Dazzled UFC boss lauds Sean O’Malley for earning his spot — ‘There’s no such thing as Dana White privilege’

“Dana White Privilege” is a mixed martial arts (MMA) myth?

Sean O’Malley claimed UFC’s Bantamweight belt at UFC 292 last night (Sat., Aug. 19, 2023), stopping Aljamain Sterling in the second round of their 135-pound championship showdown inside TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts (watch highlights).

For several years now, MMA fans (and fighters) have concluded that UFC has protected O’Malley and given him the easy path to the title. Whether it be fighting unranked fighters or getting a shot at Petr Yan when he was only ranked No. 11 in the world, Dana White and Co. have had to do a little extra work to assure fans that everything is above board as it relates to the “Suga Era.”

And according to UFC’s president himself, it has nothing to do with “Dana White Privilege” because it never was a thing to begin with.

“Listen, ‘Dana White Privilege’ — you don’t become No. 2 in the world without earning it,” White explained at UFC 292’s post-fight press conference (watch it here). “I don’t pick that — you people do. He went in there and delivered tonight. There is no such thing as ‘Dana White Privilege’ in this company.

“They can do that type of sh—t in boxing,” he continued. “I’m not going to say that some people can’t catch some breaks sometimes. People are hurt ... this or that happens. Certain matchups can’t happen at one time. You got a situation where Merab Dvalishvili won’t fight the champion. I mean, there are lots of different things that can happen, but it has nothing to do with us. It’s just the way that timing and everything else plays out. When you get to a title shot. You’ve earned it here.”

Indeed, one can argue whether “Dana White Privilege” is real. While O’Malley did earn the title shot with a win over Yan, he did sit out a year and got Sterling coming off a three-month turnaround.

Of course, Tony Ferguson is the one who came up with the infamous phrase when Michael Chandler was gifted a title shot in his second UFC fight. Nevertheless, O’Malley is now UFC Bantamweight kingpin and is riding a five-fight win streak with a “No Contest” thrown in.

And he’s apparently calling the 135-pound title shots until further notice.

For complete UFC 292 results, coverage and highlights, click HERE.