Dana White criticizes Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett UFC 317 faceoff: 'should've never happened'
Unauthorized UFC 317 faceoff sparks backlash from Dana White
UFC 317 delivered notable performances and crowd-pleasing moments, but an unsanctioned post-fight faceoff drew criticism from UFC President Dana White. Following his first-round knockout win in the main event, Ilia Topuria shared a tense faceoff and brief physical exchange with lightweight contender Paddy Pimblett inside the Octagon at T-Mobile Arena.
White, speaking at the post-fight press conference, said he had already left his cageside position when the confrontation took place and disapproved of the incident.
Also read:
UFC 317 complete results: winners, runners‑up and main card earnings breakdown
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy
IC Markets
Tìm hiểu thêm
Undo
"I don't know who the hell let him in there," White told reporters, including MMA Junkie. "That should've never happened. Let's start there. I was already back in my room, or that would've never happened."
Topuria's win marked his second UFC title across two weight classes, elevating his profile in the promotion's lightweight division. However, White underscored that such celebratory moments should be managed with greater care.
Live Events
"My thing with Topuria is his wife and kid are in the octagon. That's not the fight. It's just, yeah. It shouldn't happen. That's not really what we do. I don't really give a sh*t if it's fun to watch or not. That shouldn't have happened. Plus, he wins a second title in a higher division. It was a bad call by whoever let him in there."
Approved faceoff between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja
The unauthorized faceoff stood in contrast to a sanctioned one earlier in the evening. After Alexandre Pantoja defended his flyweight title against Kai Kara-France in the co-main event, No. 1 contender Joshua Van entered the cage for a planned faceoff.
White clarified the distinction, noting that Van's appearance followed his announcement that the winner of the bout would earn a future title shot.
Also read:
Ilia Topuria defeats Charles Oliveira by first-round knockout at UFC 317 main event
"(Van) is the No. 1 contender, and I just said the winner of that fight will get a title shot, so obviously the fans wanted it, too," White said.
The juxtaposition of these two moments raised questions about the UFC's internal protocols during high-profile events, particularly when family members are present in the Octagon.
UFC lightweight division title picture remains unclear
Despite the confrontation, White did not confirm whether Paddy Pimblett (23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC) would face Ilia Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) next. The lightweight division remains competitive, with top contenders Arman Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) and Justin Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) actively campaigning for title shots.
Tsarukyan served as a backup fighter for UFC 317's lightweight title bout, further complicating the path forward for potential challengers.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Treble Hunter - Carlos Alcaraz begins quest to join elite club to win three years on the bounce
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain (Photo by) London: The eyes of the attention economy are where Carlos Alcaraz would like them — peeled on him. Some 5000 air miles from SW19, where The Championships get underway on a blazing-hot Monday, an emigration officer at the Kempegowda International Airport jumped out of his seat at the mention of Wimbledon . 'Alcaraz again?' the official, a bright-eyed millennial, asked of the Spaniard's After his triumph at Roland Garros three weeks ago, or the fact that the 22-year-old comes into the Church Road major as the defending champion? Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The two-time winner is looking for a third crown that'll make him the fifth man in the Open Era to win three consecutive titles. Alcaraz, whose list of sponsors reads like the inventory of the aspirational, has a game and attitude tailored for instant recall. It's hard to pick between his breathtaking drop shots, struck with a whisper of a touch and his daredevilry, especially when the odds are stacked against him. Shubman Gill's captaincy debut wins praise: Gambhir, Kotak & Jaiswal react! He has such a staggering range, it's almost obscene. He smiles on a match court, applauds opponents, overrules lines and gives points to the man down the other end like he was returning a social call. In an era of wavering attention spans, the defending champion is a vibe that sticks. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Viewers Had To Look Away When This Happened On Live Show. Vetob Read Now Undo The world No.2, also known as 'Carlito' and Jannik Sinner, the world No.1, some 20-months apart in age, are like day and night. The Spaniard, who beat the Italian in an epic five-hour 29-minute final three weeks ago, plays with enviable flair. His game is as much instinct as it is imperial, and he doesn't quite know what it is to stick to scripts, while the only thing unruly about Sinner is his mop of curls. For the rest, the 23-year-old, the owner of the cleanest shots in the game, is all method and precise margins. The work Sinner puts into his tennis reflects in his play, but with Alcaraz, it is like his sweat doesn't stain. Quiz: Who's that IPL player? The second seed, who hit on Aorangi Park on Sunday afternoon sporting a red tee on black shorts, looked slighter than he does on television. Alcaraz, bidding to record his 19th consecutive Tour-level match-win and extend his longest career winning streak, will open proceedings on Centre Court against the 38-year-old Italian Fabio Fognini on what promises to be the hottest opening day ever of the tournament at 32 degrees. The Spaniard — the first teenage world No.1 on the ATP Tour, the youngest in history — played on a grass court for the first time only in 2019. 'The most beautiful tennis is (played) on grass. The style that players bring to the court when they play on grass, is so beautiful. The sound of the ball, the movement is really tough, but when you get it, it's kind of like you're flying,' he said with a smile. 'It's just pretty, I want to hit slices, dropshots, go to the net all the time, play aggressively. I think on grass it's the style that you have to play. That's what I like the most. ' The love resonates with Alcaraz' record on the surface, he has won 29 of the 32 Tour-level grass-court matches he has contested. In the final at Roland Garros when the second seed, serving to stay in the match at 5-6, 15-30 in the fifth set, played the last 15-minutes of the match with the lightness of one who had nothing to lose. The crowd lifted him and he rose to the occasion. 'When I'm playing without thinking about anything else, I get the freedom to play whatever I like. When that happens, I always show my best tennis,' he said. Alcaraz will hope to fly again this fortnight, looking to nail another record. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Wimbledon 2025: Smelling of teen spirit ahead of the championships
People queue at the entrance on the first day of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Monday, June 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) Wimbledon: It's the weekend before the Monday start to the most famous tennis championships in the world. A sense of quiet efficiency pervades the grounds: everything is in place. The landscaping has been perfected so that the combination of purple flowers and green creepers reflecting Wimbledon's iconic colours are in the right blush even as an Indian summer heat beats down on everything. As players and their entourages -- mostly in pristine white though some outliers are kitted out in all black -- go from practice courts to the locker room and back, all around are the young, strapping boys and girls, and their even younger and more famous counterparts: ball boys and girls. Fondly called the BBGs, and decked out in the famous Ralph Lauren outfits (which in the official merchandise stores retail for an eye watering price), they are the overwhelming presence at the championships. Hundreds of young people work the summer here manning everything from front desks to the merchandise stores and hospitality venues to the grounds. Chattering away in groups; going through the drills rolling out and rolling in the covers at the uncovered outside courts; practicing laying the net posts and measuring the height of the nets, they bring a vibrant, youthful energy to a tournament where the biggest stars are barely out of their teens themselves. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like local network access control Esseps Learn More Undo Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Watched by millions worldwide, during the live transmission of the championships, the BBGs all make it look effortless but behind the scenes go through rigorous training. Getting to be a coveted BBG is a highly competitive affair. Only 250 make the cut from the 1000 who apply from the local schools and institutions. About 170 of the 250 are chosen from the 9th and 10th grade kids who freshly apply and the rest 80 roll over from the previous year. Average age is 15. Many spend two years on the job. Ubiquitous as they may seem, girls were inducted only in 1977 and made their Centre Court appearance in 1985. On Saturday, the most prized fixtures are to see defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and World No. 1 Jannik Sinner practice. Conveniently they are at two ends of the day. Morning sees Alcaraz hit the ball with the next big thing, the 18-year-old Brazilian star Joao Fonseca, at the red-velvet roped enclosures of Aorangi Practice Courts. Sinner comes out in the evening. Spanish is in the air as Alcaraz and Fonseca banter as they go through drilling their forehands/backhands, lobs and service to an awed audience. Jaun Carlos Ferrer, Alcazar's coach and Guilherme Teixeira, who trains Fonseca, keep a watchful eye. "I was excited about hitting with him, the last time I hit with him was in 2023," Alcaraz said of hitting with Fonseca, later at a presser. "He's not an experienced player on grass, but his style, he loves to play aggressive, to hit big forehands, go to the net. I'm pretty sure he's going to get the level on grass really, really soon," he added. One can't but help notice the difference in resources as your eye is drawn to two women players slugging it out in the very next court. They just have one coach each while the Alcaraz court has an entourage of 7/8 people. Adjacent, at the Aorangi arena, are other players mainly doing strength and mobility workouts. There's Coco Gauf using cones to get her footwork going, Zverev using bands and a few others work with medicine balls. 'Movement' is a word one hears often. Alcaraz talks about it and so does Sinner in their press conferences later in the day. It feels surreal at times to walk around the grounds and discover the gorgeous person ahead of you with her trainer is Emma Raducanu or the wavy-haired blonde young man is Alexander Zverev. Young kids with giant tennis balls have the best chance of snagging the coveted autograph as it's hard for the players to say no to tiny tots. So, every two step they have to stop to pose for a selfie with the grown-ups or bend down to sign autographs for the children. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Date night enjoyment: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, Upcoming NFL season- Read details here
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce enjoy date night ahead of the upcoming NFL season. The couple never misses an opportunity to spend time together and were seen together, hands in hands, on a date night. Where did the couple go? The National Football League player and the pop star were seen together after their date night on June 20 in Manhattan, as reported by 'People.' Further, Taylor and Travis also enjoyed their time together in Nashville with Taylor's childhood best friend, Abigail Anderson, and her husband, Charles Berard. The star singer also gave a surprise performance at Kelce's 'Tight Ends & Friends' concert, which was in Brooklyn Bowl. Swift and Kelce were out for their personal time in Florida and later left the 'NFL Stanley Cup' final on June 12. The red-carpet debut The high-profile couple were seen making their red-carpet debut at Kelce's event. He found the annual three-day summer training camp in 2021 with George Kittle and the sportscaster Greg Olsen, as reported by 'People.' Not the first PDA It was not the first time the couple was seen entering the sports events together and being involved in PDA. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Lodha: New Cuffe Parade: Premium 3 & 4 BHK Residences Lodha Lumis Enquire Now Undo Not only did they enjoy a PDA-filled outing to the US Open in New York City last summer, where they were joined by fellow Chiefs player Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany Mahomes, but Taylor also became something of a mainstay at Travis's home games in Kansas City, supporting him whenever she was free. "really looking forward" After the summer, a source at ANI informed us that Swift is "really looking forward" to supporting Kelce during the upcoming NFL season. The insider at ANI said, "Not just because she loves supporting Travis, but because for the first full season since they started dating, she's not juggling a packed tour schedule." Meanwhile, Swift wrapped the final show of her Eras Tour in Vancouver, British Columbia, in December 2024, as reported by 'People.'
