Dana White is completely over Joe Rogan‘s pessimism about the upcoming UFC White House event, and he’s using Alex Pereira to shut down the talk.

The UFC commentator has been very vocal about his discontent with Freedom 250 ever since its announcement. First, Rogan criticized the card’s timing, citing ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The JRE host then criticized the outdoor setting, claiming that elements such as bugs and wind should not interfere with high-stakes title fights.

When asked on his podcast if he’d be on the mic for the historic night, Joe Rogan confirmed his presence—but still didn’t hold back.

“Yeah, I’m not thrilled about that (event),” he said. “Yeah, I’ll be there, but I’m not thrilled about it; it doesn’t seem like a wise idea… It’s kind of a gimmick, you know, there’s that.

“And people are criticizing the card, but if it was any other card it’s a great card; it’s just they’re criticizing it because they said it was gonna be the greatest card of all time and it’s also just gonna be a security nightmare.”

But now, Dana White isn’t having any of it. Speaking with Forbes, the UFC head honcho fired back at Joe Rogan by completely dismissing the idea that Freedom 250 is just a “gimmick.”

“Joe Rogan is a grown a– man who has his own opinions on different things—and yes, we are really good friends,” he told Forbes. “I don’t call him and say, ‘What are you doing? What are you talking about bugs?’ I’m talking about bugs, too.

“Whatever Joe Rogan’s opinions are—he said something crazy, like, ‘It seems like a gimmick. ‘ I mean, what does a gimmick mean? It’s a real fight, with real stakes. You got (Alex) Pereira possibly winning his third world title. If he wins the third world title that night, he jumps over Jon Jones and becomes the greatest of all time.”

And even though his explanation is something many fans can agree with, what surely would raise eyebrows is the fact that Dana White just suggested someone could leapfrog Jon Jones!

For years, the UFC head honcho has annoyed MMA fans by fiercely promoting ‘Bones’ as the unquestioned GOAT of MMA. But, with the former heavyweight champion’s relationship with White and the promotion at an all-time low, it seems like the CEO is finally ready to move on—and he’s using ‘Poatan’ to do so.

So, with even the GOAT status at stake in UFC White House, no wonder Dana White is so against the ‘gimmick’ tag attached to it.

“When you talk about a gimmick, there’s absolutely nothing gimmicky about this event,” he added. “We’re celebrating 250 years of America; we’re gonna have all the representatives of the military there.

“Every fight on that card means something with who wins or loses that night, and you know, like the most historical sporting event in American history. Far from a gimmick.”

However, Dana White should pump the brakes on the GOAT title for now, since Pereira is facing Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title. If ‘Poatan’ truly wants to be a three-division undisputed champion, he will have to face the division’s true king, Tom Aspinall.

But till then, Dana White is betting on the Brazilian to be the GOAT of the sport, at least in his eyes, while another UFC champion also believes Pereira may walk out of the UFC White House as the first-ever triple crown in the promotion’s history.

Alexander Volkanovski backs Alex Pereira to win against Ciryl Gane despite a 50-50 contest

Dana White isn’t the only one who is excited to witness history being made on the White House lawn. Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is right there with him, totally convinced that ‘Poatan’ is all geared up to pull off the impossible next Sunday.

It’s only been eight months since the Brazilian star ruthlessly defeated Magomed Ankalaev to secure his legacy at light heavyweight, and he’s now on the verge of conquering a third division. But ‘The Great’ isn’t blind to the massive hurdle standing in Alex Pereira’s way.

“Do I think Pereira gets himself in a position where he ends up just bombing on Gane? One hundred percent,” Alexander Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel. “But let’s not forget that Gane (is) very safe, very good at getting angles, very good at pulling himself out of range. But also, once you get aggressive…very good at drawing you into big shots.

“We’ve seen Izzy (Israel Adesanya) do a great job of pulling (Pereira) into shots, and he can be finished. Is Gane capable of doing something like this? One hundred percent.”

According to ‘The Great,’ the ultimate result of the fight will completely depend on who lands the bigger strikes.

“But who lands the bigger strikes first?” he continued. “They’re both capable of doing it. I feel like some big s— is going to happen on the White House card, and this could be it.

“I’m 50-50 on this…but I’m gonna just say Pereira because I think something big is going to happen, and that something big is Pereira, triple champ, KO’ing Gane.”

Alexander Volkanovski believes the massive energy of Freedom 250 will spark something legendary, predicting that Alex Pereira will find the chin first and secure a sensational knockout.

Whether a win over ‘Bon Gamin’ cements the Brazilian as the GOAT or simply sets up a big unification war with Aspinall later this year, the Australian is ready to see the history books rewritten.