UFC President Dana White publicly rebuked his production team after they misidentified boxer Shakur Stevenson as NBA player Jalen Williams during UFC 329. The error occurred while broadcasting the event, which featured Conor McGregor's return to the Octagon. White, who recently signed Stevenson to Zuffa Boxing, expressed frustration in a post-fight press conference, calling the mistake "absolutely crazy."
White claimed his team had struggled with celebrity introductions in the past, stating, "We are the absolute worst to ever do the celebrity thing." He revealed that the production team defended their error by comparing it to soccer broadcasts, which do not use graphics. White dismissed this argument, emphasizing that the UFC's use of graphics made the mistake even worse.
The mix-up involved Stevenson, a four-division world champion, being introduced as Jalen Williams, a player for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Williams is 6-foot-5 and 25 years old, while Stevenson is 5-foot-8 and 29. White had recently secured Stevenson for Zuffa Boxing, calling it a "massive signing."
During the press conference, White described a heated backstage argument with his team, where he reportedly yelled, "We put up f---ing graphics and put the wrong guy's name on them. We win. We're the worst."
The incident occurred amid a star-studded UFC 329 event, which included McGregor's highly anticipated return bout against Max Holloway. Stevenson's presence was meant to highlight his new role with Zuffa Boxing, but the broadcast error overshadowed the announcement.