The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is in Boston, Massachusetts today, Jan. 19, for the UFC 25th Anniversary Series Press Conference. During the conference, UFC President Dana White and longtime MMA journalist Ariel Helwani butted heads over an awkward moment of the event.
During the event, White revealed that Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov will be fighting for the UFC lightweight title. However when repeatedly asked if UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor will be stripped of his title, White failed to give a clear and straightforward answer.
Helwani decided to confront White on the issue with a line of questioning that got somewhat heated.
Helwani: “I don’t want to belabor the point, but is there a reason why you won’t just come out and say ‘Conor has been stripped’? He was stripped of the featherweight title. You came out and said it. Is there a reason why you are not saying it here today?”
White: “No, there is no reason.”
Hewlani: “So has be been stripped of the title, yes or no?”
White: “Did I say he has been stripped of the title?”
Helwani: “No.”
White: “Next question, please.”
Helwani: “But that’s for the real belt. That doesn’t make sense. There is a reason why you are not saying it. Why aren’t you saying it?”
White: “Anybody else have a question?”
Here’s the replay:
