Amid Troubles With UFC 317, Dana White Puts Unexpected Fight Involving Ex-UFC Champ for UFC Abu Dhabi

 Dana White is no stranger to turbulence leading up to UFC events. Over the years, he’s faced disruptions ranging from global shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic to fighter injuries and reshuffled cards just days before fight night. But rather than crumble, the UFC President has earned a reputation for adapting swiftly and keeping events on track.

Contrary to popular myth, White didn’t build UFC from scratch, but alongside Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, he helped transform it into the mainstream juggernaut we know today after acquiring it in 2001. From unprecedented empty-arena fights in Abu Dhabi’s “Fight Island” to salvaging high-stakes main events, White has consistently found solutions, even when chaos looms. Now, as speculative clouds swirl around UFC 315 and 317, the question is: Will Dana White pull another rabbit out of the hat?

And now, as UFC 315 and 317 face a crisis, the UFC bossman is geared up to solve this as well! UFC 315 features a mega fight between Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena, but things got chaotic after the third most anticipated fight on the card was in crisis. The lightweight banger between Benoit Saint-Denis and Joel Alvarez is in trouble since Alvarez withdrew due to an undisclosed injury. As for UFC 317? Well, the headlining fight has not been announced yet, while Dricus Du Plessis‘ injury rumors are circling the MMA world.

But the head honcho knows how to keep fans engaged because he just announced another mega-fight set for July. As per Knockout Alerts on Instagram, “#PetrYan vs #MarcusMcGhee set for July 26th in Abu Dhabi!” The fans were pretty excited in the comments of this news and were happy that the rising star with 10-1-0 in MMA and 4 back-to-back wins in UFC is getting a chance to fight #2 ‘No Mercy’. 

‘The Maniac’ stands at #13 in the bantamweight division, and this is a huge chance for him to leap into the top 10 if he wins. As for Yan, the 18-5-0 star had three back-to-back losses before gaining momentum again after winning against Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo. So if the former UFC Bantamweight Champion gets a third win, it not only increases his winning streak but also might give him chances for a title shot. 

But back to UFC 317, what is the crisis right now? Well for starters, this event is during the International Fight Week which is not just any random card, it is THE most important card in the promotion. But since the headliner is still unknown with June just roughly a month away, things are getting tense. However does Dana White have a plan?

What is Dana White’s plan for the UFC 317 headliner?

Thankfully, we do have some intel from UFC commentator Laura Sanko, who revealed that there might be plans featuring Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria after all. “They want Islam versus Topuria,” Sanko clarified during her discussion with Submission Radio. “And I think they will do whatever it takes to make that fight happen financially.”

Topuria has already vacated his featherweight belt to pursue the lightweight gold, which is in Makhachev’s possession right now. This fight is definitely a super fight, and the UFC is clearly pushing forward to make it a reality. No matter how many top dogs scramble for the title fight and managers negotiate it to happen, the UFC is fixed on Topuria vs. Makhachev, as per Sanko.

If Makhachev vs. Topuria is indeed being negotiated, it would mark one of the biggest champion-versus-champion clashes in UFC history, joining the ranks of McGregor vs. Alvarez and Nunes vs. Cyborg.

The Georgian Spaniard has already announced his training camp and posted on X saying, “the camp has bagun.” Now it’s just a waiting game for us until Dana White & Co announce the official matchup. What do you think is going to happen? Share your thoughts below.

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