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‘Patriot’ Dana White Desperately Wanted American UFC Champion to Lose Amidst Building Performance Institute in China

Published 04/06/2024, 2:36 AM EDT

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Paul Levesque, chief content officer of the WWE, also known by WWE fans as ‘Triple H’ recently shed some light on an interesting conversation he had with UFC CEO Dana White. The two companies currently come under the umbrella of the TKO Group and as such, both Levesque and White have had interactions in the past at various events.

The story shared by Levesque highlighted an interesting approach taken by the UFC boss to promote the promotion’s growth in China. And while White has proclaimed in the past, “I, who consider myself a patriot”, the insights provided by ‘Triple H’ showcases the UFC head honcho’s unique approach towards taking the UFC to new heights outside America!

Dana White’s concerns for Chinese UFC fighter revealed by Triple H

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During the Bud Light controversy last year, Dana White stated in an interview with Tucker Carlson, “I don’t go crazy over the whole patriot thing, but I consider myself a proud American. I’m happy to be an American.” However, according to ‘Triple H’, White was more concerned about his Chinese fighters after the UFC launched the Shanghai Performance Institute!

Levesque stated, “I remember having a conversation with Dana a long time ago, we were at the ESPYs at the red carpet and they had just done the China Performance Institute and all that stuff, they’d just made a massive investment there…”

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When Levesque congratulated White for the incredible achievement, the conversation went as such, “…he was like, ‘Yeah, I know, it’s an awesome time right now, I just have to get the Chinese girl to win on Saturday coz they had a pay-per-view and he’s like, ‘If she wins its awesome, if she doesn’t I’m doomed’

I wonder how Dana feels about Triple H sharing this 🤣
byu/Obelisk7777 inufc

The timeline isn’t exactly clear from the interview but according to information available online, the UFC PI in China was opened in June 2019 and Zhang Weili faced the strawweight champion at the time, Jessica Andrade a few months later in August, where she secured the title.

Another possible timeline for this conversation could be in 2021 when Weili faced Rose Namajunas and defended her title against the American. However, she ended up losing the bout and the belt on the night. Regardless of the timeline, Levesque’s revelation provides valuable insight into White’s strategic mindset and the UFC’s international ambitions.

And in a recent update, the UFC boss has caused waves in the MMA fandom after teasing the return announcement of ‘The Notorious’!

UFC boss drops massive bombshell about Conor McGregor 

Conor McGregor caused an uproar in the MMA world recently when during the promotional tour for his role in ‘Road House’ he proclaimed in an ESPN interview, “And ‘The Mac,’ ‘The Notorious’ will be returning to the UFC Octagon this summer.

While fans were cautious in their excitement due to past delays and unconfirmed dates for the Irishman’s return, UFC CEO Dana White took the frenzy to another level with his recent update on social media.

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In a post shared on Instagram, White posted a video of McGregor with the words, “Coming soon…” as the caption. This update has ignited a flurry of anticipation amongst the community as it appears that UFC fans will not have to wait much longer for the Irish superstar to step back into the Octagon!

When do you think Conor McGregor’s return will be announced by the UFC and Dana White? And what do you make of the story shared by ‘Triple H’? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Written by:

Dushyant Patni

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Dushyant Patni is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. Dushyant brings 8 years of professional writing experience to his coverage of MMA at ES. This literature graduate excels in the coverage of both MMA-related and off-topic subjects.
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Edited by:

Aazima Basharat