UFC boss Dana White has promised to sort Alexander Volkanovski’s future within days, given a breakout star $50,000 and questioned why Australia shows pillow fighting on national TV.
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Unsurprisingly, he also took a big swing at all media Down Under.
Elsewhere, the UFC chief executive has also heaped praise on his defending champions Dricus du Plessis and Weili Zhang – and hinted the latter will be allowed chase ‘Champ Champ’ immortality against Valentina Shevchenko.
On a night where he met with ARLC Chairman Peter V’landys and NRL superstar Nathan Cleary, White also praised Australia as a fight destination, praised a crowd that included cricket great Steve Waugh, and stressed he has no sway over the high taxes that are said to make it difficult to sway some of the sport’s biggest names to fight Down Under.
The 55-year-old did however make one Australian fighter immediately richer, awarding a $50,000 performance bonus to breakout lightweight Quillan Sakilld, who opened the card with a stunning KO after 19 seconds.
Only a day after UFC commentator Jon Anik tipped him to Fox Sports Australia as the Aussie most likely to star, Salkilld dropped and stopped India’s Anshul Jubli before a stack of even the most avid fans had found their seats.
Officially, the second fastest KO in company history.
Young Aussie delivers second fastest KO! | 00:32
All of which opened a solid UFC 312 card that saw two champions defend — with both du Plessis and Zhang winning convincingly against American rivals, and gym mates, Sean Strickland and Tatiana Suarez.
The event also proved a solid one for Australian MMA generally, with UFC debutants Salkilld and Jono Micallef both earning wins.
Elsewhere, Queensland lightweight Tom Nolan and welterweight Jake Matthews also got up, while returning Melbourne light heavyweight, and crowd favourite, Jimmy Crute looked strong in his draw.
“I love it,” White said of the local talent on display. “I keep talking about this region, how fast it blew up.
“Not just the fans, the talent coming out of here.”
His only issue?
“I saw f***ing pillow fighting on TV tonight here in Australia,” he said, somewhat bizarrely. “I don’t want to ever hear another word about PowerSlap from you people.”
Home town hero DESTROYED IN 35 seconds | 00:54
When it comes to what arrives next for DDP – who called out Alex Pereira after his win – White confirmed a fight with Khamzat Chimaev would be big, before adding “we’ll talk about that Tuesday”.
With White also rumoured to be moving into boxing, the UFC boss was also asked about Saudi billionaire Turki Alalshikh this week signing Mexican megastar Canelo Alvarez – and effectively ruining a proposed bout with Jake Paul.
“They control the sport of boxing right now,” White said of Turki and his team.
“I don’t think it’s hard for them to steal anybody from anybody.”
Then after a short pause, he took a shot at Team Paul saying: “I don’t know the ins and outs of that deal but I’m sure it’s not hard to steal anybody away from them.
“Totally different levels there.
“Universally (different) levels.”
Of course, it wouldn’t be a UFC presser without White having a shot at media and the big fella didn’t disappoint.
“For a place that is so tough, where everything on land and in the water can kill you, you have the biggest pussies in the media I’ve ever seen in my life,” he said.
“I saw one story where a guy was like ‘I saw Dana do a podcast with the Premier (Chris Minns) and it physically made me sick’.
“Holy f***ing s***.
“We were reading the story in the back and cracking up.
“That guy has got to be the biggest f***ing wimp on planet earth.”
White also praised Strickland, who badly broke his nose in the fourth round of a lopsided loss to South Africa’s du Plessis, where he was continually outworked by the champ.
“I’ll tell you something real fascinating that I noticed tonight for the first time, and I don’t know why,” he started.
“Sean Strickland, the way he acts leading up to fights, normally when you have people who acts the way that he acts, you see signs of it in a fight.
“But who is more focused, professional and solid in a fight that he is?
“When he gets hurt, there is no sticking out the tongue, or no ‘no, that didn’t hurt me’.
“The guy stays focused and keeps coming forward.
“There is never any hint of how he acts outside the Octagon when he is in there.
“Absolute professional the whole time.
“It’s fascinating.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in a guy.”
‘I’m carrying on… make no mistake!’ | 02:29
Told the Octagon might just be his happy place, White said: “Gets his nose broken, snaps it back into place, keeps fighting.
“Gets hit with some nasty shots, doesn’t shake his head or do all the goofy things that people do.
“Nobody is more professional in a fight than this guy.”
And as for the fella who comprehensively beat him through five rounds?
“When I said he fights like a white guy dances, I meant it as a compliment, right,” White started. “(That he’s) awkward.
“People are focusing on that but I’m like ‘don’t listen to the s*** that I say’.
“Whatever he is doing works, he’s the world champion.
“Don’t change anything on account of what I said.”
Unsurprisingly, White also heaped praise on Chinese superstar Zhang, who remains the UFC strawweight queen after beating hyped challenger Suarez convincingly through five rounds.
Weili schools Suarez in 5-round clinic! | 04:45
The fight CEO said Chinese content did 100 million views on UFC platforms during fight week, and hinted he would likely grant the champ’s wish to chase ‘Champ Champ’ status against flyweight queen Shevchenko.
Currently, Shevchenko is rated the women’s No.1 pound for pound.
Asked if that was right, White replied: “That’s a good one.
“I f**ing hate answering these questions.
“I love both of them.
“Maybe we have to find out.”
So a fight between the two next?
“It’s a possibility,” he said. “Weili and her team are waiting out there for me and whatever she has to ask in the hallway … I’ll probably say yes.”
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