Dana White was once left concerned that a heavyweight could throw him into the ‘third row’ during a staredown.
In his esteemed career, the UFC President has stood in between some of the toughest men on the planet the day before they go into battle.
He’s witnessed Conor McGregor pile the pressure on Jose Aldo, and felt the animosity between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier.
However, there’s one man who’s more intimidating in this setting than all the rest.
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Dana White says Derrick Lewis is the scariest UFC fighter during staredowns
Derrick Lewis is undoubtedly one of the hardest punchers on the planet, with the heavyweight star rendering a plethora of fighters unconscious.
Lewis annihilated Rodrigo Nascimento with a vicious knockout and rendered fans stunned by brutally finishing Curtis Blaydes.
However, while he’s certainly frightening inside the cage, he’s just as scary before he sets foot inside the octagon.
In an interview with Paddy Pimblett on Chattin Pony, Dana White said: “Always when you’re f—— around with the heavyweights – Derrick Lewis.
“When Derrick Lewis comes to a staredown, the only thing that makes him even a little bit not scary is that he actually has a sense of humor.
“He’s funny sometimes, but God forbid you get in there with Derek Lewis and he doesn’t like the other fighter.”
White added: “I was in between him and another guy one time at the face-off, and it was just like, ‘I might as well not f—— be there. If these guys want to do something, they’re going to throw me into the third row, and there’s not a f—— thing I can do about it’.
“Derrick Lewis, when you touch him, he’s one of the most powerful dudes that I’ve ever been in there with on a face-off. I can’t remember who the other guy was, but they were both trying to get in each other’s face, and I tried to stop it, and I was like, ‘This is f—— unbelievable how powerful these two are.”
Dana White named his favorite fight in UFC history
While Lewis certainly has a presence in staredowns, he’s not one of the two mixed martial artists involved in White’s number one UFC contest.
From Michael Bisping vs Anderson Silva to Conor McGregor vs Nate Diaz 2, the American has witnessed some truly epic bouts.
However, one entertaining clash stands out from the pack.
Rolling back the years, White revealed his favorite UFC fight of all time.