Dana White recently pushed back on claims that the UFC engineers favorable matchups for its biggest stars, insisting that fighters like Conor McGregor, Paddy Pimblett, Jon Jones, and Anderson Silva do not receive preferential treatment when it comes to opponent selection.
The promotion’s president directly rejected the long-running accusation that the company shields its marquee names from difficult fights to protect their drawing power. His stance is consistent with a position he has held publicly for years.
The debate has been reignited by matchmaking around McGregor and Pimblett, both booked on the UFC 329 card during International Fight Week, with McGregor’s return coming against Max Holloway. The pairing intensified scrutiny over whether those bouts reflect competitive merit or promotional priorities.
During a Spinnin Backfist interview, Dana White said:
I’ll tell you what we don’t do. Favorable matchups. Okay? Everybody’s had to fight their way to the top in the UFC, including Paddy, including Conor, Jon Jones, Anderson Silva. Yeah. Go, you know, Georges St-Pierre. Go through the laundry list of guys who have been here, nobody had favorable matchups.
White has addressed McGregor’s status repeatedly of late, having previously confirmed the star’s injury situation and reacted to the UFC 329 setback.
