Mirko Cro Cop...and among others are still not in the UFC but rather inducts guys who win TUF and few title fights to the UFC HOF.

Do you believe Dana White should retire?

I lost interest and stopped watching over the first 2 years of the ESPN deal. I had been watching since the single digit UFCs, used to make my life schedule around the quarterly Friday night PPWs and ordered VHS tapes during the dark era.

I just don't want to watch a card of mid skill guys play rockem sockem fence hugger, 90% of WMMA fights or the UFC hyping up and trying to sell goofs because of their social media or marketability.

I just want to see good fights... Dana is riding along for his 10% share of the yearly profits and God bless him. There may not be MMA if it wasn't for him.
 
It's been a seriously rough year with the Jon situation and Poatan losing his aura. Hoping Topuria can save it, UFC desperately needs a star.
 
But the buildup was very hyping tbh, the back and forth trash talk on social media from Ank made some fans hyped for it.
I didn't feel like that. I feel like Alex didn't care or even take the fight seriously. The UFC had him fighting so often there's no way he was 100%.

If they do a rematch we will see.
 
It's been a seriously rough year with the Jon situation and Poatan losing his aura. Hoping Topuria can save it, UFC desperately needs a star.
Topuria fights every 8 months, if you look at it, you will find that he fought Emmett in June, 2023, Volk in Feb, 2024, Max in Oct, 2024 and Olives in June, 2025, and also, all of these guys aren't really 100% in their primes, don't want to discredit his wins but what happens if he fights/fought guys like Tsarukyan, Islam, Movsar...etc of these guys?
 
I didn't feel like that. I feel like Alex didn't care or even take the fight seriously. The UFC had him fighting so often there's no way he was 100%.

If they do a rematch we will see.
I agree with this, Alex this time can redeem himself, Anakalev was more hungrier for the win than Alex was, especially that this fight took place in Ramadan in Las Vegas, Nevada, same place in which the judges robbed him from the title against Jan and made it a draw.
 
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