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“Good Way to Ruin Your UFC Career”: Dana White Once Left Baffled After UFC Fighter Pulls a Wild Face-Off Haka in Resurfaced Clip, Leaving Fans in Splits

Published 06/05/2023, 8:27 AM EDT

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The UFC president, Dana White, is one of the strongest pillars of the world’s biggest MMA promotion. White is someone who has a say in every crucial decision related to the promotion. In most cases, it is the UFC boss who decides the fate of each fighter. However, more than two years ago, a fighter was bold enough to ignore Dana White’s handshake gesture. The contender was none other than Shane Young. Ahead of his upcoming bout against Ludovit Klein at UFC 253, Shane Young embraced his New Zealand heritage during the customary face-off. As he approached his opponent, Young performed the traditional Maori Haka. Haka is a ceremonial dance famously displayed by New Zealand’s national rugby team before each match.

This unexpected display caught the attention of UFC president Dana White. His facial expression mirrored the confusion and surprise felt by many witnessing the moment. With UFC 253 being a highly anticipated event that places every fighter in the spotlight, Shane Young seized the opportunity to showcase his cultural roots in a memorable manner.

 Dana White got confused after Shane Young’s Haka performance

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During the UFC 253 face-off, Dana White shook hands with every fighter. When the turn of Young came. He ignored White’s extended hand for a long time. The Auckland native went on to perform some Haka moves after ignoring the UFC boss. White was baffled after coming across the totally unexpected move from the fighters. Years later, the video has once again surfaced on the Facebook page of The Mac Life.

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Let’s check out how fans reacted to the post.

 At UFC 253, Young faced Ludovit Klein. He lost the bout in the very first round via knockout. One fan commented in light of that.

“This was funny as i remembered the guy got knocked out.”

 One fan mentioned how Young ignored Dana White’s gesture.

“He didn’t even shake Dana’s hand”

 Another fan pointed out that Young was disrespectful to White, which can even ruin his fighting career.

“What a good way to ruin your ufc career”

 One of the Facebook users mentioned how White always comes in the middle.

“Dana always has to be in the middle of it all”

READ MORE: UFC President Dana White Opens Up About the Tremendous Growth of UFC After the Endeavour Deal With WWE – “We Bought It For..”

 Another fan stated that White’s ego was hurt.

“He wasn’t confused, his bald headed ego was hurt because he got left hangin on the hand shake. Lol”

 One fan, too, noticed how Young ignored the UFC boss.

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“Funny how he smacked Dana’s hand”

 Another fan joked about the entire situation. 

“Legends say Dana is still waiting for that hand shake”

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From the reactions of the fans, it is clear that the majority focused on how Young ignored Dana White’s presence completely.

WATCH THE STORY: UFC World Reacts to Dana White’s Major Announcement

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Written by:

Priyanka

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Priyanka is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. Her passion for the UFC is evident in her writing, and she has been a devoted fan of the sport for many years. Priyanka is particularly fascinated by the sportsmanship displayed by fighters, and she is captivated by their ability to calculate each move when an opponent is all set to attack.
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Edited by:

Anuj Jacob