Just days after making Shakur Stevenson the biggest signing in Zuffa Boxing history, Dana White watched his newest star get introduced to the UFC audience as... an NBA player.
The mix-up happened during the UFC 329 broadcast on Saturday, July 11, when Stevenson appeared on screen but was identified with the name of an Oklahoma City Thunder player. It didn't take long for White to hear about it—or erupt over it.
“I just paid Shakur Stevenson a sh*tload of money,” White said during his post-fight press conference, per The Mac Life. “And for some reason, we can't figure this celebrity sh*t out. They put him up as a f*cking OKC NBA player. Are you f*cking kidding me?”
White had opened the press conference praising the UFC's production team, even pointing to the company's recent White House event as proof of what it can pull off. Then he hit the brakes.
“I tell you all the time, my production team... we built a f*cking arena on the South Lawn of the White House,” White said. “But...we can't figure this celebrity sh*t out.”
His frustration quickly turned into a full-blown roast of his own staff.
“We are the absolute worst to ever do the celebrity thing,” White said. “I just had this f*cking debate in the back with my guys while I was screaming at everybody. They said, 'Soccer's worse because they don't put up graphics.' Oh no. We put up f*ckng graphics and put the wrong guy's name on it. We win. We're the worst ever to f*cking do it.”
The deal came after Stevenson completely reshaped his career earlier this year. Moving up to junior welterweight, he outclassed Teófimo López over 12 rounds at Madison Square Garden to capture the WBO title and become a four-division world champion.
The win also closed one chapter while opening another. Stevenson's move to 140 pounds led the World Boxing Council to strip him of its lightweight title, prompting him to fire back online.
“100k to some crooks who don't deserve it?” Stevenson wrote before adding, “Take your belt, it don't make me.”
