Q&A: Dana White talks UFC run-in, Tom Brady and more at Super Bowl

By Case Keefer (contact)

Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020 | 2 a.m.

The chaos of Super Bowl radio row fully engulfed one notable Las Vegas resident Friday at the Miami Beach Convention Center. UFC President Dana White was a main attraction during a brief four-hour stop in South Florida before he caught a flight to the West Coast.

He jumped from station to station but carved out a few minutes with the Las Vegas Sun between appearances to talk about the Las Vegas Raiders, Tom Brady, Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal and more.

Read below for the conversation.

You’ve been to several Super Bowls now. Have you thought about what it will be like in Las Vegas?

I’ve been doing this for a few years because I love the energy on radio row and everything. Imagine this in Vegas. It will be next level. I think it will be the biggest one they’ve ever done. You literally can stay right at the hotel where radio row is going to be. I imagine it’s going to be at Venetian or Sands Expo where they’d do it, and it would just be massive.

Would the UFC put on a card as part of a Las Vegas Super Bowl week?

I don’t know. We’ve done it before. We’d consider it. When we were with Fox, we’d always line up and do something at the Super Bowl. So it would make sense.

Are you going to be able to put some of your Patriots’ blood behind and root for the Raiders next year?

Nope. I’m still a Patriots guy. But I bought a box at Allegiant Stadium. The Fertittas and I bought boxes right next to each other. I’m excited. What’s going to happen is, we’re going to get Tom Brady and it’s going to be massive for the city. They’re going to sell out every freaking Sunday.

Does that mean you have insight into the photo Brady tweeted on Thursday night?

I don’t have any insight. I tried but Brady is being tight-lipped with me too. I’ve been all over him — all over him, man. He’s a piece of steel. He won’t give me anything.

The UFC stole the show on radio row Wednesday with Jorge Masvidal and Kamaru Usman going at each other. What did you think of that?

You know how I feel about that: I don’t love it. Guys that don’t know me or don’t know the sport here think I’m going, "cha-ching," but we came to radio row and we looked like Neanderthals. One thing you’ve got to understand is, for people who aren’t in the fight business, that scares people. People get scared when they break out, then if they touch each other, the police would get involved and then eventually the athletic commission would get involved. It’s an aggravation I didn’t need.

I thought this one might be different because it didn’t escalate.

Thank God it didn’t escalate, but they’re going to fight anyway. Listen, it ends up part of the story but I’m not happy about it.

Has there been any progress on Conor McGregor’s next fight?

We’re working on it, but the important thing is, he’s doing good. He looked incredible. It’s good to see Conor happy again. He’s one of those guys everyone wants to love and he was making it hard for people to love him. Now it looks like the real is Conor is back.

Which way are you leaning on the Super Bowl?

I just wish the Patriots were here, but I think defense wins Super Bowls so you’ve got to look at San Francisco. But then again, Mahomes is such a stud, and I think that’s why the line is so tight. It’s a tough one.

Are you going to bet it?

Yeah, I’m betting San Francisco plus-1.5.

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.