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Dana White Goes Off On UFC Saudi Arabia Report: "Straight Out F****** Lie"

UFC CEO Dana White re-clarified the status of the promotion's trip to Saudi Arabia.

Zain Bando

Dana White Goes Off On UFC Saudi Arabia Report: "Straight Out F****** Lie"
Dana White Goes Off On UFC Saudi Arabia Report: "Straight Out F****** Lie" /

UFC CEO Dana White didn't hold back when, for the second time during UFC 297's fight week, he was asked about the promotion's plans to host an event in Saudi Arabia.

White said Saudi Arabia had no knowledge of the fights on the card, nor was it the country's decision to postpone the once-scheduled March 2 event to June.

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It was the UFC's, and, according to White himself Saturday night, anyone who thinks otherwise is incorrect.

"Total bulls***," White said at the post-fight presser. "That's a straight out f****** lie. "I don't know who started it or how it started, but not one fight was announced to Saudi. Not one fight was announced to them. I called and asked to push the card back. Because we have a couple guys that we want on the card, and they weren't ready. So, listen, you know how we are. We want to deliver, and if we're going to Saudi Arabia at the level that these guys do things, and it's a Fight Night. But we want to make it the best Fight Night we've ever done."

The UFC's trip to Saudi Arabia will be the promotion's first-ever appearance in the Kingdom, as the PFL-Bellator champions event will showcase the best non-UFC talent to the region in late February.

It remains to be seen who headlines the event, given that it is a non-numbered UFC event and is one of the few international cards currently scheduled on the event calendar. 

Only time will tell what its status ends up becoming.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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