ABU DHABI – In the lead-up to UFC 257, Dana White sent a clear message to illegal pay-per-view streamers: The UFC is coming for them.
Days before Saturday’s event, White revealed the promotion, with the help of law enforcement officials, had zoned in on one streamer in particular. All this person had to do was launch his UFC 257 stream live and he/she would face repercussions.
However, at the UFC 257 post-fight news conference, White said no action was necessary since the stream never launched. In the main event, Dustin Poirier upset Conor McGregor with a second-round TKO in a lightweight rematch.
“Let me tell you that story,” White told MMA Junkie. “You asked me at the press conference, right? I basically said, ‘This is what’s going to happen.’ I told you guys that we found the guy and we were watching him. He put out a statement that night. He said, ‘I will not be streaming the McGregor vs. Poirier anymore, but I will show you how to buy it legally.’ He put out this huge statement and his whole streaming service has been deleted and is gone. It disappeared.”
The hunt doesn’t stop with this lone individual, according to White. From here on out, the UFC will be zoning in on more illegal streamers in an effort to limit pay-per-view piracy.
“One down and a (expletive) load to go,” White said. “I’m ready. Every event, I’m going to go after one of these guys – or more. We’ll see. And who you are, guy that did this? Good move. We had you, pal. I don’t know if he knew something or what, but we had you. All you had to do was pop up that stream and you were in big trouble. So he did the right thing.”
White said he expected UFC 257 to be in the promotion’s top two pay-per-view events of all time.
UFC 257 took place Saturday at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The main card streamed on ESPN+ pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.
Dana White reveals what happened with UFC 257 illegal streamer company was targeting: ‘Good move’
