Video
Original Description
Dana White joins The Pat McAfee Show ahead of UFC 318 in New Orleans, Louisiana, headlined by Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier.
0:00 Massive weekend ahead
3:55 Poirier's career
7:56 Boxing promotion
10:10 Event at The White House
11:40 Latest on Jon Jones and Conor McGregor
16:11 Love for the UFC
#ESPN #MMA #UFC #UFC318
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Video Transcript
Ladies and gentlemen, the president of
the UFC and a man who'll be hosting this
weekend in New Orleans, Louisiana on
Friday, Power Slap 14. On Saturday, UFC
318, Diamond Dustin Poet's last fight
ever in his hometown. Ladies and
gentlemen, Dana White.
Yeah, Dana,
how you doing, brother?
What's up, boys? How are you?
I uh heard your voice over for the Ram
truck commercial. You got that Ram shirt
on right there. Love. Hey, God bless
America, Dana. Hey, God bless America,
Dana. That's all I can say. How are you
doing, brother? How's life? Very busy.
Well, everything's awesome, man. Yeah,
everything's awesome, man. What's funny
is I never aspire to No, there will not
be a documentary. I will never do
anything like that. I don't want to act.
I don't want to do commercials. I don't
want to do any of that stuff. But, uh,
you know, I I met Tim, the CEO of of of
Dodge, and and he was walking me through
all this stuff and and and they sent me
over the the VO for that commercial and
then the uh, you know, um, you know, all
the images, and I'm like, "Oh, hell
yeah. I'm doing this commercial."
Do a little voice over. I got a chance
to chitchat with Tim as well. I believe
he's fresh CEO over there. I think
within like the last year or whatever.
He has he's a lightning rod. this guy.
Yeah.
Yeah. He's electrifying. I can't wait to
see what you get.
Go ahead.
He was in, then he retired, and then
they brought him back. Uh
so, yeah. No, I I like him very much. We
We are uh like I said, I've said this a
million times. I I want to work with
people that I'm aligned with, and I
could not be more aligned with him. He's
he's a great guy. Love him.
Yeah. And shout out to the uh Hemi.
Yeah.
2500 Heavy Duty, right,
that I got sitting right outside. This
Ram truck rides like it's on the clouds,
but has the power to get you wherever
you need and a utility to get the job
done. Okay, let's talk about you getting
the job done. Massive weekend in New
Orleans, brother. Okay, we got power
slap 14. Congrats on the 14th one of
these. I remember we talked before the
first one. I remember we talked before
the first one. I got a chance to be in
attendance at one of these. Uh I was
sitting right next to Travis Scott in
the uh kapow dead lady right in front of
us and it was electrifying. Obviously,
social media is power slaps home, I
think, every single week. And then
Saturday, Dustin Pouyet's last fight.
This is a massive weekend for you in the
middle of the summer. How excited are
you for it down there in New Orleans?
And uh what should we maybe have our
mindset be looking ahead to it?
Yeah, I haven't been there in a long
time, so I'm excited to get back there.
Fun city obviously. Um yeah, Power Slap
for the people that have never seen it
live. Like you said, it's an incredible
fun live event. It's been killing it for
us. Uh um and then obviously the BMF
card on on Saturday night, the UFC, uh
Dustin Porier, his last fight, win, lose
or draw versus Max Holloway. And what's
incredible about the Dustin Porier
fight, if you think about the
lightweight division, the nastiest
division in the sport. Uh you know,
everybody in the top 15 are all killers,
and these guys are ranked number five
and six. Um and it's for the BMF title,
and the whole card is a BMF card. So,
um, I'm looking very forward to it
by you. You know, I I think that, you
know, you're a promoter. I think that
was a genius promoter. This feels like
one where all fight fans are going to
get behind it as well, right? Because
obviously we got this number here and
then we got Pouier with his last fight.
Feels like this is one that fight fans
are very excited about. Do you feel that
as well? Well, what's funny about the
BMF title is that me and my mag baker
sit in this room every Tuesday and we
fight and argue about, you know, this
fight or that fight or what we're going
to do. And uh when I pitched them the
BMF uh idea, I thought they were going
to [Â __Â ] all over it. Uh they did not.
They loved it and uh so we ended up
doing it. And uh yeah, the the fans like
it and more importantly, the fighters
all want to fight for this title, so I
love it. Yeah, it's a
Dustin though and what he's done for the
UFC obviously as we look ahead to his
last fight in the cage.
Absolutely. I mean, what Dustin has
accomplished here is incredible. And
when you look at like his last 11
fights,
it's the who's who and and I think seven
of them are former world champions. Um
so so and obviously his his fights with
Connor, the list goes on and on and and
he's a great guy. This is one of those
fights where
both of them are beloved by the fans and
everybody else. It's one of those fights
where you don't want to see somebody
lose, but unfortunately somebody has to.
Yeah, both these guys are both uh
entertaining fighters, which I think is
a massive ordeal for you, right? You you
obviously said you you and the fight
makers meet every single Tuesday in
there. Style of fight is a big deal,
right, as you're trying to build up UFC
and still continue to build the best
cards every single week, week in week
out.
Absolutely. I mean, again, we're going
into we just came out of Nashville this
last weekend. That card was incredible.
Then we go into this one, which was
actually the BMF card, and we expect,
you know, I say it all the time, I sell
Holy [Â __Â ] moments for a living. And I
think we're going to have a lot of holy
[Â __Â ] moments on Saturday.
I want to let you know, I sell Holy [Â __Â ]
moments for a living and I'm living
good. That is a uh real thing. We got 28
seconds till the heart out here on ESPN.
continue on YouTube, ESPN Plus, Disney
Plus, and Tik Tok Live. Even though they
are fickle,
Tik Tok lives are We need you to get to
the bottom of Tik Tok, which we will
talk about with Dana here as we continue
into the digital space this weekend.
Massive for not only Power Slap, but
also for UFC down there in New Orleans.
We will all enjoy alongside Dana White,
who will look spectacular cage side down
there in the Bayou. Goodbye. Okay, now
we're on digital. Sorry, I had to do
that. That was like a weird There's a
hard dot right there, Dana. Yeah. And
then we continue.
Transition. That's a transition. You
killed it.
Hell yeah.
I was at the home run derby last night.
I [Â __Â ] connected right there.
I watched it. So, I went out Saturday
night with Kid Rock after the fight. And
it was a really bad idea. And uh I was
sick for the last two days. So, I I
didn't work out yesterday morning. So, I
worked out last night and and watched
the home run derby while I was working
out last night. It was great. It was
actually really
Yeah, they bombed balls last night. It
was a good show. I think I I in Big
Dumper, he's the guy leading the league
right now. Him having a good performance
was big for baseball. Let's talk about
you going out with Kid Rock afterwards.
I went to his uh restaurant down there
in Nashville with Ernest and uh a couple
others. The decorations in this place,
the style that Kid Rock has, I don't
know if there's ever been a human that
decorates like him. That and then I
heard his house is very similar to what
that restaurant is. What an interesting
cat. And and it's not until you walk
through the museum that he has at this
restaurant that you are reminded of all
the [Â __Â ] that Kid Rock has done. He's in
every Hall of Fame. I saw every plaque.
This shit's in this restaurant. He's
out. What a human Kid Rock is. You need
to tell him from us
that I think he is an anomaly out there.
Legitimately, what a weapon Kid Rock is.
I feel the same way, man. And so he came
to the UFC on Saturday. So we watched
the fights and then we went out after to
his place uh his his honky tonk. But um
the night before he was in Kentucky
where he played the 25 30,000 people. Um
you know he's doing all these uh
unserved markets where they don't get
big concerts and he's absolutely killing
it and yes he's incredible live and uh
yeah he's obviously fun to hang out
with.
Yeah. His decoration you got to admit.
Yeah. Oh and his house his house is is a
is a replica of the White House and uh
it's it's incredible. Yeah. It's
incredible. He's got a massive studio in
there. He's got a garage with all his
old cars in there and then all of his
garage doors are his uh his gold
records. Uh it's pretty cool.
I'm telling you, from walking into his
restaurant, I've never been to his
house. Walking into his restaurant, I'm
like, "Holy [Â __Â ] this guy just lives.
It's a museum. I'm in a museum right
now. Collector's pieces all over the
place. I don't know how many millions of
dollars in collector's pieces." They're
fake though. It's not real. Don't go rob
the place. But there there's a lot of
there's a lot of really good [Â __Â ] I uh
can't wait to meet him. Obviously, he's
done a lot. You're in that world right
now. obviously uh the power brokers
because of how much success you've had
and now you're venturing into a whole
new avenue and I think it's where you
started this boxing world. Let's talk
about all the [Â __Â ] with the boxing
world. Okay. Because uh obviously we had
you and Turkey on whenever we were
announcing that this was happening. It
was an honor for us to be a part of
that. TKO teams up with Turkey. You
obviously going to run a boxing
promotion. You started in the boxing
world. Obviously you know the fight
world very well. You know the promotion
world very well. WWE'se's Nick Khan also
in there. Now, first fight has been
announced. It's [Â __Â ] fight of the
century and it's going to be in a
stadium. How do you feel about the
boxing promotion? Do we have a name yet?
And how much time are you divvying on
all these? How are you handling it all?
Yeah, it's it's it's been uh I've been
busy, that's for sure. But, uh Nick Khan
from WWE introduced me to Shake Turkey
um a year or two ago. I don't remember
how long ago it was, but we ended up
creating a relationship. I like the guy
and I like what he's doing for boxing
and um I don't know how I ended up in
this Canelo Crawford fight, but I did.
And but this isn't what what I'm going
to be doing. I I'm launching something
else in in in 26 that I I'll announce
soon and I'll probably announce it with
you anyway. Everybody loves you and
wants to announce everything with you.
So, um
not everybody loves you.
The Everybody loves you.
I don't know. There's a lot of people
want me dead. did a lot of people.
Everybody loves you.
All right, that feels good. Thank you.
Everybody loves you, too.
So, yeah. I I I mean, it's it's fun.
It's I wouldn't be sitting where I am
today if it wasn't for the sport of
boxing. I love uh what Turkey is doing,
creating, you know, making these fights
that would never be made and we'd be
talking about 10 years from now, wishing
that we would have seen it. That's those
are the fights he's making. And the fact
that I can contribute anything to this,
um I'm honored. I love it. Okay, cool.
So, that fight's coming in September.
You're starting something in 26. Can't
wait to see what that is. I feel like
that's some sort of news at least at
some sort. I don't think I had heard of
that. Can't wait to hear uh what that is
and see what it is. You're seemingly
successful with everything. And on that
note, you talk about uh Turkey being
good for boxing. Obviously, you're good
for the fight game. You're also good for
sports as a whole. We're having a fight
at the White House. So, how Okay, take
me into the think tank here. We're
having dinner with the president at the
White House. We overlook a yard. I
assume there's a name for the yard. I
should know it. I don't know it. A
garden of something. You look out there.
There's enough space out there. We could
do an event out here. Is that how this
comes together? This sounds like some of
the most insane sports stuff in history.
That backdrop of the White House/Kidros
looking house. Have that right there.
Then bang the octagon right there. And
then a select crowd of people. That
seems like a movie, not real life. How
did we get here? And where where are we
in the development of that? I agree. So,
the president has this whole thing where
he wants to bring Americans back to the
White House. He's like, "This is
America's house. Everybody should be
able to come and enjoy it. Easter egg
hunts on the lawn and all this stuff."
He says, "I think we should do a fight
here at the White House." And I was
like, "Uh, okay. I'm in. I'm in." So, he
told Ivanka to uh to handle it and and
and start the the talks with me. So, my
team went out there and uh did all the
recon on it. We're putting together a
whole pitch and we're going to fly out
there in a couple weeks and and walk the
president through it and see what he
likes and doesn't like and start
fine-tuning this thing and and we're
going to put on an incredible event at
the White House on the South Lawn.
Yeah, it sounds like a lot of your
fighters are excited to be like, "Hey,
if we're going to do something historic
and legendary, we're okay being a part
of that." Even somebody that maybe was
retired. Go ahead, DBudge.
Yeah. I got to ask you about the GOAT
John Bones Jones. I've seen he retired.
He's unretired. Back in the testing
pool. What's the latest on Jones?
Is that for the White House fight? For
sure. Right.
Well, it was after we announced the
White House that yeah, he called and
said he wanted to uh, you know, get back
in the pool. Um, you know, obviously
everybody wants to fight on that card.
And that's a good thing because we're
going to put on the best card we've ever
done uh for that White House event.
Okay, so on that note, let's go to
Ireland. Uh, we saw a lot of a guy, but
obviously he is massive in the fight
world. Go ahead, Connor.
Yeah, Dana. Then the other question
would be McGregor, you know, Jon Jones
and Conor McGregor on the same card
would be, you know, historic, the
biggest of all time, it feels like. Is
that another thing that might be in the
works as well? Because I saw a lot of
him uh talking about it, too.
Yeah. And a lot of him in general. Saw a
lot of him. A lot of him saw a lot of
him.
Keep living, Conor. Just keep keep
anything is possible. Listen, it's still
a year away. I mean, it's literally a
year away from now. So, the landscape
will change a lot over the next year,
uh, as far as title holders and, you
know, stars and people that pop up. But,
yeah, I mean, we're looking if if Jones,
if we do a Jones and Connor on the same
card, plus a lot of other great fights,
anything is possible and everything is
possible for that card.
If we're going to have Conor McGregor
and Jon Jones on the same, I mean, I
guess.
Sure.
I mean, I guess we'll do that. That
thing will be electrifying. You said
it's about a year from now. Do you have
a date already picked out?
It's the 4th of July. The two It's the
250th anniversary of America.
Yeah.
Holy [Â __Â ] Is that the greatest thing of
all time? I mean,
yeah, it is.
Yes, it is. By the way, yeah, the fly
over.
Oh my. The fly over is about to be
Holy [Â __Â ] David.
Imagine just think about what I'm going
to do for this fight and then think
about what Trump is going to do for this
fight. You know what I mean? It's going
to be one of the It's a oneofone
experience. It's like when we did the
sphere. It's the sphere on steroids. I
mean, it's going to be a oneofone event.
There'll be there'll be nothing like it
ever again.
Yeah. Let alone Kid Rock starts getting
his mind around this entire
We already talked. Believe me, when we
were out the other night, we we talked a
lot about this. Believe me,
Dana, I got ideas.
Well, that's the other thing where where
the president just put on the uh he just
did the parade for the military. That's
all right there, too. You can put 25,000
people in that area, right? It it's just
the the the possibilities for this thing
are insane.
Yeah. You're gonna take advantage of it
all and give us a hell of a show and
we're very grateful for it.
I promise you that. I promise you that.
Uh do you feel Okay, I'm going to talk
about your personal life real quick.
So, we see your friends publicly fight
each other. That's what I feel like we
see at this stage of life. And you're
like a glue piece to all of it almost.
And every story is like Dana, right? And
then Dana, there was even conversations
that happened. White House, they get
leaked allegedly. And then there's
obviously public [Â __Â ] that we see. Do
you feel a sense of like, hey, I I am a
rather important piece of America. Do
you feel like that or no? You just try
not to think about it.
All the big dogs, all the big dogs were
all
you UFC events there for a while. It was
just like,
oh yeah. Hey, uh, who's deciding what
goes on the entire world? Well, let
alone the guy that's on commentary every
time.
His podcast
just changes the entire globe's
everything. And then you got the people
sitting behind in the corner. It's like,
oh, there's the president. There's the
richest man on earth. Oh, there's the
biggest agent in the history of being an
agent. There's Dana White Zuckerberg is
getting into the state and they're just
all there. And it's like, I think the
love of your sport is something that
really has rallied a lot of people. Do
you see it that way? And uh how involved
in all that [Â __Â ] do you want to be or
are you trying not to be?
I guess I see it that way when you point
it out. Yeah. Um
yeah, this is what we're all seeing,
Dana. Yeah. This is what we're all
seeing, brother. Yeah. Yeah. And let
alone Theo Vaughn is sitting. Yeah. The
big the biggest comedians are right
there behind you watching the entire
thing. It's like your events are like
all the [Â __Â ] that kind of run
everything. And it's like you're the
glue behind it. That's a cool thing that
MMA is the one, but it's also like a
pretty important thing I think right now
in sports.
Well, thank you. Well, thank you. Um,
yeah, and and you know, it's it's funny
because I've been friends with all these
guys for a long time. Obviously, me and
Rogan go back, you know, 25 26 years.
Uh, the president and I go back that
long. And and yes, the love of this
sport and and the things that we've done
over the last 25 years have brought us
to where we are today. It's just I don't
know. It's just a as as surreal as it
is, it's just
It's what it is. It's just done over the
last 25 years.
Yeah, it's just another day. I'm an
American badass. Let me walk out here
with a [Â __Â ] president. I'm walking
into an arena with the president of the
United States and Kid Rock flanking me.
I mean, it's uh it's an unbelievable
thing. Congrats on the business. Can't
wait to see your hear your next
voiceover with Dodge Ram Trucks. Can't
wait to watch Power Slap 14, UFC this
weekend in New Orleans BMF Card and uh
Crawford and Canelo in September and in
something I'm doing in 2026. Keep
grinding, man. We appreciate the
journey.
Thanks, brother. I appreciate you guys.
And yes, I will be I will be breaking it
with you when when we're ready to do it.
Nice. That's breaking news. Hell
yeah.
It's breaking news that we're breaking
news and we appreciate the hell out of
you. You're the man. Ladies and
gentlemen, Dana White. Yeah, D.
[Applause]
[Music]