Dana White rips UFC production team over Shakur Stevenson gaffe

UFC president Dana White tore into his production staff after the broadcast crew misidentified newly signed Zuffa Boxing fighter Shakur Stevenson as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams during Saturday's UFC 329 event.

The mistake marked the latest in a series of celebrity identification blunders by the promotion, including a high-profile error at Sphere last year when the production team labeled boxer Terence Crawford as rapper Kendrick Lamar on screen. White addressed the repeated failures during the post-fight press conference, per MMA Fighting.

White calls UFC crew 'the worst' at celebrity graphics

"I just paid Shakur Stevenson a shit load of money and for some reason we can't figure the celebrity shit out," White said. "They put him up as a f*cking OKC NBA player! Are you f*cking kidding me? We are the absolute worst to ever do the celebrity thing. When we put celebrities up, we are the worst."

White said he debated members of the production team backstage about which sport handles celebrity graphics the worst. When someone suggested soccer — which often shows celebrities without any on-screen identification — White dismissed the comparison. "We put up f*cking graphics and put the wrong guy's name on it," he said. "We're the worst ever to f*cking do it."

The UFC boss did not announce any staffing changes or new procedures to prevent future mistakes. Stevenson, who recently signed a lucrative multi-fight contract with Zuffa Boxing, later responded to the gaffe and White's reaction on social media.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — Dana White rips UFC production team after misidentifying celebrity during broadcast: ‘We’re the worst ever to f*cking do it’