If there’s one thing Dana White wants the world to know… No, it’s not when Conor McGregor will return or if Jon Jones will fight Tom Aspinal for the heavyweight title unification! The UFC bossman is not clairvoyant. But he doesn’t need to be one to tell you he’s never retiring from UFC.
White’s personal involvement in promoting PowerSlap had resulted in rumors suggesting that he was moving forward in life and focusing on the next big project. As such, White would have no time left for the world’s premier MMA promotion. But no, like Hugh Jackman playing Wolverine, White plans on showing up to work till he can’t anymore.
In an interview with Tucker Carlson, the bossman made it clear that he has no intentions of slowing down.
“I will never retire, ever. I will keep dogging this out until the day I drop dead.”
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Carlson then joked, “You’ll be 80 years old, ringside,” to which White confidently replied, “Hopefully.” It shouldn’t really be surprising. After all, White still stands in the middle for weigh-ins when he absolutely has no business trying to separate those behemoths. But he does it for two reasons- it’s tradition, and he just loves doing it.
After almost two decades of leading the sport out of the dark ages, White’s name has become synonymous with MMA, and if he refuses to just hand it over, it cannot be held against him. Combat sports has a history of people swinging till they can’t anymore. And White just wants to follow precedence.
White’s boxing inspiration
In 2022, White had earlier called Arum a “f*cking piece of shit” for his treatment of boxer Terence Crawford. Crawford, who had left Arum’s Top Rank in 2021, had alleged that the promoter’s racial bias had stunted his growth in pugilism. Arum had then argued that Crawford was simply not a box office draw.
White had responded to Arum’s remarks and asserted that Arum’s job was to promote Crawford and it didn’t matter if the promoter didn’t find him sellable.
“That’s not his (Terence Crawford) f***ing problem. That’s your problem. His problem isn’t to figure out how you make money. You f***ing signed a deal with this kid. “
However, the UFC bossman still respects Arum for the commitment he continues to put into boxing. At 94 years old, Arum is still tirelessly traveling the world, attending fights, and promoting events as if he were decades younger. This is why he has a lot of begrudging respect for the man.
Speaking further on the subject to Carlson, White added,
“Bob Arum is 94 years old, it’s 9 o’clock at night, he is sitting over there, courtside, I’m like holy sh*t… Two days later, I’m watching a fight, Bob Arum is in Saudi Arabia, ringside, at a boxing event. Two days later, he’s in London at a press conference. He’s 94 years old! I hate him, but you gotta respect it.”
What do you guys think? Is White really staying till he’s 80 or more?
