Tag: Dianne Feinstein

UFC’s Dana White hits back hard at boxing promoter Bob Arum

UFC President Dana White used a number of expletives in his response to boxing promoter Bob Arum’s criticism of him.

Dana White responded to boxing promoter Bob Arum’s criticism of the UFC president’s plans to stage three shows this month. And he didn’t hold back.

Arum suggested that White is acting recklessly by scheduling the events before it’s safe to do so amid the coronavirus pandemic. UFC events are set for this Saturday (UFC 249), May 13 and May 16 without live audiences at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.

“Good luck to them. I just hope that they’re not endangering the safety of anyone. But this kind of cowboy behavior doesn’t do anybody any good,” said Arum, who has discussed staging events with no spectators in late June at the earliest.

White responded to Arum’s comments on the UFC Unfiltered podcast.

“Listen I think by now that everybody realizes that Bob Arum is a d—head,” White said. “This guy has been talking s— about the UFC and me for 20 years. He’s f—–g bankrupt, this guy, he’s f—–g bankrupt! You don’t want to put fights on, you can’t afford to put fights on, you f—–g j—off!

“You’ve been in this thing your whole life and you’ve completely destroyed the business and the sport. Congratulations Bob Arum, you’re brilliant.”

Arum said he plans to follow the lead of major sports leagues in the United States, not White, whom he called a “cowboy.”

“We’re looking now with Nevada, which we’ll do in a sensible way, or California,” Arum told BoxingScene.com. We’re working with [Nevada’s] Bob Bennett and [California’s] Andy Foster, and we’re talking to the Texas commission. We’re only gonna do this if it’s safe for the fighters and everyone involved, and if it’s approved by the medical authorities.

“We’re not gonna be cowboys, like Dana White. I don’t wanna get politics involved, but I have really very little respect for Dana and what he’s doing.”

He went on: “I think the behavior of people in sports we should be following are Adam Silver of the NBA, Roger Goodell of the NFL, people who are proceeding cautiously and safely, not people who are acting like cowboys.

“For example, [the UFC] wanted to do this fight in California and they were prevented by the governor [Gavin Newsom] and by senator [Dianne] Feinstein going to ESPN and having Dana pull [the plug].

“It turned out one of the fighters, in fact, tested positive afterwards for coronavirus. You know, if we get something like that on one of Dana’s shows, and God forbid there’s a serious incident of spreading the disease, it doesn’t do well for anybody who’s involved with sports.”

Lyman Good was on the UFC 249 card when it was scheduled to take place in Brooklyn but he pulled out and later announced he had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Bob Arum suggests UFC’s Dana White is behaving recklessly

Promoter Bob Arum said he’ll follow the lead of major sports leagues, not Dana White, in determining when to resume boxing.

Boxing promoter Bob Arum said his sport should follow the lead of the major sports leagues, not UFC President Dana White.

White is planning to stage three UFC events in the coming weeks – May 9 (UFC 249), May 13 and 16 – without live audiences at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. They will be the first UFC events since the coronavirus took hold.

White had originally scheduled UFC 249 for April 18 on Tribal land in central California but bowed to political pressure and postponed the event.

Arum suggested that White is still acting recklessly. The Top Rank CEO has discussed staging events with no spectators in late June at the earliest.

“Good luck to them,” Arum told BoxingScene.com. “I just hope that they’re not endangering the safety of anyone. But this kind of cowboy behavior doesn’t do anybody any good.”

He went on: “We’re looking now with Nevada, which we’ll do in a sensible way, or California. We’re working with [Nevada’s] Bob Bennett and [California’s] Andy Foster, and we’re talking to the Texas commission. We’re only gonna do this if it’s safe for the fighters and everyone involved, and if it’s approved by the medical authorities.

“We’re not gonna be cowboys, like Dana White. I don’t wanna get politics involved, but I have really very little respect for Dana and what he’s doing.”

Arum will look for cues from the NBA and NFL.

“I think the behavior of people in sports we should be following,” Arum said, “are Adam Silver of the NBA, Roger Goodell of the NFL, people who are proceeding cautiously and safely, not people who are acting like cowboys.

“For example, [the UFC] wanted to do this fight in California and they were prevented by the governor [Gavin Newsom] and by senator [Dianne] Feinstein going to ESPN and having Dana pull [the plug].

“It turned out one of the fighters, in fact, tested positive afterwards for coronavirus. You know, if we get something like that on one of Dana’s shows, and God forbid there’s a serious incident of spreading the disease, it doesn’t do well for anybody who’s involved with sports.”

Lyman Good was on the UFC 249 card when it was scheduled to take place in Brooklyn but he pulled out and later announced he had tested positive for the coronavirus.