Latest news with #DanaWhite
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5 hours ago
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Video: 'UFC 318: Holloway vs. Poirier' pre-fight press conference live stream (6 p.m. ET)
The UFC 318 pre-fight press conference takes place Thursday, and you can watch a live stream of the event in the video above. The press conference takes place at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, which also hosts Saturday's fight card. UFC 318, which airs on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+, is built around the BMF title trilogy fight between champ Max Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC) and the retiring Dustin Poirier (39-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC), who won both previous matchups in 2012 and 2019. Here's what you need to know about the UFC 318 press conference. What time does the UFC 318 press conference start? The UFC 318 press conference starts at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT, which is 5 p.m. local time in New Orleans. Who's taking part in the UFC 318 press conference? Ten fighters from five main-card bouts are slated to participate in the UFC 318 press conference: Holloway, Poirier, Paulo Costa, Roman Kopylov, Kevin Holland, Daniel Rodriguez, Dan Ige, Patricio Freire, Michael Johnson and Daniel Zellhuber. It's unclear if UFC CEO Dana White will oversee the UFC 318 pre-fight press conference. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Video: UFC 318 pre-fight press conference live stream (6 p.m. ET)
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16 hours ago
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Dana White teases Jon Jones, Conor McGregor UFC White House card
The post Dana White teases Jon Jones, Conor McGregor UFC White House card appeared first on ClutchPoints. Related: 5 best light heavyweight UFC fighters ever Related: Merab Dvalishvili sounds off on Umar Nurmagomedov: 'Where is he now?'
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16 hours ago
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Dustin Poirier's last stand at UFC 318 as family awaits a new champion
The post Dustin Poirier's last stand at UFC 318 as family awaits a new champion appeared first on ClutchPoints. Dustin Poirier, the pride of Lafayette, Louisiana, has confirmed what MMA fans have long dreaded: win or lose, his July 19th clash with Max Holloway at UFC 318 will be his final walk to the Octagon. The announcement is as heartfelt as it is seismic. Poirier's decision is rooted not just in the wear and tear of 19 years in the cage but in the joy of family, as he and his wife await the arrival of their baby boy. 'This is the last one. 19 years in, man. Had my first cage fight in 2007… my wife's pregnant right now… my wife's pregnant with a boy. So there's a lot going on, man,' Poirier shared, his words echoing across the MMA world and signaling the end of an era. UFC 318, set in New Orleans' Smoothie King Center, is more than just another PPV; it celebrates Poirier's legacy and a high-octane send-off against a familiar foe. Max Holloway, the BMF champion and former featherweight king, stands across from Poirier for the third, and likely final, time, with the 'Baddest Motherf***er' belt on the line. Their rivalry is storied: Poirier submitted a young Holloway in their 2012 featherweight debut, then outdueled him in a five-round war for the interim lightweight title in 2019. Now, with the series at 2-0 for Poirier, Holloway seeks redemption, and Poirier seeks closure in front of his home crowd. UFC CEO Dana White has clarified that UFC 318 is Poirier's night. 'He has achieved a great deal in this sport. To be honest, this event is for him. He expressed a desire to have his final fight in New Orleans, and that's precisely what we're doing,' White said. The card, though criticized for lacking depth, is anchored by this main event, which promises fireworks and emotion in equal measure. For Poirier, the chance to retire in Louisiana, where his journey began, is a fitting bookend to a remarkable career. From Lafayette to Legend: The Poirier Story Poirier's professional journey began in 2007, and by 2009 he was already making waves, racking up seven finishes in his first seven fights. He entered the UFC in 2011, quickly establishing himself as a fan favorite thanks to his relentless style and willingness to embrace chaos. His first UFC main event came against 'The Korean Zombie,' Chan Sung Jung, in a Fight of the Night war that, despite ending in defeat, only cemented his reputation for heart and grit. Poirier's career is a testament to resilience. He rebuilt after tough losses, moved up from featherweight to lightweight, and embarked on a run that saw him topple legends like Anthony Pettis, Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alvarez, and Conor McGregor. His 2019 interim lightweight title win over Holloway stands as a career highlight, and though the undisputed gold eluded him in battles with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira, Poirier's legacy is secure. Poirier's impact goes beyond wins and losses. He's tied for fourth most post-fight bonuses in UFC history, a testament to his all-action style. He's a philanthropist, a role model, and a fighter's fighter, respected by peers and adored by fans. His career is a highlight reel of grit, adversity, and triumph, and his willingness to step away for family only adds to his legend. Poirier's Retirement Is MMA's Most Bittersweet Goodbye In a sport defined by comebacks and retirements that rarely stick, Poirier's decision feels different. He's walking away on his terms, with his health, his dignity, and his family as his next championship. 'I'm going to lay the gloves down in Louisiana where it all started for me. The whole journey started there and I'm just honored to have the UFC on the same page and the state of Louisiana on the same page to make all this work,' Poirier said. As the MMA world braces for one last 'Diamond' performance, the stakes are clear: legacy, family, and the chance to say goodbye in front of those who matter most. Whether his hand is raised or not, Poirier's place among the all-time greats is secure—and his next chapter, as a father and legend, begins the moment the cage door closes behind him. Related: Elijah Smith vs. Toshiomi Kazama headlines new UFC Vegas 109 clash on August 9th Related: UFC Atlanta crowd sets the bar high by shattering gate and attendance records
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18 hours ago
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Hear from Dana White, Derrick Lewis following UFC Fight Night in Nashville
Hear from Dana White and Derrick Lewis following UFC Fight Night in Nashville, where Lewis scored a first-round TKO over Tallison Teixeira.
Yahoo
a day ago
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Mailbag: Who should UFC actually want to see — and be seen with — at its White House event?
What should we really expect from a UFC event at the White House? Would Jon Jones and/or Conor McGregor actually fight on it, and if so, would we really want that? And what's the ideal long-term prognosis for both Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway in the UFC 318 main event on Saturday? All that and more in this week's mailbag. To ask a question of your own, hit up @benfowlkesmma. @Beastin364: What are the odds that stars like McGregor and Jon Jones really show up and fight at the UFC White House event? Or is it just something they say they'll do for the attention I think the odds vary by the individual. Jon Jones? Yeah, I could see him actually coming out of his extremely flexible and very short-lived 'retirement' to do this, but I seriously doubt he'd take on Tom Aspinall as his opponent, which is what UFC CEO Dana White described as his dream main event here. I think Jones would rather call his own shot and go after someone easier who still looks good on paper. As for Conor McGregor, there's no way. Everything we know about what's going on with him these days — and we know more than we'd probably like to — makes it seem like he's thinking about anything but fighting. Don't get me wrong, he might punch a drunk dude in a nightclub here or there. But he's not about that life of hard training and sacrifice and hitting people who can actually hit back. Not anymore. Not for some time now. But there's another part nobody involved seems to be considering just yet. This would be an entirely different kind of exposure for the UFC. The company — and to some extent this whole sport — has often benefitted from its under-the-radar nature while playing to a pretty niche audience. But with something like this, the attention of the country and the mainstream media would be trained on the UFC and the fighters it chooses to lead the way. All of which is to say, are we sure we want to go with guys who have such an extensive body of work captured on police body and dashboard cams? Do we want the guy who's been found liable for sexual assault and the guy who can very recently be heard telling a cop that he knows evil people who can kill him upon request? Because that doesn't seem like a great look for the UFC. I know we live in a post-truth age where nothing seems to matter and consequences are for the regular peasants like us and not the rich people on TV, but come on. The UFC has better — or at least less openly and repeatedly embarrassing people — that it could call upon for something like this. Plus, you need someone who'll show up as promised. It's not like either of those dudes is Mr. Reliability at this point. @MMAbandwagon: If Dustin wins in spectacular fashion (sorry Max we love you), what are the chances he gets a wild hair and calls for a title shot against Ilia? Could he retire champion? Am I being ridiculous? That's a lot to ask of a guy who's fully committed to retiring but a man can dream These retirement fights can be tricky for exactly that reason. Fighters never want to go out on a loss. But if Dustin Poirier got a big win and looked great doing it? Well that might just prove to him that he's got more left in the tank and should stick around a while longer. Still, I have a hard time seeing that here. When you make a big deal about this being your last fight and the UFC brings the whole show to your home region and all your people show up to see you based primarily on the promise that this is the last chance, it sort of hems you in. And even if he wanted to keep going, a win here would still only improve Poirier to 3-3 in his last six fights. That's not me knocking him; he's had a great career and has fought nothing but top guys for the past five years or so. But a winning streak that's holding firm at one isn't a strong case for a title shot in such a stacked division. @GabeDert: Hoping this is it for dusty p Win or lose Be good for Holloway to hang 'em up too no? It blows my mind every time I check his Wikipedia page and remember that Max Holloway is only 33 years old. Granted, he started young. And most of the fighters who start young also finish young. But he seems like he's been smart about preserving his brain and body for the sake of longevity, so I could see him having a few more good years — if he wants them. The question is what the UFC would be willing to try to do with him. If it wants to go back to matching him with young contenders in the hope that he'll age into the stepping stone role, I don't see him getting too excited about that. And if he's going to stay at lightweight, well, he's already got that pretty definitive loss to the current champ. These kinds of fights — BMF title fights (or whatever) against peers who bring their own name rather than trying to make one off him — are pretty ideal for Holloway at this point. I just don't know how many more fighters there are who fit that bill. @Mike_Fierce_: Does Khamzat become the UFC's BIGGEST (and much needed) star with a dominant win over Du Plessis?!? And which direction in weight class does he then immediately go after for Double Champ status?!? Whoa there. I'm going to need you to slow way down. Khamzat Chimaev first needs to show up and beat Dricus du Plessis, neither of which is a given. @shadore66: Kevin Holland is having his 27th UFC fight since 2018. JDM has 8 ufc fights and DDP has 10 fights. Given what we know of ufc contracts, completing them and then signing new ones for more money is the road to success. So: is Holland one of the most successful mma fighters? Welllll not so fast. Yes, fighting a lot is a good way to bank a lot of money. But Holland has also lost 10 of those fights, with one no-contest in that span. So that's a lot of fights where he got show money but not win money. Additionally, many of the UFC contracts include escalating pay only if you keep winning. Losing can halt that progress, and Holland hasn't won more than two in a row since 2020. Also, while the money generally goes up with each new contract, it doesn't increase endlessly with no upper limit — especially not for fighters who never really get close to a title. So yeah, I think Holland is probably earning well beyond what most UFC fighters get, and he's cashing a lot more of those checks while fighting three or four times a year. But does that outweigh being a champion who cashes in big with every title defense? I doubt it. @StaleSonnen: Will Connor's recently released glamor shot bring more ladies into the bars that show UFC? You know, somehow I have a hard time imagining that too many women saw that photo and were like, "Wow, I definitely can't find a guy like this on literally every corner of the internet every single day whether I want to see it or not, so I better run to Buffalo Wild Wings and hope for more of this at the next UFC pay-per-view." You get what I'm saying? @ewillcock: What's really going on at heavyweight? Who do you think challenges Tom next? Tom said he's got a fight, but no announcement. Jon says he's re-entered the pool, but no clarity what that even means. Pereira is booked. Little interest in seeing Cyril it seems. My gut says it will end up being Ciryl Gane. Which is a little disappointing, because it means yet another title fight between two people who didn't become champ by beating a champ. That's not Tom Aspinall's fault. He did every single thing he could do to get Jones in that cage for a heavyweight title unification fight. Whether it's Gane for him next or one of the other heavyweights knocking around the top half of the rankings, it's going to be something of a letdown now. Best he can do is focus on winning and then hope Jones feels left out and forgotten enough to come back and accept the one fight he tried his hardest to avoid.
