Dana White criticizes Sean Shelby for not stopping Jeremy Stephens from shoving Drakkar Klose
UFC president Dana White thinks matchmaker Sean Shelby should’ve been able to prevent Jeremy Stephens from shoving Drakkar Klose during their UFC on ESPN 22 faceoff.
Last Friday at the weigh-ins, Stephens pushed Klose when they came nose to nose at the weigh-ins. It was a hard shove that whiplashed Klose – with his hands behind his back – across the stage.
According to White, Shelby, who oversaw faceoffs in White’s place, should’ve anticipated what happened.
“He was coming in hot, and it’s Jeremy Stephens. He’s a savage,” White said Monday in an interview with TSN. “I mean, yeah, we’re not standing there to look good and take pictures. We are there to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
As result of the shove, Klose was diagnosed with a concussion and cervical sprain, which forced him to withdraw from their co-headlining matchup on fight day. White was disappointed by the entire situation and placed blame on Shelby.
“Sean Shelby missed that one. Sean Shelby, you know, Sean and I see the thing differently,” White said. “I saw it on social media and called him immediately. I was at my daughter’s … I was in Orlando at the ESPN cheerleading competition. I saw the thing happen on social media and I called Sean and was like, ‘Dude, where was your head on that one?'”
It’s unclear how long Klose will be sidelined, but White said he hopes to rebook the fight as soon as possible.
