Last weekend’s UFC 324 served as the opening event on the UFC’s 2026 event schedule and the first card in a seven-year, $7.7 billion (USD) media rights deal between the company and Paramount Plus. The contract was signed last summer, ending seven years of UFC events on Disney-owned ESPN+.
So it makes sense that Dana White would want to be extra careful when dipping his toes in these new waters. Saturday afternoon, amid the excitement of fight night at the T-Mobile Arena in Enterprise, NV, the CEO of the No. 1 MMA promotion in the world made a crucial executive decision.
UFC CEO Dana White chooses Michael Johnson vs. Alexander Hernandez before Showtime’s withdrawal
In the final hours before UFC 324 was set to begin, reports indicated that the scheduled lightweight undercard bout, matching Michael Johnson (24-19 MMA, 16-15 UFC) and Alexander Hernandez (18-8 MMA, 10-7 UFC), would be removed from the schedule. This was the fourth fight postponed from UFC 324 in Enterprise.
At the time the postponement was discussed, no specific reason was given for the eleventh hour cancellation. However, as Saturday gave way to Sunday, fans of the sport got a concrete response to Dana White’s decision-making.
During White media availability After Saturday night’s card, the topic of the postponed Johnson vs. Hernandez tilt was discussed, together with the CEO revealing that the decision was made to call off the fight due to unusual changes in betting odds. He harkens back to a similar issue that arose last fall as his reason for this move.
Dana White brings the Isaac Dulgarian controversy to the forefront in Johnson vs. Hernandez cancellation statement
On November 1, a featherweight bout between Isaac Dulgarian (7-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) and Yadier del Valle (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) went down at UFC Vegas 112 at the UFC Apex in Enterprise. In the first round of a scheduled three, del Valle locked in a rear-naked choke to score the win.
In the aftermath of del Valle’s victory, Questions were asked about the authenticity of the battle due to abnormal shifts in betting patterns for the latter fighter, prompting Dana White to contact federal authorities. Issac Dulgarian was left out of the UFC roster later that week and remains suspended from competition by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
In explaining the decision to remove the Michael Johnson-Alexander Hernandez bout from the fight order, White referenced the November fight.
“That’s it. [It] It’s happened again,” Dana White told the assembled press backstage at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday evening. “We got a call from gaming integrity and I said, ‘I’m not doing this again (power removed),’ so we stopped the fight.”
Feds are already investigating a litany of past fights over integrity violations
As of Saturday night’s post-fight press conference, Dana White had no new information to share regarding the canceled fight other than what he had already mentioned on stage during his remarks. In the wake of the issues surrounding the Issac Dulgarian vs. November’s Yadier del Valle match, authorities have begun investigating betting patterns from previous fights.
The UFC’s CEO said Saturday night’s postponed fight will likely be the latest addition to the fights being explored.
“The FBI is already dealing with all these cases anyway,” he said, “so I’m sure this will be next.”
Final Thoughts: Dana White should be commended for making quick moves Saturday
When a high-level employee of a company is forced to make a crucial decision, as Dana White did Saturday afternoon ahead of UFC 324 in Las Vegas, the stakes are high. This decision was all the more important because it came right on the heels of the first show of the new partnership between the UFC and Paramount Plus.
No one in a company should waste time worrying and worrying about a decision that could have major consequences for the future. Dana White wasted no time in making the decision to cancel the fight between Michael Johnson and Alexander Hernandez at UFC 324.
Considering that White already discussed integrity issues in battles with the FBI a few months ago, he made the right decision at the right time before things got out of hand. Had the decision not been made, he would have had to deal with another media circus, something he doesn’t want, let alone need, at this point.
It’s easy to criticize Dana White for everything imaginable as it relates to the UFC. This time, however, he made a smart move.
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