Dana White reacts strongly after UFC broadcast misidentifies Shakur Stevenson as NBA player
During the UFC 329 broadcast on Saturday, July 11, a significant error occurred when newly signed boxer Shakur Stevenson was mistakenly identified as an Oklahoma City Thunder player. This mix-up drew a strong reaction from UFC President Dana White, who had recently secured Stevenson as a major signing for Zuffa Boxing.
Stevenson, a four-division world champion, appeared on screen during the event, but the graphic displayed the name of NBA player Jalen Williams. The mistake quickly reached White, who expressed his frustration during a post-fight press conference.
White’s Reaction to the Mistake
White’s remarks highlighted his dismay over the production error, especially given the recent high-profile signing of Stevenson. He stated, “I just paid Shakur Stevenson a sh*tload of money. And for some reason, we can’t figure this celebrity sh*t out. They put him up as a f*cking OKC NBA player. Are you f*cking kidding me?”
The UFC president had initially praised his production team earlier in the press conference, citing their ability to execute complex events, such as building an arena on the South Lawn of the White House. However, the misidentification of Stevenson led him to criticize the team’s handling of celebrity appearances.
White continued, “We are the absolute worst to ever do the celebrity thing. I just had this f*cking debate in the back with my guys while I was screaming at everybody. They said, ‘Soccer’s worse because they don’t put up graphics.’ Oh no. We put up f*ckng graphics and put the wrong guy’s name on it. We win. We’re the worst ever to f*cking do it.”
Shakur Stevenson’s Recent Career Moves
The incident occurred shortly after Stevenson’s career had seen significant developments. Earlier this year, he moved up to the junior welterweight division, where he defeated Teófimo López over 12 rounds at Madison Square Garden to claim the WBO title. This victory marked his achievement of becoming a four-division world champion.
His move to 140 pounds also resulted in the World Boxing Council stripping him of its lightweight title. Stevenson responded to this decision online, stating, “100k to some crooks who don’t deserve it? Take your belt, it don’t make me.”
Jalen Williams’ Response
The NBA player mistakenly identified, Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder, reacted to the viral error on social media. Williams re-shared a screenshot of the broadcast mistake on his Instagram stories, adding the caption, “Ehhh close enough…”
Williams’ season with the Oklahoma City Thunder concluded after the team was eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. He missed four of the seven games in that series due to injury and was limited to 33 games in the regular season and five in the playoffs due to multiple hamstring injuries. His focus for the upcoming season is on achieving full health.
The UFC 329 event, held in Las Vegas, featured Conor McGregor against Max Holloway in the main event. Other notable attendees included Oklahoma City Thunder star Chet Holmgren, who was also shown during the broadcast.
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Source: complex.com
