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Essentials Inside The Story
- The UFC's May 16 headliner accuses Dana White of deliberately avoiding competition with the Ronda Rousey event.
- The headliner argues that the UFC's decision to put him against Rousey and Carano proves the promotion isn't trying to compete on star power.
- Jake Paul also weighs in on whether Dana White is nervous about his event.
Dana White is now being accused of running from a fight. After Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) unveiled their Netflix MMA card featuring Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano on May 16, fans expected Dana White to respond with a more stacked UFC card on the same night. But that didn’t happen. Instead, what they got was a Fight Night card at the Meta Apex headlined by Arnold Allen and Melquizael Costa—not really the big names you’d expect. As a result, one of them feels the UFC is intentionally avoiding a clash with the MVP card.
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Talking about the MVP-UFC showdown on May 16 with Ariel Helwani, Arnold Allen argued that Dana White putting him and Costa against Rousey and Carano shows they have effectively bowed out of the competition.
“Yeah, I think, it’s the fact that it’s me and [Melquizael Costa] headlining against them, I don’t think the UFC, they’re really trying to compete, right?” Aronld Allen said. “Put me and [Costa] down, but like let’s be real, the star power, like they ain’t trying to compete.
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“I think that’s the UFC’s plan. They’re not going to try and compete with that. I don’t think they care, and I know you’ve got a vested interest in it but like I know what fight I’d rather watch.”
Well, Allen clearly believes Dana White put on a lesser spectacle on the same day as the Netflix card to avoid the competition altogether. However, the UFC CEO backing away doesn’t necessarily mean he’s afraid of the competition. Instead, it is likely a calculated business decision on his part.
The UFC already has a major card on May 9 in Newark, New Jersey, featuring two title fights that could have strongly competed with the Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano card. Yet, they opted for an Apex event on May 16, likely to avoid splitting the audience between two major events.
For example, the UFC took a similar approach last year when they aired their Noche Fight Night event on September 13th, headlined by Diego Lopes and Jean Silva just hours before the mega fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford. Had the UFC gone with a usual PPV card and a big-name headliner on the same night, the viewership numbers would have been split, hurting both events.
Arnold Allen is honest about headlining the UFC card on the same night as Netflix’s debut MMA event featuring Ronda Rousey x Gina Carano:
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 28, 2026
"The fact that it's me and [Melquizael Costa] headlining against them—I don't think the UFC are really trying to compete, right?
Not to put… pic.twitter.com/Js2eJDSqoR
For the same reason, it seems, the promotion scheduled Arnold Allen vs Melquizael Costa on the same day as the Rousey-Carano card.
Meanwhile, the MVP head honcho also believes Dana White isn’t too concerned about going head-to-head with their event.
Jake Paul believes Dana White isn’t scared to compete with them
Jake Paul has long been a vocal critic of Dana White’s approach to running the promotion. ‘The Problem Child’ even released a diss track accusing the UFC CEO of underpaying fighters and later claimed the promotion isn’t as entertaining as it was before. However, ‘El Gallo’ believes White isn’t concerned about him taking over the MMA space because, in Paul’s view, the 56-year-old simply doesn’t consider him a serious competitor.
“I don’t think (Dana is getting nervous), he’s already checked out,” Paul told Complex. “He’s a billionaire, he’s just going and gambling, he’s happy with his life, and I also think that everyone in my whole career underestimates me, and then I surpass expectations… So he probably doesn’t think we’re gonna take over MMA, so I don’t think he’s nervous.”
To be fair, White has turned the UFC into a consistent money-making machine. He has even hinted at losing some interest in day-to-day UFC operations, shifting more focus toward building up his new boxing venture with Zuffa. At the same time, prominent voices like Joe Rogan believe platforms like Netflix could become real competition if they consistently deliver multiple fight cards each year.
Whether Netflix’s entry into combat sports is a one-off spectacle or the start of a legitimate rivalry, it has forced Dana White into a strategic corner he hasn’t faced in years.
Written by
Edited by
Gokul Pillai