Dana White has been accused of being "dirty" after the controversial draw between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev.
Blachowicz and Ankalaev were upgraded to a pay-per-view main event this weekend at UFC 282 when the pair met for the light-heavyweight strap in Las Vegas. Despite the promise of an intriguing duel, the fight ended in a controversial split draw, which left the belt vacant despite many suggesting that Ankalaev did enough to be crowned champion.
It was night of controversy for White, who was also forced to defend Paddy Pimblett's controversial decision win over Jared Gordon in the co-main event. And Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov, who is known for his association with Russian president Vladimir Putin, has moved to criticise White in the aftermath of the decision.
He wrote on Telegram: "Dana White, what happened to you? You were a normal, principled man, and today you took the championship belt out of the ring without handing it to the clear winner. Or has politics entered the UFC ring and requires you to referee dirty? It’s a sport, Dana. Be honest.
"Hey, Dana White, where are you going? Save the face of the league, your own face. Admit your mistake, give the belt to the real winner, and apologise for this show. Save your league’s reputation."
Despite Kadyrov's threats, it appears that White was unimpressed with the performance of Ankalaev in the main event, and delivered a strong verdict on the outcome.
He responded: "I heard Ankalaev is upset or whatever. What do you want me to do? You got beat up the first two rounds. You took him to the ground. What are you going to do? I thought the main event was terrible. What are you going to do? You do Glover vs. Jamahal Hill in Brazil for the vacant title. Done."
What did you make of Jan Blachowicz's controversial draw with Magomed Ankalaev? Let us know in the comments section below.
It appears that the UFC will instead order an alternative bout for the vacant crown, which is expected to see Ankalaev out in the cold before receiving another title shot. This will likely enrage Kadyrov further, given his heavy time investment in Chechen MMA including the backing of rising star Khamzat Chimaev.
It appeared after the fight that Anakalev had directed his anger towards the UFC, but the Russian later diverted his fury towards the judges who awarded the decision. “It was mistranslated, I said I didn’t want to fight in this city anymore,” Ankalaev said in his statement. “Because the judges were horrible. I won this fight. Not one person online said I lost this fight.
“Even Jan Blachowicz said I won this fight. I get it. After the second round, my knee was gone but I still fought. I bit down on my mouthguard and I did the best I can. This fight can only help me grow and I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
