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A case of mistaken identity involving an Oklahoma City Thunder NBA star prompted UFC President Dana White to go on a profanity-laced tirade after UFC 329 Saturday night in Las Vegas.
White called out his production team after champion boxer Shakur Stevenson was misidentified as OKC Thunder guard Jalen Williams during the July 11 broadcast.
"I just paid Shakur Stevenson a s---load of money, and for some reason we can't figure this celebrity s--- out," White said in a rant after the event.
"They put him up as a f---ing OKC NBA player. Are you f---ing kidding me? It's absolutely crazy. We are the absolute worst to ever do the celebrity thing. When we put celebrities up, we are the worst."
During the broadcast, the commentators correctly identified Stevenson, but the onscreen graphic identified him incorrectly as Williams, which the announcers quickly pointed out.
White said he screamed at the production team after the broadcast, which led to a debate over whether the UFC broadcasts were better or worse than soccer at touting celebrities in attendance.
"We'll put up f---ing graphics — and put the wrong guy's name on it. We win. We're the worst," White said during the post-event press conference.
In contrast, Clemente Almanza, of USA Today's OKC Thunder Wire, noted that Williams' social media response to the blunder was much more casual, with the Thunder star posting "ehhh close enough."
The UFC 329 main event also was a disappointment: After five years away from MMA, Conor McGregor's comeback was short-lived, as his bout against Max Holloway was stopped just seconds in, after McGregor appeared to suffer a leg injury.
But the sold-out event did get some extra star power with an appearance by WNBA star Sophie Cunningham as a UFC ring girl.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Jalen Williams or Shakur Stevenson? UFC broadcast IDs boxer as OKC Thunder star
Continue reading...
White called out his production team after champion boxer Shakur Stevenson was misidentified as OKC Thunder guard Jalen Williams during the July 11 broadcast.
"I just paid Shakur Stevenson a s---load of money, and for some reason we can't figure this celebrity s--- out," White said in a rant after the event.
"They put him up as a f---ing OKC NBA player. Are you f---ing kidding me? It's absolutely crazy. We are the absolute worst to ever do the celebrity thing. When we put celebrities up, we are the worst."
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During the broadcast, the commentators correctly identified Stevenson, but the onscreen graphic identified him incorrectly as Williams, which the announcers quickly pointed out.
White said he screamed at the production team after the broadcast, which led to a debate over whether the UFC broadcasts were better or worse than soccer at touting celebrities in attendance.
"We'll put up f---ing graphics — and put the wrong guy's name on it. We win. We're the worst," White said during the post-event press conference.
In contrast, Clemente Almanza, of USA Today's OKC Thunder Wire, noted that Williams' social media response to the blunder was much more casual, with the Thunder star posting "ehhh close enough."
The UFC 329 main event also was a disappointment: After five years away from MMA, Conor McGregor's comeback was short-lived, as his bout against Max Holloway was stopped just seconds in, after McGregor appeared to suffer a leg injury.
But the sold-out event did get some extra star power with an appearance by WNBA star Sophie Cunningham as a UFC ring girl.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Jalen Williams or Shakur Stevenson? UFC broadcast IDs boxer as OKC Thunder star
Continue reading...
