An alleged backstage altercation between multiple fighters caused Dana White to cancel the UFC 279 press conference for “everybody’s safety” Thursday at MGM Grand.
According to White, the melee involved Kevin Holland, Khamzat Chimaev, Nate Diaz, and one other unnamed fighter.
“All hell broke loose,” White told reporters including MMA Junkie after the incident, as he provided more details and insight into the altercations.
MMA Twitter had plenty to say about the drama, of course. Scroll below to see what fighters, personalities, and members of the media had to say.
Nolan King
Dana White announces a "big shit show" broke out backstage at the #UFC279 news conference. The fighters will now be brought out in pairs.
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) September 8, 2022
Matt Wells
Dana says there was "a big shit show that broke out back there." Apparently this presser is changing format.
Holland and Rodriguez take the stage first for questions. #UFC279 https://t.co/TkBMJnZrNL
— Matthew Wells (@MrMWells) September 8, 2022
Oscar Willis
Dana White said four of the six people scheduled for the presser were involved in backstage chaos.
— Oscar Willis (@oscarswillis) September 9, 2022
Li Jingliang
Damn poor dude . He was ready https://t.co/JRxVSA7ceI
— Jake Camargo (@ricoj3323) September 9, 2022
Jay Perrin
Watch the commission scrap all three of those fights for this backstage shit 🤣#UFC279
— Jay Perrin (@Joker_Gang35) September 9, 2022
Chris Curtis
Let me get this straight. I flip a guy off and I'm the worst thing ever for the sport and have no sportsmanship. Mfers start a press conference brawl and crickets? Lol MMA SOCIAL Media ain't shit 🤣
— Chris Curtis The Action Man (@Actionman513) September 9, 2022
Derek Brunson
Fighters stop acting like idiots before the fight . Don’t be messing up press conferences, weigh ins and fights . People pay their hard earned money to be apart of 😡😡😡
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) September 9, 2022
Chris Weidman
I’ve never cared about Mma news like I do right now. I need to know what happened backstage. Where is the videos? #ufc279
— Chris Weidman (@chrisweidman) September 9, 2022
Bo Nickal
Unprofessional. We literally fight in a cage and people still think they need to prove how tough they are. Relax y’all. https://t.co/gAQUW0wlDS
— Bo Nickal (@NoBickal) September 9, 2022
Marlon Vera
To much shit talk, people got smacked
— C H🖕🏽T O🇪🇨V E R A (@chitoveraUFC) September 9, 2022
Kevin Holland
Just so everyone knows. I offered that clown a free beard trim. I don’t know anywhere in the US that would offer that service free! I am precise I promise I would not knick him. At your service just like the hotel staff bro. https://t.co/Hiwwm40fg7
— Kevin Holland (@Trailblaze2top) September 9, 2022
Darren Till
— D (@darrentill2) September 9, 2022
Comedian Adam Hunter
It looks like Nate Diaz's "Real Fighting" Promotion has gotten off to a solid start. #UFC279
— MMA Roasted (@MMARoasted) September 9, 2022
Vince Morales
My Twitter can't refresh fast enough haha I want to know what happened 🙃
— Vince Morales (@vandetta135) September 9, 2022
Belal Muhammad
Where was Paulo costa during all this
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) September 9, 2022
Paulo Costa
RIP pic.twitter.com/KmGBze2Qs5
— Paulo Costa ( Borrachinha ) (@BorrachinhaMMA) September 9, 2022
Edmen Shahbazyan
Who has the footage!? 👀 #UFC279
— The Golden Boy (@edmenshahbazyan) September 9, 2022
Terrance McKinney
Paulo showed up and fucked everyone up I guess
— Terrance ‘T Wrecks’ McKinney (@twrecks155) September 8, 2022
Saidyokub Kakhramonov
I wanna see the video.
— Saidyokub Kakhramonov (@SaidYokubMMA) September 8, 2022
Justin Tafa
Was there a scrap at the press conference?
— Justin Tafa (@justin_tafa) September 8, 2022
Aleksandar Rakic
Awaiting to see what happened @ufc backstage like: pic.twitter.com/KaLguFIfmt
— Aleksandar Rakic (@rakic_ufc) September 8, 2022
Cody Durden
I was really looking forward to the press conference. Wowwww!
— Cody Durden (@Cody_Durden) September 8, 2022
Kevin Holland (again)
"The hotels gonna be a blast" – @Trailblaze2top (via IG)
Kevin Holland doesn't seem too shaken up after the #UFC279 press conference backstage melee. pic.twitter.com/1tXbuEGabs
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) September 9, 2022
Nick and Nate Diaz (via Cesar Gracie)
Following the fracas at the cancelled press conference Nick and Nate Diaz are grabbing a coffee in Starbucks and continue preparing for the Khamzat Chimaev fight ☕ #UFC279 (via @CesarGracieBJJ) pic.twitter.com/g2jIexUeKk
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) September 9, 2022
Dillon Danis
heard Darren Till got knocked out cold by a water bottle 😳
— Dillon Danis (@dillondanis) September 9, 2022
Kevin Holland (a third time)
That’s weird I didn’t feel a thing 🤷🏿♂️@UFCStatsBot please update this as a failed attempt via Chimaev. https://t.co/mjX8Koqaak
— Kevin Holland (@Trailblaze2top) September 9, 2022
Kevin Holland and Darren Till (together)
Kevin Holland and Darren Till traded words at the hotel after a backstage melee canceled the #UFC279 press conference. 👀#UFC279 | More details: https://t.co/NErOfchNOt pic.twitter.com/RtXwYlynYm
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) September 9, 2022
Jamahal Hill
So what happened at the press conference??? 👀 #UFC279
— Jamahal Hill (@JamahalH) September 9, 2022
Jake Shields
What a lame press conference #UFC279
— Jake Shields (@jakeshieldsajj) September 8, 2022
Raufeon Stots
Simon Samano
Damn, I feel bad for him. Sad. #UFC279 https://t.co/jKfm5XuAen
— Simon Samano (@SJSamano) September 9, 2022
Khamzat Chimaev
🚨 Khamzat Chimaev's newest Instagram story. 👇
💬 "I told them not to play with us. Kevin and Nate got what they deserved" 👀
Looks like they are all separated now. pic.twitter.com/aBVmafxw1s
— Giorgi Kokiashvili 🇬🇪 ✊ 🇺🇦 (@iHeartGeorgius1) September 9, 2022
Dana White
VIDEO: Dana White spoke to reporters backstage after the #UFC279 press conference was canceled.
He revealed things got "very physical" with "multiple fighters." https://t.co/ygzIoqGGZs
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) September 9, 2022
Marcel Dorff
https://t.co/xDMbcyuksr pic.twitter.com/6z1AirDkq3
— Marcel Dorff 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) September 8, 2022
Chase Hooper
All this conflict has me thinking that we haven’t really heard anything from Colby Covington in awhile… wonder where he’s at 🤔🤔
— Chase Hooper (@chase_hooper) September 9, 2022
Julian Marquez
I’m out here calling and texting everyone to find out what happened at the UFC presser. #ufc279
— Julian marquez (@JMarquezMMA) September 9, 2022
Luca Fury
Ode Osbourne
No such thing as bad publicity I guess right?! 🤷🏾♂️
My banger alert is going off about this card🔥. #UFC281 https://t.co/C6zT3dmUpP— Ode' ⭕️sbourne 🇯🇲 (@OdeOsbourne) September 9, 2022
Brian Kelleher
Tony Ferguson is the type of guy to still walk out to the Dias to ask himself questions and then answer them
— Brian BOOM Kelleher (@brianboom135) September 8, 2022
Anatomy of a Fighter
UFC Embedded editors, it’s time to shine #UFC279
— Anatomy of a Fighter (@WillHarrisAOAF) September 8, 2022
