Dana White always says what's on his mind. He's not afraid to call someone out even if it's himself.
Seconds after Jake Ellenberger crawled across the finish line to win his three-round fight against Diego Sanchez, fans began asking "what happened to all UFC main events being five rounds?"
Fuel TV's Ariel Helwani asked White.
"Because we blew it. It should've been a five round fight. [...] I'm looking at the fight going ... 'yeah, this should've been five rounds.' I think that when Diego and Ellenberger went back in there for that fourth the place would've went crazy. People were ready for it at home," said White.
White wouldn't name names. He took the blame. He confirmed it was not Fuel TV's decision. More importantly, he said all main events will be five rounders. Back in June, White announced that would be the case for all main events. Somehow this fight slipped through the cracks.
White also commented on the latest with Nick Diaz's likely suspension coming from the Nevada State Athletic Commission. He knows Diaz will probably get pounded and he has little problem with that.
"How about the Nevada State Athletic Commission royally kissed Floyd Mayweather's ass when he walked in there. This guy is going to jail," White said. "The judge is allowing him to not go to jail until he has his fight. Right?"
It still annoys White that Chael Sonnen was denied a license by the state to coach on "The Ultimate Fighter." Meanwhile, Floyd Mayweather facing jail time had his jail arrival delayed and got a license from the commission to fight on May 5.
"You know how much money we bring into Las Vegas every year with the fights that we put on? You know how much we contribute to the city of Las Vegas? Do you think for a second if we had a fighter that was going to go to jail that the athletic commission would license him to fight so that the fight could go on? There's no way in hell," White said. "Am I the only guy on this [expletive] planet who thinks that's crazy? Seriously. It just blows my mind."
White was very complimentary of the effort turned in by Sanchez calling him a professional. When asked about the right weight class for Sanchez, White said he can fight anywhere he wants.
He wasn't so complimentary of Dave Herman. A chiseled, athletic heavyweight, Herman fought well in the first round but lacked focus to stick with a gameplan against Stefan Struve. The 6-foot-11 Struve eventually used his length and effective combinations to put Herman away. White didn't rip Herman's performance, but criticized his prefight antics.
"I like Dave Herman. The stuff that he pulled this week? I can't stand that stuff," White told Fuel TV.
That stuff was Herman growing a huge beard and then dying his beard and thick body hair all black. Not the biggest deal, but when you lose the way Herman did, it opens the door for the critics.
"Listen, if you want to get noticed ... get noticed for your fighting skills," White said. "Not for coming in like a gorilla or wearing pink scarfs. And coming in to "Macho Man?" As I was sitting there, I'm thinking 'did I seriously let him come into this song?'"
White said he's not anti-Village People, but he's not into the joking around.
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