The announcement of Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier on the Russian version of TUF, ALF Reality, has shocked the MMA world. Social media exploded as face-off pictures of Cormier and Jones went viral. The intense rivalry between the two legends has fans hyped to see them clash, but UFC CEO Dana White says he wasn’t aware of the situation.

Dana White, who runs the world’s top MMA promotion, has always insisted that no major move happens without his knowledge. Yet he appeared completely out of the loop about Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones coaching on ALF Reality, where the two are set to face each other for the first time in nearly a decade, when Robbie Fox from Spinning Backfist asked him this week.

“No, have no idea,” said Dana White, a response that left fans stunned. Both fighters were once icons in the UFC’s heavyweight division, and Cormier also works as a color commentator alongside Joe Rogan and Jon Anik.

Former champion Jon Jones, who once ranked as Dana White’s favorite pound-for-pound fighter, has fallen out of favor with the UFC CEO. Last year, ‘Bones’ frustrated the promotion when he pushed for a fight against then-interim champion Tom Aspinall.

In the end, Jones retired without facing Aspinall, leaving the promotion in limbo after holding the heavyweight title for a long period but fighting only once in nearly 600 days. He later hinted at a comeback when Donald Trump announced the UFC White House event in June, but White blocked his appearance on the card.

Now, the latest video of Dana White’s reaction to Jon Jones coaching against Daniel Cormier has surfaced, and fans roasted his acting skills.

Dana White’s acting didn’t win over MMA fans

The rivalry between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier is similar to McGregor vs. Khabib: intense, heated, and full of drama. Despite past threats against Cormier’s life, both men showed respect when their parents passed away. Still, they made it clear they aren’t friends, which is exactly the kind of rivalry that keeps fans hooked.

Fans are already speculating about the money Cormier is charging for the show, especially since he reportedly never wanted to work with Jon Jones. When Dana White issued a statement, fans didn’t buy it. “Zero chance Dana didn’t know,” one fan wrote. Another added, “Interesting that Dana had no idea. I wonder how he feels about it.”

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This isn’t the first time Dana White’s “clueless” act drew attention. Last year at UFC 317, when Ilia Topuria won the lightweight title, Paddy Pimblett entered the Octagon for a faceoff. Dana claimed he didn’t know about it. Now, similarly, Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier on ALF Reality played out the same way, and White resorted to the same ‘clueless’ act. A fan commented, “He’s mad because they didn’t do it on TUF.”

Last year, the UFC ran TUF 33, where Chael Sonnen and Daniel Cormier coached against each other. Fans argue that if Jones had replaced Sonnen, the numbers would have shattered records. “Oh please, Dana, acting like he doesn’t know,” one fan wrote.

The UFC CEO repeatedly tried to control media narratives and dismiss viral leaks, claiming events didn’t happen, but fans aren’t buying it. “Dana gotta be the worst actor when he plays the clueless card,” one fan remarked.

Currently, Dana White focuses on promoting UFC 324, which kicks off the promotion’s seven-year deal with Paramount+ and transitions away from the traditional PPV model into a new OTT era. Even so, the UFC White House event remains the promotion’s top priority, even though it lacks most superstars.

Recently, Daniel Cormier publicly backed Jon Jones’ inclusion on the card, reinforcing the perception that Dana White deliberately acts clueless. A fan wrote, “Lmfao Dana always acting like he doesn’t know what’s going on in these outside events, he knows 100%, lmao.”

With the world buzzing about the Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier matchup, do you think Dana White genuinely has no clue about their upcoming coaching stint? Drop your thoughts below.