Dana White On Sacramento Return And Former Fighters As Officials

UFC president Dana White said Sacramento delivered one of the best crowds in recent memory as the promotion returned to California's capital city for the first time since the pandemic.

Speaking at the UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs Rodrigues post-fight press conference, White told reporters the atmosphere reminded him why the promotion prioritized getting back to key markets. "The crowd was literally amazing here tonight," he said, per UFC.com. "There's a lot of spots that we've got to hit. COVID — we're still sort of recovering from that."

🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to Dana White's Contender Series, Season 10, Week 3 on Ticketmaster →

Former Fighters Working UFC Officials Draw White's Support

Two UFC veterans worked fight night in new roles. Former middleweight Chris Leben served as a judge while ex-welterweight contender Frank Trigg refereed bouts on the card. White endorsed the trend of retired fighters moving into officiating positions. "It's definitely a good thing for guys to do after they retire," he said. "We'd love to have more fighters, guys who actually know what they're looking at and have experienced it, and understand the game like they do."

White gave credit to main event loser Anthony Hernandez despite the hometown fighter dropping a decision to Gregory Rodrigues. Hernandez fought through leg damage that White said would have finished most competitors by the second round. "You didn't win the fight, but you gained a lot of respect," White said of the Sacramento native's performance.

🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to Dana White's Contender Series, Season 10, Week 3 on Ticketmaster →

Picking bonus winners proved difficult on a card loaded with finishes. MarQuel Mederos and Carli Judice earned Performance of the Night honors while the main event took Fight of the Night. "Tonight sucked for picking bonuses," White admitted. "It's the toughest part of the job when you have a night like tonight."

Former New York Jets linebacker Anthony Wint capped a whirlwind 11 days by making his UFC debut, having won his contract on Dana White's Contender Series just August 11. White called California a longstanding talent pipeline, recalling his early days flying to the state every weekend to scout fights on cassette tapes before streaming existed.

Source: ufc.com