Dana White Shuts Down Reporter's UFC Card Criticism With Blunt 'That's Your Opinion' Response

UFC 333 featured two successful title defenses on Saturday at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. In both the main and co-main events, the champions retained their belts after close, intense fights. Other matchups on the card also built high anticipation ahead of Saturday and delivered strong performances. 

Despite this, Dana White faced questions about the overall quality after the event ended. He dismissed the criticism immediately because the data showed that last night broke records to become the most successful UFC event in Abu Dhabi history.

Dana White Slams Media Criticisms Over UFC Card Quality

Dana White opened the UFC 333 post-fight press conference by reading official venue data that set new benchmarks for the promotion in the United Arab Emirates. 

White said, "Tonight was the highest attendance for a UFC event in Abu Dhabi history. Highest gate. We broke the arena record. We now hold four of the five top gates here at the arena. And over 50% of the fans came from outside UAE." 

Given that financial success and international growth, White challenged the media room regarding recent criticisms of the UFC's matchmaking quality, asking, "When's the last time we had a bad card?" 

After the reporter backed up his point by saying, "I mean, to be honest, the last Saudi card didn't show up that much," White bluntly replied, "Okay. Well, that's your opinion, sir. Have a nice night."

The main card backed up White’s claims with decisive performances. Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski stopped the unbeaten Movsar Evloev via second-round TKO, while bantamweight king Petr Yan won a tight 48-47 decision over Merab Dvalishvili. 

Early finishes from Lone'er Kavanagh and Aaron Pico, alongside Alexander Volkov's strategic decision win, completed an almost flawless night inside the cage.

However, the media's skepticism stems from past bumpy events in the region. The February 2025 Saudi Arabia card saw last-minute fight cancellations due to passport issues, echoing a 2024 dispute where reports claimed Saudi officials delayed an entire event to demand higher-profile fighters. White denied those rumors at the time. 

So, this time, White used Abu Dhabi's record financial numbers to silence those exact critics. The promotion returns to Riyadh in December, headlined by Israel Adesanya against Sharabutdin Magomedov. It remains to be seen whether the lineup quality will once again face media scrutiny.