The UFC 279 pre-fight press conference was cancelled because of multiple altercations backstage that security couldn’t control. Dana White said that supposedly, a hundred people were in the melee, with slaps, kicks, and water bottles involved.
“Yeah this ain’t gonna happen. I apologize, everybody. I’m in very weird waters here, this has never happened in the history of this company,” White said about the cancellation. “Trust me when I tell you, this is the right decision not to do this press conference right now. For everybody’s safety this is the right decision. I apologize. Thanks for coming.”
This all led to the UFC’s typical press-conference highlight clip to be hilariously short:
With all that chaos, it of course led to a lot of chatter and reactions on social media. Here are some of the fighters’ tweets about the melee and the subsequent cancellation of the press conference:
That’s weird I didn’t feel a thing ♂️@UFCStatsBot please update this as a failed attempt via Chimaev. https://t.co/mjX8Koqaak
— Kevin Holland (@Trailblaze2top) September 9, 2022
Give them the suit back brotha pic.twitter.com/azKckAB2LI
— Paulo Costa ( Borrachinha ) (@BorrachinhaMMA) September 9, 2022
That press conference was a touching tribute to the Diaz legacy ✊ g til the very end
— Terrance ‘T Wrecks’ McKinney (@twrecks155) September 9, 2022
Jake and Nick are taking out the Chimaev army in the hotel hallways before the weigh ins tomorrow pic.twitter.com/UdPmdZucpn
— Terrance ‘T Wrecks’ McKinney (@twrecks155) September 9, 2022
heard Darren Till got knocked out cold by a water bottle
— Dillon Danis (@dillondanis) September 9, 2022
Disappointed father . Look what my sons have become in front of the world https://t.co/OBK6d0NtLy
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) September 9, 2022
I’m out here calling and texting everyone to find out what happened at the UFC presser. #ufc279
— Julian marquez (@JMarquezMMA) September 9, 2022
They thought they were at WrestleMania / The Royal Rumble back stage at the UFC #UFC279 press conference ♂️
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) September 9, 2022
To much shit talk, people got smacked
— C H T O V E R A (@chitoveraUFC) September 9, 2022
My Twitter can’t refresh fast enough haha I want to know what happened
— Vince Morales (@vandetta135) September 9, 2022
Just so everyone knows. I offered that clown a free beard trim. I don’t know anywhere in the US that would offer that service free! I am precise I promise I would not knick him. At your service just like the hotel staff bro. https://t.co/Hiwwm40fg7
— Kevin Holland (@Trailblaze2top) September 9, 2022
Awaiting to see what happened @ufc backstage like: pic.twitter.com/KaLguFIfmt
— Aleksandar Rakic (@rakic_ufc) September 8, 2022
I have to imagine that during the entire altercation Tony Ferguson was stealthy climbing the rafters with a sword and a pocket full of sand. Waiting..
Wishing…— Chris Curtis The Action Man (@Actionman513) September 9, 2022
Where was Paulo costa during all this
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) September 9, 2022
Unprofessional. We literally fight in a cage and people still think they need to prove how tough they are. Relax y’all. https://t.co/gAQUW0wlDS
— Bo Nickal (@NoBickal) September 9, 2022
Fighters stop acting like idiots before the fight . Don’t be messing up press conferences, weigh ins and fights . People pay their hard earned money to be apart of
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) September 9, 2022
I’ve never cared about Mma news like I do right now. I need to know what happened backstage. Where is the videos? #ufc279
— Chris Weidman (@chrisweidman) September 9, 2022
UFC Embedded should be tonight!!! @ufc #UFC279
— Chris Leben (@ChrisLebenMMA) September 9, 2022
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