"It actually bummed me out all day because I didn't want to do that," White said. "It sucked."
Miller (28-9 MMA, 0-3 UFC), a former Strikeforce and DREAM title challenger, made a highly anticipated return to the UFC in 2011 as a coach on "The Ultimate Fighter 14." But after a lackluster defeat to rival coach Michael Bisping in December and a subsequent and decisive decision loss to C.B. Dolloway May, the UFC released him. Miller is now 0-3 in the UFC, which also included a 2005 defeat to Georges St-Pierre.
The 31-year-old Miller announced his retirement from the sport following the latest loss, but in Twitter messages directed at the UFC boss, he said White never "begged me" to retire. White saw the tweets and responded.
"lol retire Mayhem I'M BEGGIN U!!!" White tweeted.
"Kill yourself @danawhite we are all begging you," Miller responded.
"don't get [expletive] bummed out u asked me!!" was White's final response.
White said once he realized Miller wasn't kidding (Miller, in fact, later suggested they meet in the cage), he felt bad, especially since the fighter had discussed finding peace outside of the cage.
"He sent that tweet, I tweeted back, and I was joking," White said after Saturday's UFC 150 event. "And as the tweeting went on, you saw – that kid's on medicine, he has some issues, and the last thing I want to do is have that kid more bummed out and depressed than he already is. He started talking like a jackass on Twitter, so I blasted him back. Now I kind of wish I didn't.
"I'm sure he's not going through a very good time right now, no matter how much he wants to say he is."
White said past dealings with Miller, who's one of the more outspoken and humorous fighters in the sport, made him quick to joke with "Mayhem." However, he hopes the poor timing of the retorts doesn't lead the fighter to think White has a vendetta against him.
"A guy like Jason, he's one of those nutty-type guys," White said. "Has he always been my favorite fighter? No. A lot of the antics that he does, I'm not a fan of (and) I don't like – the pink boas and all that kind of stuff. I like guys that are serious and guys that come in to fight hard and win.
"But I don't hate Jason Miller or wish any ill will to the kid. Whatever he has moved on to in the next chapter of his life, I hope he's successful, and I hope he does well."
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