Following last night’s UFC 197 event in Las Vegas, UFC President Dana White spoke to Megan Olivi about the evening’s big talking points.
Check out the video and our keynotes below.
– White thought Jon Jones, “looked rusty out there” after his 15 month absence from the Octagon and said that things worked out for the former champ as if he had been facing Daniel Cormier rather than OSP then, “that would have been a rough night,” for ‘Bones’.
– Having said that, White feels it was good for Jones to get a full five rounds under his belt and he didn’t look exhausted afterwards which was a positive sign.
– White felt OSP’s stock rose last night for hanging in there for 25 minutes with Jones, saying that he hits hard, has “an unbelievable chin,” and fought the last two rounds with what’s believed to have been a broken arm.
– Jones limped away from the Octagon after the fight and there were some reports that he was later seen on a wheelchair, but White doesn’t know if he has any significant injuries or not.
– Dana thought Demetrious Johnson looked “phenomenal” and “incredible” during his first round victory over Henry Cejudo, and calls him a “super talent who just gets better and better.”
– White thought Edson Barboza Vs Anthony Pettis would be the ‘Fight Of The Night’, and while it didn’t quite work out that way, he still acknolwedged that they were two talented guys who fight with a similar style, but Barboza was the one who was able to “pull the trigger” on the night.
– White brings up Yair Rodriguez as someone who impressed him on the night and says he continues evolve, and also gave Robert Whittaker props for his latest victory.
– Asked if he’s glad to see the back of this week after all the Conor McGregor drama, White laughs off the idea, claiming that this was just “a typical week” expect for the fact that it was all playing out in the public for a change, rather than behind the scenes.
—
