What's up, guys? What's up, Sean? What's going on? What do you got? I mean, two of the craziest fights you'll ever see. Like you said, on Tuesday night, Saturday night, whatever. I know you get excited about this show regardless, but can you just talk about this evening and those two fights in particular?
Yeah. It was incredible. I mean, I don't even know what to say about it. It was great. I mean, we, you know, I knew like halfway through the second round that I wanted both guys. I was like, I hope this goes to a third round. I want both those guys in the UFC.
Yeah. You said that Pierro and Connor, they both obviously got sent to the hospital. Do you have any updates on them yet or is it still too early to know?
I think they're good. So far so good.
Interesting because it sounded like you wanted Callum and it was Sean Shelby that wanted Jaden, right? So, were you initially thinking...
No, you wanted both of them in both fights.
Both of them since the second round. Yeah. No, the one that you're talking about is Jade Ortega.
Yeah, I was saying. So, Jaden, were you thinking you were going to pass on Jade?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I was just taking Alvie and Sean goes, 'No, I want Jaden Ortega, too.' I said, 'Beautiful. Love it.'
Did he not blow you away with that kind of third round comeback and his toughness?
Oh, it was great. It was great. Yeah.
It was great. Yeah. I didn't not want the guy. I didn't go, 'No, we're not taking him. I don't want to take him.' When Sean said, 'I want him, too,' I said, 'Beautiful. Love it.'
I know the matchmakers tell you you can't add any more Contender Series events, and they're probably right because you got to restock talent. But, I mean, do you ever have any discussion about something you could do on Tuesday nights outside of Contender Series or having like midweek UFC fights or other content? Because it just seems everybody has such a blast in here. It's such, you know, on a midweek fight, short night, five fights. Do you guys ever talk about other options?
Yeah, it's awesome. No. We got enough to do. Believe me, we're good. I think that the way that this plays out now, once a year, how it goes, it's perfect.
Yeah. Does Paramount push you for any more? Do they say, 'Hey man, this is killing it. We'd like some more of these?'
Not yet. But we can anyway. I mean, there isn't enough talent to do this, you know, 52 weeks a year. It's just you can't do it.
Yeah. The other thing I want to ask you about with the Apex...
Plus we'd have so much talent under contract, we'd have to, you know, we don't even have enough shows.
Yeah. The other thing I want to ask you about was the Apex. I mean, it wasn't that long ago that you were saying, 'Dude, we got to get out of here. We got to travel this thing around.' But with the redesign, it's a pretty special atmosphere in there for the fans.
That was before we decided to, you know, do the rebuild and invest in expanding it and doing what we did. I mean, this is a real arena now, you know.
So, does that open the opportunity for more UFC events? I mean, you still want to travel it obviously to other markets, but I mean, with the way it is now, would you do more than maybe you were originally intending before it was changed?
No, I don't think it'll stay the same, but yeah, no, we have a real arena here now.
No doubt. Just want to ask you a couple about this past weekend. Obviously, everybody's still talking about Shawn Sheriff and Gable Stevenson and that whole incredible story. Gable today posted like he's going to be back better than ever. It's lit a fire in him. Did you guys have much discussion about him and his future? Obviously the future seems so bright and now people are trying to say like, you know, did he get rushed to the UFC? Is there still a future? So at matchmaking today, did you talk much about the...
Oh, he lost. I mean, people lose. It happens. You know, he was a huge favorite and he lost. It's not like we come back on Tuesday and go, 'Oh, that's the end of him.' You know what I mean? People lose. It happens. And if he believes that he's going to come back, then he will.
Yeah. And Sean, I know you were aware of his $600,000 debt. He's done some interviews since then. He said a lot of that came from gambling when he moved to Las Vegas because he was hoping to run into you in a casino along the way. I'm curious if you heard that, what your thoughts are.
Renee just told me when we're walking in here. I said, 'That's the craziest thing I've ever heard.' But yeah, that'll do it to you. That'll do it to you. Welcome to Vegas.
And the last thing I wanted to ask you after the UFC this past weekend, Andy Foster from California came out and said that he wants to amend the rules where like oblique kicks and the sidekicks to the knees, like get rid of them because they're more dangerous than they're worth. Do you guys have a stance on that? Would you come out in support if he tried to change that or would you be against it?
Listen, he's the most powerful guy in the commission anywhere in the world and he's the best and yeah, we don't disagree.
Hey, Dana over here. What about Callum? Did you see that went into the decision to wanting to take him even though he did lose that fight?
What from Callum's performance did you know went into your decision to keeping him even though because you said you wanted to keep him unlike Jaden, but what about his performance today made you want to keep him even though he lost?
That, you know, this is the Contender Series, but that could be up for fight of the year. I mean, two undefeated guys, both coming forward, both guys really wanted to win. You know, the shots that they were getting hit with, and it was awesome. I mean, I didn't see anything that didn't... You know what I saw? I said, I don't want that guy fighting anywhere else. I want that guy fighting here.
Yeah. You know, Callum is from the UK and this Saturday is now the second Zuffa boxing show in the UK this year. You've also talked about potentially opening a PI there. Would that increase investment in the UK? Is having more than one UFC event there each year part of the plan as well?
What is your question again?
Sorry. So, this Saturday is now the second Zuffa boxing show in the UK this year. You've also talked about potentially opening a performance institute there with, you know, having that much increased investment in the UK. Does it make sense in having more than one UFC event there? Is that a plan?
Thank you. Just a couple quick here for me. Dana, talking about last weekend, Neon was in Armen Hurricane's corner. He was also in the house here tonight with Morab. How as the UFC's grown and you have all these influencers and streamers, how much do you think it's contributed to bringing in new fans to the sport, having guys like Neon and Nina Drama in guys' corners like Armen and now with Morabi here tonight?
Yeah, I saw this. I told Len six years ago I saw this coming and leaned into it. It's great.
And then just going back to Gable Stevenson, he did come out and make a statement today. What did you make of the reception that he got all week because it was pretty chilly there in LA? And then obviously the controversy with him walking out of the cage early and stuff like that.
Yeah, I don't think anything about it. I mean, it happens. There's our fans, man, they know who they like and who they don't. And you know, our fans are so educated. It's like if a guy on the first prelim of the night doesn't make weight, when he comes out for the ceremonials, they start booing him and you know, the fans are dialed in in that, man. They know what they like and what they don't.
And then last one, Sean Shraff got that Mob Land bonus on Saturday night. You've talked about Mob Land a lot in with the new Paramount. Have you seen it? I have. I'm watching the second season now. Yeah. When can we expect Dana White doing a cameo on?
No. Hell no. No. No. I don't do that. I don't want to be... This is as much as I want to be on TV right here. This is it. I don't want to do movies or any of that. I'm not into any of that.
Dana, congrats on another great night.
