Dana
White believes the
Ultimate Fighting Championship emerged from the Covid-19
pandemic stronger because the promotion refused to stop
evolving.

The UFC CEO reflected on the organization’s response when the
sporting world came to a standstill in the spring of 2020. While
many organizations were forced to suspend operations, White said
the UFC’s priority was finding a way to continue staging events
despite widespread shutdowns and travel restrictions.

The UFC CEO recalls creating Fight Island after pandemic
shutdowns threatened events

During his recent appearance on “The Pivot” podcast, White said
that the promotion had three priorities as they entered the
pandemic. They wanted to keep every employee on payroll, fulfill
their contractual obligations to fighters and continue delivering
events for their broadcast partner, ESPN.

“I talked to the governor and told him I could put on fights,â€
White recalled, reflecting on the obstacles they faced. “I just
needed production guys. We could social distance, wear masks, do
all the things they required. And he told me I couldn't do it.â€

White said the UFC then began exploring alternatives.

“I was like, ‘Well, you know what? I'll go to a deserted island
somewhere, set up an Octagon, and do it,'†White said. “That's how
Fight Island was created, and our sport grew 77% during COVID.â€

The UFC ultimately established its Fight Island bubble on Yas
Island in Abu Dhabi, allowing the promotion to continue holding
international events while much of the sports world remained
dormant. This kept the UFC afloat and even led to a surge in
popularity.

By April 2021, the UFC was once again welcoming fans to events in
the United States, and three months later returned to T-Mobile
Arena in Las Vegas for
UFC 264, headlined by a trilogy bout between Dustin
Poirier and Conor
McGregor. Looking back, White said the challenges of the
pandemic reinforced the culture he has tried to build within the
organization.

“That's why when it's time to run into the fire, my team runs with
me,†he added. “You find out who everybody is when hard times
hit.â€

Dustin
Poirier is no longer associated with Bud Light following his
arrest for public drunkenness.

After starring in commercials and publicly representing the
company, the former
Ultimate Fighting Championship interim lightweight titleholder
revealed that Bud Light cut ties with him after his arrest at
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Poirier believes
it was for the better and that he didn't need the “poison†in his
life, having committed to sobriety long-term.

The former UFC interim lightweight champion details the
financial fallout from his arrest and commitment to quitting
alcohol

Poirier recently opened up about Bud Light, the alcoholic beverage
company he previously represented as a brand ambassador, cutting
ties with him following his arrest. The American got into an
altercation with a police officer, who he threatened to fight and
hurled a racial slur at, and was subsequently released on bail.

“They terminated my contract immediately,†Poirier told Ariel
Helwani. “It's all good. I don't need that f*cking poison in my
life. It sucks that my family loses out on the money I had left on
the deal with them, which is a few hundred thousand dollars. But
also, if I'm representing something, if I'm advertising something
that I'm not going to be taking part in, promoting stuff — it's
just, it is what it is.â€

Since the arrest, Poirier has looked to make amends, revealing his
desire to reach out to the police officer involved in his arrest.
Furthermore, he has given up drinking altogether.

“There are plenty of people out there who do drink responsibly. I'm
not one,†he added. “So, if you can drink responsibly, have fun,
drink a Bud Light, drink whatever the hell you want. Be
responsible, have a good time. I'm not that person.â€

Dustin
Poirier is 28 days sober since the incident at the airport 💪
pic.twitter.com/JQQeJG4JdH

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS)
July 20, 2026

Belal Muhammad was far from stunned when Dricus du Plessis defeated Kamaru Usman.

The UFC OKC main event featured a middleweight clash between “Stillknocks†and “The Nigerian Nightmare.†It was a dominant start for du Plessis, who had Usman staggering momentarily. The former UFC welterweight titleholder did have moments of success in the bout, but he never made enough of a dent to give du Plessis problems.

Ultimately, du Plessis scored a unanimous decision win in his first bout since losing the middleweight title. In an interview with MMAJunkie, Muhammad said he expected du Plessis to get the better of Usman.

“I wasn't really surprised,†Muhammad said. “I picked Du Plessis to win. I thought his awkward style was going to be a little too much, but I thought Usman would be able to get a couple of takedowns. I figured it would go back and forth a little bit with the wrestling and grappling. I wanted to see if Du Plessis got better with it, but also I think Usman taking all that time off, right? What has it been, like one fight in three years? Then you come out and fight an awkward guy like (Du Plessis). It's hard to get timing, hard to get yourself acclimated to it. I thought that was a little bit too much for him. You could just tell he wasn't comfortable and couldn't see a lot of the stuff that Du Plessis was throwing at him. …â€

When asked about possibly settling his grudge with Usman down the line, “Remember The Name†didn't commit to the bout. Muhammad's issue has to do with the time Usman spends away from the Octagon after each fight. Muhammad, who is trying to break out of a three-fight skid, said he needs to face opponents who are more active.

Muhammad also admitted he was puzzled by Usman's post-fight reaction when the score totals were announced at UFC OKC. Usman was upset with the 50-45 score, but Muhammad thought the result was quite clear.

Can Kamaru Usman bounce back from his defeat to DDP, and who should his next opponent be? Share your opinion in the comments below.