At UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden, what seemed like an innocent post-victory shoutout has spiraled into controversy involving country music star Zach Bryan and his ex-girlfriend Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia.
After defeating Roberto Romero, UFC’s David Onama mentioned Bryan during his interview with Joe Rogan, stating he planned to return to New York for one of Bryan’s upcoming concerts. The statement raised eyebrows as LaPaglia, who was attending her first UFC event, was present in the audience.
The situation took an unexpected turn when Onama later revealed on SiriusXM’s podcast that he didn’t actually know who Bryan was, and the shoutout had been arranged by management. This revelation prompted Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy to speak out.
“During the fight, this guy David Onama wins a fight, gets in the middle of the ring and gives Zach Bryan a shout,” Portnoy said in a video posted on X. “The UFC guy is like, ‘I don’t even know who Zach Bryan is. His team reached out to my team begging for a shoutout.'”
Portnoy, who co-hosts the “BFFs” podcast with LaPaglia and Josh Richards, continued his criticism: “This small little 4ft 8 f****ng psychopath is that pathetic and that lost where they’ve got to beg UFC guys for a shoutout just to try and rub it in Bri’s [face]. No one gives a f***, we know you’re popular Zach. You don’t need to f****ng bribe people to say your name you pathetic little man.”
The controversy comes amid ongoing tension following Bryan and LaPaglia’s public breakup, where LaPaglia recently accused Bryan of being “emotionally abusive” and revealed she had refused to sign an NDA.
Onama later attempted to clarify the situation on social media: “A promoter offered me comp tickets to one of Zach Bryan’s concerts if I made a shout out for his upcoming stadium shows. I did it because my teammates love Zach and Zach has always taken care of them when he played in Denver. Zach did not reach out to me at all about this. Was simply supporting someone who always supported my team.”
Adding another layer to the controversy, it was noted that two other fighters at UFC 309 walked out to Bryan’s songs – all three are represented by Iridium Sports Agency, run by Jason House, who happens to be one of the 402 people Bryan follows on Instagram.
