In the MMA world, we often see news that initially appears interesting but later proves to be false. A recent example was Khabib Nurmagomedov’s rumored return for UFC 300, which initially excited many but was debunked by his team and himself. Similarly, when Dustin Poirier announced the cancellation of his fight against Benoit Saint-Denis for UFC 299, Dana White faced allegations from MMA journalist Guilherme Cruz that it was never a done deal and was unexpectedly announced. In response, White provided evidence and mocked the reporter for false reporting on his Instagram stories.
According to Cruz’s reports, he mentioned that Benoit Saint-Denis‘ coach, Daniel Woirin, informed him weeks ago that they had no prior knowledge of the fight before it was announced. He even stated that when the announcement was made, the fighter was sleeping, and his wife had to wake him up to inform him that he had been announced to fight Poirier at UFC 299.
In response to these substantial allegations, White took to Instagram and posted screenshots of his chats with Benoit Saint-Dennis about the Poirier fight. According to the images, the fighter agreed to be the co-main event for the upcoming event and expressed excitement about the battle. Using this evidence, White strongly criticized and lambasted the accuser. In his words,
“Hey Guilherme Cruz…go f*ck ur self scumbag.”
From Dana White's IG Stories. pic.twitter.com/iXmEtY9c4c
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) February 1, 2024
White’s relationship with the media is recognized as a mix of love and hate, often making him the target of news, rumors, and dissatisfaction from athletes due to perceived biases. When Cruz shared his recent reports, it appeared that White’s frustration reached a tipping point, leading him to vent his anger about the situation. And it seems that reports like these made the UFC President think that the media these days cannot be trusted.
Dana White claims nobody trusts the media
Recently, Vivek Ramaswamy sat down with the UFC President, where they discussed the nation’s challenges, ranging from the spread of fake news to the difficulties of running a business. However, one topic that came up briefly was the impact of cancel culture and how disheartening it is.
White stated that the media and politicians have become the least trusted individuals in the country, given the fact that they engage in canceling people. In his words,
“It feels like everybody is being attacked and a lot of this comes from the media. The media started this whole thing and what started to happen right now is the two most untrusted people right now in this country are politicians and the media.”
And now, after the recent encounter with inaccurate reports, White’s distrust in the media may be even stronger, fueling potential increased frustration on his part.
