Dana White Blasts Showtime Exec For UFC 223 Callout

Last night (April 7, 2018), Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Al Iaquinta in the main event of UFC 223 to become the lightweight champion.

Had Iaquinta won, however, he wouldn’t have received the title due to the fact that he weighed-in at 155.2 lbs. for a bout against Paul Felder but was then called upon to take on Nurmagomedov after Max Holloway was forced to withdraw from the main event.

The scenario seemed a bit shady – at least according to Showtime Sports Executive Vice President Stephen Espinoza, who took to Twitter to take a shot at the UFC:

And they claim boxing is lawless.

Never heard a boxing match declared a title fight for both fighters even though one fighter failed to make weight.

Congrats, UFC. You’ve far outdone boxing in terms of shadiness. But why bother adhering to rules when you don’t feel like it? https://t.co/w5JeUoDNKI

— Stephen Espinoza (@StephenEspinoza) April 7, 2018

Following these comments, UFC President Dana White responded at the UFC 223 post-fight press conference, and as expected, he didn’t hold back:

“Just to clear something up, too. I don’t want to give this guy any publicity because he loves it, but that greasy, slimy rat Espinoza talking about how ‘Oh, we break the rules’ and all the other sh-t,” White said.

“Just keep trying to be HBO and don’t worry about what the f—k we’re doing, you slimy little rat.”

White and Espinoza have previously worked together during the build-up and broadcast of last August’s boxing super fight between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor.