Dana White: Pimblett in the Octagon ‘should have never happened’

After UFC 317, in a post-fight interview, newly crowned UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria challenged Paddy Pimblett after defeating former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira on Saturday.

Pimblett was sitting octagon-side at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to witness the knockout. He then entered the cage to face-off against Topuria.

“That was a heavy knockout. I give you that respect, but you will never knock me out,” Pimblett said to Topuria. Topuria quipped back, “I’m going to submit you… I’m going to put my balls on your forehead you little p***y” before shoving Pimblett.

The situation could have escalated into something more. UFC CEO Dana White was very unhappy with what took place. White felt that Pimblett should have not been able to enter the octagon under no circumstance.

“I don’t know who the hell let him in there. That should have never happened. Let’s start there,” White said during the UFC 317 Post-Fight Press Conference. “I was already back in my room or that would have never happened.”

White continued, “My thing with Topuria is his wife and kid are in the octagon. It shouldn’t have happened.”

The two fighters want to fight each other. Topuria and Pimblett have history. A matchup between the two would guarantee massive viewership numbers for the lightweight bout.