Dana White believes Johny Hendricks beat Georges St-Pierre, rips Nevada commission:
Dana White
LAS VEGAS – An emotional Dana White blasted the Nevada State Athletic Commission for the judging in UFC 167′s headliner and called for the state’s governor to fix the problem.
“The governor needs to step in and fix the incompetence that is happening in the state of Nevada that used to be the best commission in the world,” said the UFC president following Saturday’s pay-per-view event at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena. “It’s absolutely, 100 percent incompetence, and it needs to stop.”
UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre (25-2 MMA, 19-2 UFC) took on Johny Hendricks (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in the main event and was declared the winner after five rounds. St-Pierre won three of five rounds on two judges’ scorecards while a third gave Hendricks the fight by the same tally.
Judges Sal D’Amato and Tony Weeks gave St-Pierre rounds 1, 3 and 5 and Hendricks 2 and 4. Judge Glenn Trowbridge awarded Hendricks rounds 1, 2 and 4 while awarding St-Pierre 3 and 5.
To White, the call was a disgrace.
“Does anybody here think that Johny Hendricks didn’t win the fight?” he asked to a packed room of reporters at the post-event press conference. “I’m blown away that Georges St-Pierre won that fight. And listen, I’m a promoter. He’s the biggest pay-per-view star on the f–king planet for me, and I still don’t think he won that fight.
“I want what’s fair, and that wasn’t fair. I think the Nevada State Athletic Commission is atrocious. I think the governor needs to step in immediately before these guys destroy the sport like they did boxing.”
White later added: “I should be, ‘Whoo-hoo! These idiots gave it to Georges.’ But it’s not fair, it’s not right, it’s not the way things work. It’s not the way they should work. At the end of the day, we put on a fight with two of the best guys in the world, and whoever wins, wins.”
Asked whether there was an alternative to utilizing the commission, which is widely considered to be the most influential in the country, White was adamant that change could only come from Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval.
“The governor needs to step in and fix the incompetence that is happening in the state of Nevada that used to be the best commission in the world,” he said. “It’s absolutely, 100 percent incompetence, and it needs to stop. I’m f–king scared to come back here and (promote) fights. I’m afraid of this state.”
White stopped short of blaming St-Pierre for the decision, saying it wasn’t his fault that the judges made the wrong call. He was, however, befuddled by the champ’s post-fight speech, which suggested a long break from the sport, but not necessarily retirement.
The speech came as a surprise to the UFC executive, who wasn’t aware of St-Pierre’s plans.
“Did he say he wants to retire? He didn’t say, ‘I’m going to retire, I’m hanging it up, it’s been great everybody, thanks a lot for all the years, see you later,’” White said. “He said I’m going to take some time off. First of all, that decision that happens, you don’t just say, hey, I’m going to take a while off, maybe I’ll be back or maybe I won’t. You owe it to the fans, you owe it to that belt, you owe it to this company and you owe it to Johny Hendricks to give him that opportunity to fight again.”
As to where and when that happens, White is unsure. But in his mind, the result of the first fight wasn’t even questioned by the champion and his camp, who will take home the UFC welterweight belt for the ninth time.
“I was up in the octagon,” White said. “They knew they lost. They knew they lost that fight, and obviously, they were thrilled. It’s not Georges’ fault. It’s not his fault, but to get up there, especially after you were just in a fight like that, to say, ‘I’m going to take some time off,’ I don’t even know what it meant.”
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