Dana White likes it when UFC fighters handle their adversity “like a man,” which could prove challenging for all the women on the promotion’s ever-growing roster.
That’s why the UFC CEO won’t be shedding any tears for No. 1-ranked lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan (23-3), who will not receive a lightweight title shot after compromising the UFC 311 pay-per-view (PPV) event earlier this year in California.
Even if it undermines White’s push for a new and improved Ali Act.
“You know what I didn’t do? We haven’t cut him,“ White told The Mac Life. ”We’re not sideways with him. We don’t dislike him. It’s not like I’ve confronted Arman, and you know, Arman’s a man. He knows how this played out. He knows how this all went down behind the scenes. We all f*cking know. I don’t ever talk about this sh*t publicly.“
“You [media] guys are like a bunch of f*cking old ladies and anything that you can get clicks on and f*cking keep bringing it up and all this sh*t,” White added. “A lot of man sh*t happens in this f*cking business, and we keep it between us men. Now you guys will come out and say, ‘Oh why is he gonna…?’ Arman knows.“
Maybe that’s why he’s so “angry.”
With Tsarukyan toiling away in limbo, the promotion will instead ask Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje to battle for the interim lightweight belt at UFC 324, created during the absence of troubled 155-pound titleholder Ilia Topuria. That means the 29 year-old “Ahalkalakets” will have to keep fighting (and beating) top contenders.
At least he doesn’t need the money.
