UFC CEO Dana White accused Bellator’s broadcast partner, Showtime, of having a “horrible, horrible” production team in light of their coverage of the Canelo Alvarez vs Jermell Charlo fight, claiming production errors and poor commentary, while he also extended rare positive words for Bellator amid rumors of its potential sale.
Over the past weekend, Dana White, the UFC CEO, had a great time watching boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez taking center stage in Las Vegas. On Sept. 30, Alvarez gained a unanimous decision victory over Jermell Charlo; however, his dominant performance as the undisputed super middleweight champion did not grab White’s attention. At the Contender Series post-fight press conference on Tuesday, when asked about the ongoing saga of Bellator’s potential sale, White disregarded his typical critique for the rival promotion and instead directed criticism at Bellator’s broadcast partner, Showtime.
White made the unusual move of praising Bellator stating, “If Bellator continues to exist, it’s not a bad thing. It’s a good thing.” He emphasized the financial backing of the company by Viacom and suggested the only reason for a potential sale would be due to a lack of interest in the business. He ended his comments with harsh criticism of Showtime, specifically its production standards, stating, “Showtime, I noticed you tried to do it better, but you guys suck.” His critique of Showtime is not surprising given his past disputes with Showtime Sports president Stephen Espinoza over the promotion of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor superfight in 2017.
Showtime broadcasted the Alvarez vs. Charlo fight this past Saturday. When asked about the fight, White voiced his dissatisfaction with the production quality. He used the recent fight at the Contender Series as an example of excellent production and critiqued Showtime’s replays and the commentator’s performance during the fight. He concluded with the statement, “They’re not willing to stay in Bellator, they’re not willing to maybe move forward with boxing, so what does that tell you? They’re not putting any money into it.” He expressed concern over the future of Showtime’s sports broadcasting and the impact on Bellator, adding, “It’s embarrassing. God bless all of them that work on that show.”