Dana White’s Most Notable Pre-Fight Scuffles

March 16, 2017

Dana White

It’s Dana’s job to keep fighters apart during the pre-fight staredown, but he isn't always successful.

TranscriptCONAN: YOU'RE THE PRESIDENT OF THE ORGANIZATION. DANA: RIGHT. CONAN: YOU'RE A BIG CHEESE. YET YOU STILL HAVE THIS -- I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S CEREMONIAL OR WHAT YOUR JOB IS TO SEPARATE THE FIGHTERS WHEN THEY HAVE THE PRE-FIGHT STAREDOWN. WAS THAT YOUR IDEA OR JUST BECAME PART OF YOUR JOB? DANA: IT JUST SORT OF HAPPENED. I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR A LONG TIME. ATHLETIC COMMISSION IN EVERY STATE, WHICH IS BASICALLY THE GOVERNMENT, OVERSEES US AND IN THE FIGHT BUSINESS IT'S ABOUT NOT LETTING GUYS TOUCH EACH OTHER. IF THEY TOUCH EACH OTHER -- YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN TRAINING FOR MONTHS. THEY'VE BEEN AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILY. THEY'RE CUTTING WEIGHTS. THEY'RE VERY AGITATED AT THIS POINT. IT'S MAKING SURE THE FIGHT DOESN'T HAPPEN BEFORE THE FIGHT. CONAN: I WOULD THINK IT'S AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS POSITION TO BE IN. HERE ARE YOU BETWEEN I THINK ALDO AND MCGREGOR. THESE TWO PEOPLE LOOK LIKE THEY WANT TO KILL EACH OTHER. DANA: THEY DO. THAT WAS A WORLD TOUR AND EVERY DAY I HAD TO GO THROUGH THAT. WE SQUARED THEM OFF EVERY DAY IN A DIFFERENT CITY. I'M GETTING OLD NOW. I CAN'T DO IT THE WAY I USED TO BUT I GIVE TILT BEST SHOT. CONAN: SCUFF LINGS BREAK OUT FREQUENTLY AT THESE STAREDOWNS. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WORST SITUATIONS YOU'VE BEEN IN? DANA: THE WORST ONE THAT EVER HAPPENED, I WAS ON VACATION. IT WAS A GUY NAMED DAVE SCHALLER, OUR HEAD OF P.R. AT THIS TIME WHEN PEOPLE FILL IN FOR ME, THEY THINK YOU'RE JUST STANDING UP THERE TAKING A PICTURE AND POSING UNTIL THINGS GO BAD. CONAN: THEN YOU REALLY DO HAVE TO WORK HARD. DANA: THE GUY WILL WEIGH IN FIRST. HE'LL COME AND I STAND BY THE OTHER GUY. I CAN TELL HOW HARD AND HOW FAST HE'S COMING, WHETHER OR NOT I NEED TO STEP IN. CONAN: WE'VE MADE A MONTAGE OF SOME OF OUR SCUFFLES. TAKE A LOOK. [APPLAUSE] CONAN: THAT'S NOT A GOOD JOB. I DON'T THINK THAT'S -- DANA: THE GIRLS ARE THE WORST. BY FAR. CONAN: WHY? DANA: THEY'RE THE CRAZIEST, MAN. IN ALL MY YEARS, JACEK AND CLALLEDIA GODELIA, TWO OF THE BEST WOMEN IN THE WORLD IN THEIR WEIGHT CLASS LEADING TOMB THAT FIGHT PUNCHED, ELBOWED, KNEED AND KICKED ME THROUGH THAT SEASON OF THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER AND LEADING UP TO THE FIGHT. THE FIGHT WAS AMAZING. CONAN: IT SOUNDS A LITTLE EROTIC. DANA: TRUST ME, IT'S NOT.

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