UFC President Dana White addressed the controversy sparked by Israel Adesanya’s criticism regarding the removal of former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou from promotional footage. This issue came to light just days before Adesanya’s upcoming title challenge at UFC 305 against Dricus du Plessis. Adesanya, a veteran striker with a loyal fan base, had accused the UFC of attempting to “whitewash” Ngannou’s legacy by excluding him from footage that featured “The Three Kings” — a trio that included Ngannou, Adesanya, and Kamaru Usman.
Adesanya’s comments quickly gained traction, with many in the MMA community questioning the UFC’s decision. The removal of Ngannou from the footage was seen by some as an erasure of his contributions to the sport, particularly considering his status as a former champion known for his powerful striking abilities.
During a press conference following the latest episode of Dana White’s Contender Series, White was confronted with Adesanya’s allegations. Surprisingly, White didn’t shy away from the criticism. He admitted that if the decision to remove Ngannou was indeed made, it was not something he would have personally authorized. In typical Dana White fashion, he candidly stated, “If it was me, I’d say we did it, f— him, and we did it.” However, he clarified that he had no prior knowledge of the edit and that it was the first time he was hearing about it.
He later phoned infamous coporate shill Kevin Iole and reiterated:
“My production team are a bunch of rock stars and they are truly f*cking awesome,” White said. “I make it so hard on them sometimes with some of the crazy shit I say and it’s tough. When you asked me about that, I didn’t know anything about it. But someone was editing that and made a conscious decision, thinking that was the right thing to do, that that’s what we would have wanted, what I would have wanted. I didn’t know about it and that was nothing that ever came across my desk. I’m in charge of everything production-related, so at the end of the day, the fact that it happened falls on me 100 percent. It’s my responsibility and I accept it. Blame me for that. I put them in such a tough spot sometimes saying all this crazy shit, it’s hard for them.
“Whoever was editing it, they thought that was the right decision and did what they thought I wanted. That’s not what I wanted and had I known that, I would have not authorized that. But that’s on me. Totally on me. I already called Israel Adesanya and apologized for it.”
