SUMMARY
- Howie Mandel is a popular judge from the show America's Got Talent. He invited Dana White as a guest to his podcast.
- Dana appeared for the podcast with the possibility to promote UFC 298 and the upcoming UFC 300.
UFC President Dana White is a busy man considering all that is going on right now. With UFC 298 only days away and the all-important UFC 300 still needing to be completed, it is rush hour over at the UFC HQ. However, amidst all the hustle, the head honcho has left many scratching their heads with his latest move.
Recently, Dana was invited to Howie Mandel’s podcast, “Howie Mandel Does Stuff”. Seeing that it is fight week, it was assumed that White was there on promotional duty for UFC 298 and possibly UFC 300 as well. Notably, the show also included another guest stand-up comedian and social media influencer Ginger Billy. To kick off the episode, Mandel, who is renowned for his judging on ‘America’s Got Talent’ warmly welcomed White.
As such, the former AGT judge said, “Dana White, you are an amazing guy, I can’t thank you enough for being here”. Further, he added. “You are not only an amazing businessman, you are an inspiration, you are a philosopher. The way you do business, the way you conduct your business, and your friendships and media … I’m jealous. But Dana, I can’t thank you enough for being here.” Surprisingly, White simply walked off the show.
Why did Dana White leave Howie Mandel’s podcast?
To put things into context, Dana White was out of the room within the very first minute of the podcast. Naturally, since the airing of the episode, the incident went viral on social media with many people talking about it. For the most part, Howie Mandel, co-host and daughter Jackelyn Shultz, and guest Ginger Billy all cut an astonished expression as the UFC President made his way out of the room.
Judging by the clips doing the rounds, many felt as though White was simply trolling Mandel. However, after watching the episode, White did not return at all, prompting the rest to continue the show regardless. Interestingly, there was no response or mention of White’s walkout from any of the people present in the room. Here, it must be noted that Dana did not simply up and leave the room without saying a word.
@danawhite walked off my podcasthttps://t.co/uPANY4aqib pic.twitter.com/kcXEk87OX7
— Howie Mandel (@howiemandel) February 13, 2024
Notably, the 54-year-old thanked Howie for his generous remarks. “Thank you for all the kind words, I appreciate it”. With that said White also added, “I am so f**king tired of doing podcasts. I’m literally done with them. I’m not doing any more podcasts.” Following this, he promptly took off the headphones and made his way out of the recording studio. Understandably, the matter has left many incredibly confused about his actions.
Fans react to Dana White’s abrupt exit from Howie Mandel’s podcast
Notably, in the very early moments of the show, whilst Howie Mandel was commending him, Dana White cut a twitchy and seemingly restless figure. Thus, it appeared that he wanted to interject while Mandel was speaking, yet somehow managed to hold his tongue. With numerous clips of the incident spreading like wildfire across social media, fans naturally had something to say.
For the most part, many believe that the stress of finalizing and managing the main event of UFC 300 is getting to the boss. Over the past few weeks, the saga has reportedly seen numerous twists and turns. Considering the contrasting statements that White came out with recently, many can only imagine that crisis going on behind the scenes. Amidst all this, UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones openly admitted to being offered a headliner spot.
On seeing the viral clip the fans were quick to give their opinions, a few ‘X’ users said “Dudes having a breakdown”, “honestly at this point, I would not even be surprised to find out this is staged” and “I would love to know the backstory here. Dana doesn’t seem like the type of guy to commit to something and then back out.”
With the unavailability of some of his biggest stars and the fan backlash from pre-ticket registrations, Dana is likely coping with a lot. As such, many have suggested frustration and underlying stress to be key factors behind his recent actions. All things considered, the UFC 300 main event is set to be announced on February 17. Depending on what it is, and how the fans react to it, could be crucial to White’s temperament moving forward.