As far as I know, Demetrious has controversies with Dana, and I am not sure if they were only about money. Otherwise why would he trade a dominant champion who hasnt lost his belt? There are fighters that return to UFC when Dana “forgive them” after kicking out or trading them. Mighty Mouse could have returned long ago, but hate must be very strong…
And I think you are wrong with saying that 125-135 divisions are not interested by fans. One of Danas main active, Suga Sean is in 135
125 with Moreno, Kratos, Pantoja plus army of guys from Asia flooded now. These divisions are very competitive.
And I think you are wrong with saying that 125-135 divisions are not interested by fans. One of Danas main active, Suga Sean is in 135
125 with Moreno, Kratos, Pantoja plus army of guys from Asia flooded now. These divisions are very competitive. I think the biggest beef between Johnson and White was Johnson accusing White of neglecting the flyweight and not promoting it at all, and I think he was right in his criticism. Then again, Dana White was trying to organise a fight between Dimitrius and TJ Dillashaw, which would be a good money fight, but DJ didn't agree to it (for whatever reason).
A small correction, DJ lost his belt to Henry Cejudo before leaving the UFC for One, and he announced his retirement in 2024 (he's 38 now).
As for Dvalishvili, imho I think he's one of the more popular champs currently reigning in the UFC. He's very relatable with lots of charisma. As for Dana White 'hating' on him, how could he? He prolly hates the stupid sht he does outside the UFC as he's getting himself into unnecessary risks which could get him injured and affect the UFC's bottom line. But other than that, I don't think Dana White hates him. If he did, he wouldn't be giving him the title fight against Sean O'Malley.
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I too don't quite understand the rumour about Dana White hating Merab. Maybe he did say something that could suggest that in the past, and/or maybe that was just the assumption that people had after Merab defeated O'Malley for the first time. O'Malley was considered to be one of the most hyped-up fighters, a cash-cow if you will. But Merab has proven to be even more charismatic (at least in my opinion) and even more entertaining, so I don't think Dana/the UFC have a lot to complain about. Merab's emergence to the top was a fresh breeze in the bantamweight. Every division needs at least a few interesting and capable fighters, so things don't get stale.