Dana White had the Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway announcement ready. He just chose his moment very carefully.
On Saturday night at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, MVP MMA was running its debut event live on Netflix. It was headlined by Ronda Rousey’s 17-second submission of Gina Carano, with Francis Ngannou returning to MMA action against Philipe Lins. It was the biggest night for Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions banner since its launch, and by all accounts, it generated significant viewership.
But the moment Ngannou began his walkout to the cage, White had a very different plan. He pulled out his phone, went live on Instagram and officially announced McGregor vs. Holloway for International Fight Week at UFC 329. Nobody in the arena or watching on Netflix pretended it was a coincidence. Especially Paul, who does not like the UFC boss at all, was pissed with White’s cheeky move.
Dana White’s Calculated Timing and a Long History of News Cycle Warfare
The UFC has a bad reputation for timing its announcements to crush Ngannou’s moment. When the Professional Fighters League signed him in 2023, the UFC immediately dropped competing news to hijack the headlines.
White has been using the news cycle as a weapon for two decades. This weekend was just his latest attack, targeting a new rival that pitches itself as a better alternative for fighters.
The UFC boss has a long-standing personal feud with Ngannou, who left the UFC acrimoniously over pay disputes. On Netflix, his walkout was the peak viewing window. So, it is safe to say that White deliberately targeted his former champion.
Ronda Rousey, who had just headlined the card, said, “That’s kind of catty. But it also shows that they see MVP MMA as a threat… I feel like it’s also a compliment because it elevates MVP MMA, and it makes them declare that they see us as a real rival. I think that’s such a compelling story, and now they’re helping us tell it.”
But the YouTuber-turned-star boxer looked visibly frustrated with White’s desperate move.
Jake Paul Fires Back, Reigniting His Personal Beef with Dana White
Paul learned about the announcement after the event. He dismissed the McGregor stunt entirely and went straight at the mastermind behind the timing. In his post-fight press conference, Paul called White out directly, framing the move as a sign of fear rather than power.
He said, “The cokehead is back. Yeah, that’s cool, bro. Drop it during our event — it doesn’t matter. That just shows how pressed they are. Little, insecure boys trying to piggyback off our event and trying to put some news over top of us. It’s not gonna work, buddy.”
Jake Paul called Dana White an “insecure little boy” for dropping Conor McGregor fight news during Francis Ngannou’s walkout 😬
“The cokehead is back! Nice. Cool. Doesn’t matter. Just shows how pressed they are.” pic.twitter.com/RlAKSJ2woK
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) May 17, 2026
Their rivalry is years old. Paul routinely criticizes the UFC for fighter pay and pitches MVP as the better alternative. Before White’s announcement even dropped Saturday, Paul told the media, “We’re breaking records tonight. This is one of the most-watched MMA events in history… White House, Dana White, all of you — be prepared, because this is the takeover.”
— JustTheFights4 (@JustTheFights4) May 17, 2026
Paul’s confidence likely triggered White to make that deliberate move. However, MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian thanked White.
He brought the surreal business perspective to the table, saying, “The biggest fight outside of Paul-Tyson globally is Paul-McGregor. Hopefully Conor is back, and hopefully these two run it in boxing and MMA and we shatter their records all over again.”
Ngannou still delivered a first-round knockout for Netflix, regardless of the Instagram drama. After all this drama, one thing we know for sure is that the UFC boss closely tracks his competition.
