UFC botches Shakur Stevenson name in broadcast blunder

UFC mistook new Zuffa Boxing signee Shakur Stevenson for an NBA player during the UFC 329 broadcast, prompting Dana White to unload on his production crew.

Cameras caught Stevenson cageside Saturday night in Los Angeles, but the lower third identified him as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams. MMA Mania first reported the gaffe, which marks the second time in two years UFC has botched a boxing star's name — the promotion famously labeled Terence Crawford as rapper Kendrick Lamar at UFC 306 in 2024.

White rips production team after Stevenson mix-up

White addressed the error during his post-fight press conference and did not hold back. "I just paid Shakur Stevenson a s*** load of money, and for some reason, we can't figure this celebrity s*** out," White said, per the report. "They put him up as a f***ing OKC NBA player. Are you f***ing kidding me?"

The UFC CEO went on to call his crew "the absolute worst to ever do the celebrity thing," noting that while soccer broadcasts often skip graphics entirely, UFC puts them up with the wrong names. "We put up f***ing graphics and put the wrong guy's name on them. We win. We're the worst ever to f***ing do it," he added.

Stevenson signed with Zuffa Boxing — UFC parent company Zuffa's new promotional arm — earlier this year and was in attendance for Conor McGregor's 69-second loss to Max Holloway. The botched graphic comes at an awkward time for the promotion as it tries to establish credibility in the boxing space.

Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Original reporting:

• mmamania.com — UFC Embarrasses New Zuffa Boxing Signee With Brutal Broadcast Mistake | MMA Mania