Dana White clearly didn't have much to say.
White was scheduled to be a guest on Canadian comedian Howie Mandel's podcast, but for unknown reasons he abruptly left the set after Mandel's warm 30-second intro.
“Thank you for all the kind words, I appreciate them,” White said before leaving the set. “I'm sick of podcasts. I'm literally done with them. I'm not doing podcasts anymore.”
Mandel, who had watched White leave the set, immediately began talking to another guest, comedian Ginger Billy, without allowing White to leave.
The exchange could have been a publicity stunt, and if so, it was a success, but White seemed visibly upset as Mandel introduced him and showered him with compliments. .
“When you wish upon a star, sometimes a star appears,” Mandel said before introducing himself.
“Dana White, you are an amazing person. I can't thank you enough for being here. You and Ginger seem to get along great. Not only are you a great businessman, you are an inspiration. You're a philosopher. I'm jealous of the way you do business, the way you conduct business, your friendships, the media. Husband, I can't thank you enough for being here.”
White seemed especially flustered when Mandel called himself a philosopher.
White has been and been called many things during his 20-plus year career as UFC president, but Philosopher is perhaps the most recent.
White may have taken exception to Mandel's rosy compliments. But it's also possible to believe that White, who is almost a full-fledged social media influencer at this point, would do something like this to boost Mandel's podcast.
White hosted a number of podcasts as stars flocked to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl.
He recently appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” and “The Full Send Podcast” with Bob Menery and Kyle Foligard last week, while also livestreaming with the Nerk Boys, and is a former sports fan. He also appeared with Illustrated's Kevin Iall.
Mr. White has also had a long-standing hostile relationship with members of the media.
“The media is the stupidest thing, it knows nothing, it does nothing, it has never created anything on earth,” White said.Bussin with the Boys” November Podcast. “Why do their opinions matter? What have they ever done? What have they ever created?”
The short-lived podcast appearance will likely lead to a lot of questions during the UFC 298 press conference Thursday through Saturday.
