Dana White roasts Jared Gordon for hiding concussion before Jim Miller fight: ‘Should’ve told us that six weeks ago’
Dana White has now spoken out about pulling Jared Gordon from his fight with Jim Miller after Gordon spilled the beans about a recent concussion he suffered just six weeks before the fight was scheduled to take place.
White was very unapologetic about the matter and viewed the situation as Gordon putting himself in a life-threatening situation and hiding critical information. The fight with Miller was also scheduled for just a little over a month after Gordon suffered a horrific knockout in his fight with Bobby Green back in April.
When asked if the fight cancellation was due to Gordon spilling the beans about his concussion, the UFC president responded with an affirmative. “Yeah, when you come in here on press day and you announce you had a concussion six weeks ago, and you healed yourself from the concussion: you’re done.”
“I’m not gonna let you fight,” Dana White continued. “We pulled him… He should’ve told us that six weeks ago. He should’ve shown the company and his opponent some respect and at least did that (told us) six weeks ago. You’re not a f***ing doctor. You didn’t cure yourself from a concussion.
“Not to mention…” White said. “Was he self-diagnosed? Or did he go to a doctor, and a doctor diagnosed him with a concussion? You have to be honest when you get injuries. And, of course, the minute we hear about it: no fight is worth keeping on if it’s going to risk somebodies health, safety, longevity, whatever it might be. We will pull you out in 2.5 seconds.”
Why did Dana White let Jared Gordon get scheduled to fight just six weeks after a horrific knockout?
The question that remains is simple. Why was Jared Gordon even scheduled to fight so soon after a vicious knockout anyways? The head clash with Bobby Green at UFC Vegas 71 and the ensuing strikes Gordon absorbed after already being unconscious was no doubt the cause of the concussion. Even if it wasn’t, getting knocked out cold is definitely not great for the brain.
Usually, fighters knocked out or involved in a particularly damaging fight are given a medical suspension to allow their brain and bodies to heal fully. The length of this suspension can vary, but if Gordon was scheduled to fight Jim Miller just six weeks after the knockout, it’s obvious that if he were given a suspension it must’ve been either 30 days in length. Or, no medical suspension was given at all.
The athletic commission in any given state the fights are held in would typically be the one giving the suspension, but, all blame lies with the UFC for scheduling the fight regardless.
Right now, it’s not clear what Gordon’s next move will be, and Dana White has not commented on it either. One can imagine he will be wanting to get back into the cage as soon as possible, but there’s also no telling how deep of a grudge Dana White will hold with Gordon for essentially being forced into canceling a match that should’ve never been scheduled to start with.
Do you think Dana White should be praised for canceling the Jared Gordon and Jim Miller fight?
