Dana White: MGM Called To Ask If They Can Play Masvidal vs. Diaz at Canelo vs. Kovalev
Last night (Sat. November 2, 2019) was huge for combat sports fans. The UFC 244 pay-per-view (PPV) card, arguably the most stacked of the year thus far, took place from Madison Square Garden.
Also, Canelo Alvarez jumped up to light heavyweight to challenge Sergey Kovalev. However, prior to the two shows starting, DAZN announced that they wouldn’t start their Alvarez vs. Kovalev main event until after the UFC 244 main event between Masvidal and Diaz concluded. However, the DAZN card’s co-main event didn’t end until halfway through the UFC 244 co-main event between Darren Till and Kelvin Gastelum.
This would mean a lengthy intermission for both DAZN viewers at home, as well as those live in attendance. So, the MGM Grand called up UFC president Dana White to ask if they could play the Masvidal vs. Diaz fight for its restless crowd. White explained the situation in the UFC 244 post-fight press conference. (H/T Bloody Elbow)
“So we were sitting there, and MGM called and said that. ‘you guys are halfway through your co-main event right now,” White said. “People are losing their minds here,’ or whatever. ‘Can we show the Diaz fight at the MGM?’”
“And I was just like, ‘Holy sh-t! This is crazy! This is getting crazier by the minute!’ I woke up and dreamed all this, that it could happen,” he continued. “It was nuts. And of course, we said yes, and they did and wow.”
White then took the opportunity to take a shot at Golden Boy Promotions promoter and newfound enemy Oscar De La Hoya, who the UFC boss called a “scumbag,” amongst other things.
“They’re not showing my main event at their cards because somebody won and somebody lost,” White said. “It’s a much bigger picture than that. And you guys know how I am or whatever, I f—ng hate Oscar De La Hoya. I hate this guy. He’s a scumbag, he’s a snake. And I’ve told him not to go on this night, he did what he wanted to do, and here we are.
“I respect Canelo, and I respect all the other fighters and the guys who participate in the sport of boxing,” White added. “And we got it worked out yesterday to where fans could see both fights. It’s a crazy, crazy thing for me.”
What do you think about White allowing the MGM Grand to play Masvidal vs. Diaz at Canelo vs. Kovalev?
