Jake Paul has flipped the script on Dana White by mocking the amount of tickets still available for UFC 279 next month.
UFC 279 will serve as Nate Diaz's final fight in the promotion after a 15-year tenure as he meets unbeaten star Khamzat Chimaev in the pay-per-view's headliner. With just over three weeks to go until the event, there is a lack of notable fights on the card and the promotion has been accused of intentionally putting on the "worst card of all time" for Diaz's swansong.
Paul has mocked UFC boss White as a large majority of seating sections in the T-Mobile Arena are still available for the event. "Damn Dana White…looks like you can’t sell tickets in your own hometown of Las Vegas for UFC 279? Not only do you hold Nate Diaz hostage. Not only do you put him up against a terrible opponent stylistically, but you create the worst PPV card of the year to honour this man? ESPN even on you," he wrote on social media.
Paul's criticism of the UFC 279 card comes just weeks after White labelled a "pay-per-view turd" for the number of buys his rematch against Tyron Woodley sold. 'The Problem Child' was supposed to face bitter rival Tommy Fury last December, but Woodley filled in on short notice to face Paul with their rematch reportedly doing just 65,000 buys.
Diaz, who has been backed to earn huge money for fighting Paul, has been pushing for his UFC exit since the start of this year. The fan favourite was linked to fights against Tony Ferguson, Dustin Poirier and Vicente Luque before being booked against Chimaev. Oddsmakers have Chimaev as a massive favourite ahead of the fight, but White slammed those ruling Diaz out whilst defending the quality of the event.
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"We're going to throw a few more fights [on the card], not just one. It's going to be a good card." White told reporters. "I did a bunch of media today and everybody is counting Nate Diaz out. In this sport, you never know what is going to happen. Anything is possible."
Paul has made multiple offers to fight Diaz, but has been unable to secure the fight due to him still being under UFC contract. White insists that Diaz has told him he wouldn't fight Paul, telling Yahoo Sports : “He [Diaz] said, ‘I would never do that.’ That’s what he said to me. He said, ‘That s***’s goofy.’"
