Dana White was greater than prepared on Thursday to answer a couple of statements made by PFL co-founder Donn Davis throughout a city corridor session held on MMA Preventing simply 24 hours earlier.
In the course of the hour lengthy query and reply interval, Davis addressed quite a few inquiries from followers together with the success of the current PFL: Battle of the Giants pay-per-view capped off by Francis Ngannou’s return to MMA the place he bludgeoned Renan Ferreira with punches for a first-round end in the primary occasion. Whereas Davis couldn’t reveal what number of pay-per-view buys the cardboard generated, he did make one doubtful declare when evaluating PFL to UFC.
“This occasion by our research beat each viewership variety of each UFC occasion this yr and was very, very near Ring of Hearth,” Davis stated.
It’s secure to say, White isn’t shopping for it.
When requested to handle that declare following a Energy Slap occasion in Abu Dhabi, the UFC CEO gleefully pulled out a sheet of paper stuffed with metrics evaluating PFL to his slap-fighting league moderately than the UFC.
“The PFL ought to hold the UFC out of their mouth,” White stated. “They’ll’t even take care of Energy Slap. Energy Slap destroys PFL. It’s bizarre that you simply requested me that query as a result of I simply occurred to have some papers right here.
“So to begin with let’s begin with followers — Energy Slap has 19.2 million followers, PFL has 10 [million]. Video views, PFL struggle week did 326 million. Energy Slap 8 did 690 million. PFL struggle week Instagram views: 76 million. So for those who take a look at PFL, struggle week and the aftermath, these guys had 76 [million]. Simply the week of [the event] that they had 68 million on Energy Slap and we hadn’t even had a struggle but. PFL’s Instagram reel with Francis and Ronaldo did 14 million views. Energy Slap 9’s Instagram reel with contender Isaih [Quinones] had 22 million views. That was a repost of an previous struggle. The repost of the previous struggle beat Francis and Ronaldo.”
Whereas he didn’t spend a lot time pitting the UFC in opposition to PFL, White did toss out one declare {that a} UFC Battle Evening card held again in January truly pulled in greater viewership numbers than the PFL pay-per-view.
“I might hold occurring for a f*cking month right here,” White stated. “Then if you wish to get into what he stated in regards to the UFC, I’ve a laundry record right here however let me simply begin with this: UFC Vegas 84 on the APEX beat them.
“I really like the stuff that he stated. He feels like Kamala [Harris], talks lots however says nothing. I might hate to be certainly one of that man’s buyers. [He said] ‘I don’t watch MMA. I’ve labored seven years and haven’t taken a trip.’ It is best to in all probability take a trip. You’re out of your f*cking thoughts. It is best to in all probability take a trip.”
White hardly ever misses a chance to dunk on anyone trying to return after him or the UFC however he reveled within the alternative to fireside again at Davis following his statements on Wednesday.
“That man shouldn’t even point out the UFC,” White stated. “He’s not even in Energy Slap’s [league]. Then he was speaking about ‘there’s every kind of mixture packages and the way all this works.’ He doesn’t beat Energy Slap in income. He doesn’t beat Energy Slap in ticket gross sales. He doesn’t beat Energy Slap in sponsorship. He doesn’t beat Energy Slap in something not to mention the UFC.
“It’s apparent this man isn’t an MMA fan. He’s appearing like he’s some f*cking nice businessman. He doesn’t sound like a man that I might need to make investments my cash with. However good luck to his buyers.”
White additionally addressed the current assertion made by present Bellator champion Usman Nurmagomedov, who stated that he planned to eventually join the UFC roster after his pal and teammate Islam Makhachev was accomplished with preventing.
That didn’t come as a shock to White, who expects Nurmagomedov and each different main fighter within the PFL would favor competing within the UFC minus one particular person specifically.
“I imply all their good folks need to be over right here anyway so I might think about that ultimately sure, they are going to be right here,” White stated. “No one needs to struggle within the f*cking PFL apart from Francis.”
