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During the UFC 262 pre-fight press conference, Tony Ferguson passed an amusing remark about Michael Chandler being favored by UFC president Dana White. Ferguson's comments were met with peals of laughter from people in attendance, including White himself:
"You f**king dodged me too, Chandler...you got this s**t handed to you. You got Dana White privilege," said Tony Ferguson.
The press-conference highlight reel moment had the MMA Twitterverse wondering if the UFC supremo did in fact favor some fighters.
In a recent interview with Jake Asman, Dana White clarified his stance on giving preferential treatment to selected fighters. White believes fighters blaming him for picking favorites are consumed by the envy of others landing the perfect deal at the right time:
"It's the first I've heard of it. It's hilarious. You always have these fighters who feel, 'Oh, the company is against me. They want me to lose. They don't like me. They're all paranoid like that,'" said Dana White.
Dana White on Michael Chandler getting a quick title shot
At UFC 262, Charles Oliveira is getting his first UFC title shot after 28 promotional outings. Meanwhile, Michael Chandler has been propelled to the top after just one UFC fight. Dana White is of the notion that the timing of 'Iron' Mike's release from the Bellator roster was perfect for the latter's UFC debut:
"Even if you look at [Charles] Oliveira. Guy's been in the UFC for 11 years. He is finally getting a title shot. Chandler's getting this quick. Everything in life is about timing, and timing has definitely worked out for Michael Chandler," White explained.
Dana White has dismissed the idea of certain fighters getting preferential treatment. White alluded to his feud with Tito Ortiz, claiming that that was the last instance where he picked up a rivalry with a UFC fighter:
"No, I don't think it's a real thing, but I think that fighters think that it's a real thing...they think that I have my favorites and I'm assuming they think that Michael Chandler is one of my new favorites," added Dana White.
Michael Chandler rose to the top of the 155-lbs division after securing a first-round KO over Dan Hooker at UFC 257. Meanwhile, Charles Oliveira has lined up 8 straight victories in the UFC, with his last win coming against Tony "El Cucuy" Ferguson at UFC 256.
