UFC president Dana White spoke to the media Saturday night following the completion of UFC on ABC 4.
He addressed various topics at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., including Jailton Almeida’s place in the heavyweight division, Ian Machado Garry’s rise at welterweight, Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler, and more.
You can watch White’s full post-event news conference above, plus check out a transcription of some of the topics he discussed below.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 4.
Jailton Almeida’s potential at heavyweight
May 13, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Jailton Almeida (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Jairzinho Rozenstruik (red gloves) in a heavyweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
“We were looking to make a main event for this card. That’s why we picked these two. We knew it was going to be – this guy looks like he’s going to be a star in the heavyweight division.”
“His double leg is insane. When he gets that top position, he doesn’t screw around. He goes in there and tries to finish. I have a lot of high hopes for this kid. I think he’s going to be something special.”
Is Anthony Smith retiring?
May 13, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Anthony Smith (red gloves) fights Johnny Walker (blue gloves) in a light heavyweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
“Anthony, I thought he was going to retire too. I think after the fight he said to some people in the back he wants to think about it, but I don’t know. He always comes to fight. He got busted up, he got hurt, and he did what he does: he toughs it out. Looked like that fight was a couple of leg kicks away from being over.”
Paying tribute to Shaie Lipp
In memory of Shalie Lipp. pic.twitter.com/oya5q5MJMA
— UFC (@ufc) May 13, 2023
“That girl hurt me bad. It messed me up for a few days. Tragic things happen every day, that one got me. She was a 21-year-old MMA fighter. She just got back from Thailand training for a fight that she was supposed to fight on May 20th, and she was involved in a car accident. She was the passenger. Everybody else in the accident lived except for her. Her Mom found her journal and was reading her journal. At the end of every entry she said, ‘Dana White will know my name.’ Mick (Maynard) got a call and called me and said, ‘Hey, I just wanted to tell you that story.’ … I posted about her and talked to her Mom a couple of times. I’m going to leave her Mom alone, I think I’ve been annoying her Mom since I found out. I did the best that I could do over the past several days to kind of – yeah, I’m not good with this kind of stuff. But yeah, horrible story.”
Ian Machado Garry’s rise
May 13, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Ian Garry (blue gloves) celebrates after defeating Daniel Rodriguez (not pictured) in a welterweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
“He looked awesome tonight. Obviously, he fought a guy very durable, dangerous, and a prospect in his own right. That’s why we build these types of cards, especially the main events. He looked awesome tonight. He’s super confident, and that kid’s ready to take over the world. Came back and talked to him tonight, and he’s down for whatever, whenever, wherever. He’s fun.”
“You know what he said to us tonight? He said, ‘I want to beat all the top guys in the top 10. I want to beat all the guys in the top 5. I want to make sure there’s no question that when I fight for the title that people know I deserve it.’ That’s a fun guy. He’s fun. We have the Irish guy blueprint around here. So, we’ll probably take him to Boston, or MSG, and then eventually Ireland if he keeps doing what he’s doing.”
What’s going on with Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler?
“I don’t know. That’s the most-asked question I’m getting right now. Obviously, the season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter airs soon, and during that season we will be working very hard to put that fight together.”
The key to Matt Brown’s longevity
May 13, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Matt Brown (red gloves) celebrates after defeating Court McGee (blue gloves) in a welterweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
“Power. The guy has the power to end the fight at any moment. That’s the game changer. If you can go out and get into the pocket and start trading with another guy, and you have the power that Matt Brown has – and the chin. So, it’s cool to see two OGs go out there and do it like they did it. Both great guys, and I’m happy for Matt.”
Could Charlotte host a pay-per-view event?
May 13, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; The octagon is seen before a heavyweight bout between Jairzinho Rozenstruik (red gloves) and Jailton Almeida (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
“Listen, this is a great market for us. We love this place. It’s a great town. The answer is yes. The problem is, when are we coming back? We have so many different cities that we still have to hit especially since we haven’t been to a lot of places because of the pandemic. So, yes. The answer is yes, we could get a pay-per-view here. It’s a great market.”
Is Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Manel Kape happening?
“You know what, that’s a great f*cking question. So, yes. Then he tells some guy no. Then I hear again yesterday, yes. Now he just tells me he’s moving up in weight. Who the hell knows, man. This is the nutty sh*t we deal with on a daily basis around here.”