Bob Arum Rips Dana White, Calls Him a “Cowboy”

Bob Arum attacked Dana White because of the upcoming UFC 249 set for May 9 in Jacksonville.

The famous boxing promoter who has a long history of public disputes with White strongly criticized the intention of the UFC president to organize the event even though the COVID-19 pandemic is still on in the United States.

“Good luck to them,” Arum told. “I just hope that they’re not endangering the safety of anyone. But this kind of cowboy behavior doesn’t do anybody any good.

Boxing promoter Bob Arum has concerns about UFC's return on Saturday.#UFC249 | More: https://t.co/nqyuzc8nJx pic.twitter.com/4nBl4HRd11

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) May 3, 2020

Arum compared his approach in the case of the upcoming boxing matches with White’s, mentioning the fact that he does everything according to the guidelines of the states where he intends to organize the contests. The 88-year old claims that he consults all the relevant factors and institutions before making a final decision, unlike White.

“We’re not gonna be cowboys, like Dana White. I don’t wanna get politics involved, but I have really very little respect for Dana and what he’s doing.”

Politics was what stopped the UFC’s previous event planned to take place on the tribal land in California, once Gov. Gavin Newsom intervened and used his influence to shut down the fights.

He contacted UFC’s biggest partner ESPN, that is the executives of the Disney Company, the owner of the sports network, who would force White to back out from that deal. Although being beaten in that situation, the UFC’s president didn’t want to give up on his promise that his organization is going to be the one which comes first after the COVID-19 pandemic.

So he switched strategies, and moved away from California and tribal lands, turning his attention to Florida, where authorities welcomed him with open arms.

“We are thrilled to have our city highlighted nationally on ESPN and ESPN+. With Jacksonville continuing to outpace other cities and regions, we are excited to continue to lead as host to these world-class international sports entertainment organizations,” said Mayor of Jacksonville Lenny Cury following the deal that UFC 249 takes place at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena.

WHAT A CARD! 👏 #UFC249 pic.twitter.com/JRNGc2hjm3

— UFC (@ufc) April 24, 2020

Arum also compared other big leagues and sports in the USA and their approach to the current situation. He would praise how Adam Silver and Roger Goodell handle things in the NBA and NFL, once again mentioning that White acts like a “cowboy,” while the other two behave like serious people.

UFC 249 is loaded with big names, and White stated on numerous occasions that he prepared everything in order to put up a big spectacle. All the fighters will be tested, quarantined before the fight, and supplied with all the medical and other equipment needed to keep their health intact.

The main event of the night is the fight for the lightweight interim time between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje. The bantamweight title fight between the champion Henry Cejud and Dominick Cruz also attracts enormous attention.

However, what many anxiously expect is the clash of two titans, Francis Ngannou and Jairzino Rozenstruik. This is the heavyweight title eliminator, and whoever wins this one would have a chance to challenge Stipe Miocic. The main card also features Greg Hardy vs. Yorgan de Castro, and Jeremy Stephens vs. Calvin Kattar.

Apart from these fights, the fans are going to see Donald Cerrone meeting Anthony Pettis, Alexey Oleynik vs. Fabricio Verdum, and Uriah Hall and Jacare Souza.