UFC CEO Dana White found himself engrossed by the tumultuous scene that unfolded amidst the fervent crowd during UFC Fight Night 237 on Saturday.
Amidst the main card bouts at Mexico City Arena, spectators captured footage of a chaotic altercation erupting amongst multiple individuals in the audience.
The disturbance was conspicuous enough that one of the fighters participating in the event urged the crowd to settle down during his post-fight interview—a moment that did not escape White’s notice.
In the aftermath of the event, during the UFC Fight Night 237 post-fight press conference, White was queried about the incident and whether he believed it cast the UFC in a negative light. Dismissing such a notion outright, White offered an animated account of his perspective.
“The notion that a crowd fight reflects poorly on the UFC? That’s simply not the case. It’s practically unheard of,” White asserted to MMA Junkie and other journalists. “Yet, it happened right here in Mexico City. What was truly remarkable about that skirmish was its duration. It seemed to just go on and on. I hurried over to observe, expecting security to intervene at any moment. But they didn’t. They simply let it play out until it concluded.”
“That was one of the most bizarre spectacles I’ve ever witnessed. But I don’t believe it tarnishes the UFC’s image. It occurred, and that was the extent of it. I reckon, once everyone witnessed the chaotic resolution of that altercation, no one was inclined to repeat it. No security intervention—just letting the altercation unfold until its conclusion. I’ve never witnessed anything quite like it,” White remarked.
While White’s assertion that crowd altercations never occur at UFC events is inaccurate, his observation that major incidents like the one witnessed on Saturday are uncommon holds merit.
White refrained from disclosing any information regarding potential medical or legal repercussions for those involved in the altercation.
