"He was a bad boy" - Dana White praises ex-UFC champ for never turning down a fight, claims he'll be appreciated after quitting MMA

UFC CEO Dana White has expressed his appreciation for a former UFC champion. White suggested that the MMA community doesn't give the talented fighter the respect he's owed.

The fighter in question is 'The Ultimate Fighter' (TUF) Season 21 welterweight tournament winner and former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. In a recent appearance on The Rush podcast with Maxx Crosby, Dana White touched on Usman's incredible accomplishments in the UFC.

Dana White waxed lyrical about Kamaru Usman. He alluded to the fact that Usman faced elite fighters such as former interim UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington and current UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards more than once inside the octagon.

Lauding 'The Nigerian Nightmare' for his willingness to take on any opponent, White predicted that the MMA star would likely be appreciated only after he's retired. The 54-year-old stated:

"Usman was running through guys twice. You know what I mean? Usman does not get the credit he deserves."

Watch the podcast episode below:

One of the podcast hosts interrupted and asked why White feels Usman isn't accorded the deserved credit. The UFC boss replied by saying:

"I don't know what it is, you know? The fans or whatever... I think when Kamaru's gone, then they'll appreciate him. You know what I mean? But that guy never turned down a fight. He fought everybody, you know, started running through guys twice. Imagine you fight somebody that's tough, and you're like, 'I've gotta fight this tough guy.' Him and Colby Covington was a tough fight. He [Usman] had no problem fighting guys twice. Usman was a bad boy."

Check out White's comments below:

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When Khamzat Chimaev criticized Dana White after beating Kamaru Usman

Kamaru Usman replaced an injured Paulo Costa to face Khamzat Chimaev on 10 days' notice in October 2023. Their closely contested clash saw Chimaev edge past Usman via majority decision. Prior to that showdown, Dana White had asserted that its winner would receive the next title shot against then-UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland.

However, after Chimaev's victory over Usman, White and the UFC roped in Dricus du Plessis to face Strickland for the middleweight belt. Meanwhile, 'Borz' spoke to ESPN MMA in January 2024 and noted that he holds everyone to their word regardless of whether it's a president or a king. Chimaev criticized White for the title shot snub and explained:

"All these guys have fought each other, and only me is undefeated, undisputed, 13-0. They promised me, that after the Usman fight, I will for sure fight for the title. I won that fight, so I don't know what's going on."

Watch Chimaev's assessment below (4:00):

Presently, Kamaru Usman is in the crosshairs of Paulo Costa as well as that of Nassourdine Imavov. Moreover, it's unclear whether Khamzat Chimaev would face reigning UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis next. Neither Usman nor Chimaev's respective comeback dates and opponents have been officially announced.