Dana White has commented on the heated altercation that took place during the press conference for the upcoming “UFC White House - Freedom 250” event.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the incident involved undefeated American heavyweight Josh Hokit and reigning UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria. The confrontation began after Hokit insulted former UFC champion Alex Pereira, prompting Topuria to step into the argument before security staff intervened to calm the situation.
Speaking after the event, White criticised the situation and admitted he was concerned about unnecessary injuries before fight night.
“I don’t want any of these guys getting injured over something stupid that means absolutely nothing, especially when we’re talking about people who are never going to fight each other,” White said.
“This whole situation with Hokit looked like clown behaviour to me. But the guy came out and won. An unranked fighter stepped in against the world No. 5 and got the victory.”
White also expressed surprise at the involvement of Topuria and Pereira, both of whom are usually regarded as calm personalities within the UFC.
“Ilia and Alex are generally pretty calm guys. Although Ilia can sometimes lose his temper. We didn’t expect this. They were all sitting next to each other in the same row. When Sean O’Malley started backing away, I thought: ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’
“My only concern was that something could happen between Chimaev and Strickland during the weigh-in ceremony. But we’ll be ready. That’s our job.”
The confrontation quickly gained traction across MMA social media, adding further attention to an already high-profile UFC event.
