Dana White Flags Gnat Problem Ahead Of UFC Freedom 250

Dana White has identified an unlikely threat to UFC Freedom 250.

The UFC CEO, already on record as an opponent of outdoor events, visited the White House for dinner at the Rose Garden recently and came away with a new concern: gnats. White called his head of production from the plane on the way home. The UFC's team is now working on solutions ahead of the June 14 card.

"As soon as I got on the plane, I called my head of production and said, 'Yeah, let me tell you about the gnat situation tonight,'" White said. "So when you're a fighter, think about that lighting grid, the amount of power in the lights. Moths, gnats, and God knows what else. Fighters trying to deal with that — these are all the little details that we have to think about. That's why I don't like fighting outside. Ever,” White

The concern is not trivial in the context of a professional title fight. High-powered lighting grids draw insects in significant numbers, and fighters competing outdoors at night under that kind of setup face a distraction that indoor events never present.

Gnats around the face, moths near the eyes, the general chaos that outdoor lighting creates for anyone standing underneath it — these are the variables that White has spent his career trying to eliminate by keeping the sport inside controlled environments.

White Reacts

White's instinct to call production immediately reflects the level of detail the organisation applies to events of this scale. Freedom 250 is too important to leave anything to chance. Aside from that issue, White is expecting a major event.

"If you are a fan of the UFC, and especially if you have never been to Washington, D.C., we’re going to give away about 85,000 tickets and there’s a process you have to register for tickets and they’re free, but you should come to Washington, D.C., that week, the week of the fight. We’re going to be doing all kinds of things in D.C. for fans and it’s really a cool city for probably most people have never been and if you’re a UFC fan this is absolutely, positively the time to come to D.C,” White added