The UFC has been at the heart of an unusual argument over the last month: how much artificial intelligence is too much in fight promotion? Fans have critiqued recent visuals, which were overly polished and lifeless, leading many to believe the UFC was mainly relying on AI-generated content.

So when another awkward-looking pre-fight image appeared at UFC Perth, the internet soon reached the same conclusion. But this time, they got it wrong. A fan shared and mocked the tale-of-the-tape clip for Jack Della Maddalena vs. Carlos Prates online, believing it to be made by AI.

“One must look at UFC AI and try to hold a straight face,” he wrote.

But Josh Hokit, who is set to face Derrick Lewis on the White House card, quickly corrected the assumption.

“It’s not AI,” he replied. “We really have to stand like idiots for 30 seconds.”

According to the electrifying 28-year-old, the robotic-looking footage is simply fighters being filmed in uncomfortable looping poses during fight week.

That makes Dana White‘s earlier comments about AI even more ironic. When asked about the recent criticisms surrounding the UFC’s usage of AI-generated promotional content, the head honcho responded in true Dana fashion.

“Oh yeah? What are they complaining about?,” he said. “Give me a f—— break. AI is coming. And if we’re using AI, who gives a s—-?

“People are upset, and we should use artists? How about this: Shut the f—- up and watch the fights.”

Dana White seems adamant about continuing to use AI in his promotion. However, in this case, the UFC did not use any artificial intelligence at all. It was just real fighters looking awkward and mistakenly fooling the audience that they were computer-generated.

Reality ended up looking faker than artificial intelligence—which may be the funniest part of all. But that doesn’t kill the serious debate about how much AI is too much AI. If you ask UFC executives, it is no different than using a green screen.

UFC executive doubles down that they will continue to use AI

The funny misunderstanding at UFC Perth does not change the bigger picture—the Dana White-led promotion is still going full speed toward artificial intelligence, and it has no intentions to back down. If anything, situations like that awful fighter graphic highlight how fuzzy the boundary between actual and artificial presentation is in modern sports media.

According to UFC executive Craig Borsari, this evolution is intentional. Borsari made it clear that the promotion does not see AI as a replacement for creators but rather as an additional storytelling tool, comparing it to methods such as green screen technology and powerful editing tools.

“Well, I think AI affords production groups when it comes to storytelling,” Borsari told the NY Post. “It affords us some tools that, maybe, we wouldn’t be able to implement, or be as efficient with in the past. The way we look at AI is not a substitute for content creation, but rather a way to amplify it.

“So if there are things that we can do utilizing AI, it’s no different than maybe using a green screen. I mean, it’s a technique and technology that is evolving at a credible rate, and I like to tell my team, ‘If we’re not pushing the envelope and looking for different ways to do things and storytelling, then we’re not doing our jobs.”

That aggressive approach echoes Dana White’s blunt stance on the subject: AI is here, the UFC is using it, and criticism is unlikely to change that. That is what makes this debate bigger than a few strange promos.

For some fans, AI feels cold, unnatural, and detached from the raw authenticity that helped establish the UFC brand.

For the biggest MMA promotion in the world, it is just another creative tool in their arselnal, one that can improve storytelling, speed up production, and sharpen how fights are marketed to the public. The future is most likely to be somewhere between those two points of view. But one thing is certain: whether fans love it or despise it, the Dana White and company are not backing away from AI; it’s only getting started.