UFC president Dana White found himself in an interesting position at UFC Saudi Arabia when soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo attended the event at the anb Arena in Riyadh on Saturday night.
The moment was particularly noteworthy given White’s previous controversial comments about soccer, where he had famously declared it “the least-talented sport on Earth” in a viral video from 2012.
“Can’t stand soccer,” White had said in the clip. “There’s a reason three-year-olds can play soccer. When you’re playing a game when the net is that big and the score is 3-1, are you s***ting me right now? You know how untalented you have to be to score three points when the net is this big?”
However, after meeting Ronaldo at the event, where the Portuguese star witnessed Israel Adesanya’s knockout loss to Nassourdine Imavov, White’s tone was markedly different. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was seen in the front row and even interacted with fighter Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov before his co-main event bout against Michel ‘Venom’ Page.
When asked about Ronaldo during the post-fight press conference, White struck a more diplomatic note: “I’m not a big soccer guy,” he admitted. “As far as superstars, he’s one of the biggest superstars ever. You know what I like about him too? As popular, as successful, and as wealthy as he’s become, he’s a very nice, humble guy. I like him, he’s a very nice guy.”
This marked a significant shift from White’s previous stance, where he had compared soccer unfavorably to hockey, saying the latter was “a real sport that takes real talent, speed, and all the things you need to be a real athlete.”
The presence of one of soccer’s greatest players at the UFC event and White’s subsequent praise suggests that even the most steadfast opinions can evolve through personal interaction.
