Dana White Goes Against Popular UFC 330 Narrative in Passionate Rant

The UFC CEO is making the media rounds ahead of UFC 330.

Jul 11, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; UFC president Dana White in attendance during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

UFC CEO Dana White is just days away from UFC 330 in Philadelphia, which marks the promotion's first event there since 2019 and the first numbered event (UFC 101) since 2009.

Regardless of the quality of the event, White has carried forward with the promotion of the card by appearing on the ever-growing podcast, Exciting Mics.

Hosted by Houston Texans safety Reed Blankenship and Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean, White had a wide-ranging interview, having everything to do with Philadelphia vs. Boston sports, food in the city, NFL players who would have transitioned to MMA, and much more.

Transitioning to the event itself, White said he's particularly intrigued by the main and co-main event bouts for fight fans to tune in on Saturday night. White, however, incorrectly stated the stakes for Islam Makhachev's UFC welterweight title defense in direct comparison to Anderson Silva.

Makhachev's 17-fight winning streak is on the line, as he can surpass Silva's previous feat permanently should he beat Ian Machado Garry. White, meanwhile, miscategorized it as title defenses.

Ian Garry Has Key Strategy To Win UFC Gold, Dana White Says

Apr 26, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, UNITED STATES; Ian Machado Garry (red gloves) reacts after defeating Carlos Prates (not pictured) during UFC Fight Night at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Ian Garry is an interesting matchup for him," White said of Makhachev. "Because this kid [Machado Garry] is really good at defending takedowns. Can he stop Islam's takedowns and win the title?"

White did credit Ireland for being a great fight city, as he hosted Zuffa Boxing 10 there this past Saturday.

White also spoke highly of the co-headliner between the first-time defending UFC Strawweight Champion, Mackenzie Dern vs. challenger Gillian Robertson. White said he's particularly interested to see how Robertson fares in her first title fight.

Mackenzie Dern Aims For Successful Title Defense

(Zuffa LLC

"Mackenzie Dern and Gillian Robertson [are] both two really tough girls," White said. "Mackenzie's defending her title. Admittedly, I'm a Gillian Robertson fan. I love the way this girl fights. She's a little gangster. She's an absolute animal, so that should be a really fun fight."

Ahead of the event, the UFC will host a pre-fight presser Thursday beginning at 6 p.m. ET (which can be streamed live here). On Friday, following the morning weigh-ins, the UFC will do a double-dose of a way-too-early UFC 331 presser and ceremonial weigh-ins during different streams. Those begin at 6 p.m. ET.

For details of the full card, it'll begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT with main card action which proceeds preliminary coverage at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT. The entire event streams live on Paramount+, as one subscription grants access to every UFC live event.