Dana White Talks UFC 327, Lewis vs Hokit Added To White House Card, Gable Steveson, Kayla Harrison And More
UFC President and CEO Dana White fielded questions from the media at the UFC 327 post-fight press conference in Miami.
Dana White faced the media at Kaseya Center as he fielded an array of questions at the UFC 327 post-fight press conference.
Here’s a rundown of some of the key topics covered:
RELATED: The Bigger Picture | UFC 327
On Jiri Prochazka’s main event heartbreak
When it became clear that Carlos Ulberg had sustained a knee injury during his main event title fight with Jiri Prochazka, things looked bleak for the Kiwi, with the former light heavyweight champion seemingly on his way to reclaiming the title.
Dana White Post-Fight Press Conference | UFC 327
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there`s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world`s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Dana White Post-Fight Press Conference | UFC 327
/
But a dramatic turn of events saw Prochazka hesitate, and get punished with a stunner of a left hook as Ulberg turned the fight on its head to capture the 205-pound crown.
“Yeah, the fight was over – but I guess it ain’t over until it’s over,” said White. “Incredible comeback win. We don't know 100 percent, but you saw he was kicking that front leg, and the front leg was bothering (Ulberg), and then all of a sudden, the back leg hurts. Could be an ACL… Some people were saying to me, (Prochazka) was goofing around, and he was doing this and that. But, I mean, when you’ve got a guy hurt, you’ve got to (try to) finish him until the ref jumps in and stops it.”
WATCH: Carlos Ulberg Knocks Out Jiří Procházka, Wins LHW Title | UFC 327
How Josh Hokit’s fighting overshadowed his persona
Heavyweight Josh Hokit’s bizarre pre-fight antics, adopting a strange persona and behaving strangely, meant the former NFL player wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea heading into fight night.
White admittedly included himself among that group. But once Hokit got into the Octagon, those antics were quickly forgotten as he engaged in one of the fights of the year as he defeated Curtis Blaydes via unanimous decision.
White was suitably impressed.
“He walked the talk tonight,” said White. “When people come out and say stupid s*** and have sort of a shtick, it's not my thing. But nothing but respect for both of those men tonight, and that fight was unbelievable. You won't hear a word out of me from here on out about him. Like I said, he walked the talk… It’s one thing to have a shtick and act whatever, and it's another thing to go in and fight the number five-ranked guy in the world, who was a bad dude, and do what he did to him tonight.”
WATCH: About Last Fight | Carlos Ulberg Reveals How He Beat Jiří Procházka For UFC Gold
How Derrick Lewis vs Josh Hokit got added to UFC Freedom 250
After Hokit’s incredible Fight of the Night victory over Curtis Blaydes, White later announced that Hokit would face Derrick Lewis as a late addition to the UFC Freedom 250 event at The White House.
White explained the remarkable story behind how that fight got made.
🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨@DanaWhite just announced LIVE Octagonside that moments after his #UFC327 win, @Josh_HokitUFC vs @TheBeast_UFC is being added to UFC Freedom 250!! pic.twitter.com/CQKgvpzhbE
— UFC (@ufc) April 12, 2026
“What's crazy is, organically, about an hour before that, the President said to me, ‘Why is Derrick Lewis not on the White House card?’ I said, ‘I'll be back in five minutes!’ … I went and called Derrick Lewis and said, 'The President wants to know why you're not on the White House card.’ And Derrick Lewis said, ‘Politics. Politics kept me off the White House card.’ I said, ‘You want to fight on the card?’ And he said, ‘I absolutely want to fight on the card. Tell the President, thank you.’
So then I told Nick Maynard, ‘Find a fight for Derrick. Let's talk about it next week,’ and whatever. Then the Hokit fight happens, and Joe Rogan, I have the headphones on (and) Joe Rogan goes, ‘Is there another slot open on the White House card for Hokit?’ I go, ‘Holy s***!’ So I grabbed Mick, and I said, ‘Go back there and talk to see if he's in.’ Hokit was getting into an ambulance. And he said yes.”
MORE UFC 327: Results, Highlights And Exclusive Interviews
On Gable Steveson’s first UFC fight
During the UFC 327 broadcast it was announced that Gable Steveson had signed with the UFC, with his debut set to take place during UFC International Fight Week. White said that his first opponent hadn’t been decided upon yet, but he was interested to see how Steveson fared on his Octagon debut.
“I think you get him in the UFC. Everybody has those UFC jitters when they first get here. You know, you give them a fight – there's no easy fights here. But, you know, we'll see how he does.”
Could Jon Jones return from retirement?
Jon Jones was in attendance at UFC 327, and reportedly said watching the action has lit a fire in him, as he hinted that he might not be fully retired after all. White said he had not spoken to Jones about a return.
“No. And listen, how is that any different than Jon’s been in the last 10 years? You know what I mean? The way I always looked at (Jones) – I used to tell Lorenzo (Fertitta), ‘You’ll never be able to build a business with this guy. But when he does show up, it’s fun.’”
No updates on Kayla Harrison vs Amanda Nunes
With women’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison out of surgery and recovering well, the anticipation is building over her eagerly-awaited clash with former champion Amanda Nunes. After the pair were shown in attendance at UFC 327, White was asked if he had any updates on a potential date for their rearranged matchup.
“No, we're gonna have to see how she progresses and how she feels,” he said of Harrison. “Let me tell you what you don't want coming off that surgery. You don't want Amanda Nunes grabbing your head and pulling you around by your neck. So let's make sure she's 100 percent healed, and then we'll make that fight.”
On Conor Benn’s win over Regis Prograis in London
“Yeah, I watched the fight … I think he dominated.”
On the rumor Tito Ortiz tried to rekindle his canceled fight with White after watching Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson
“I think Lorenzo did say something like that,” he recalled, before pouring cold water on the idea.
“Yeah, I'm 50-f******-six years old. I’m going to be 57 in July. I fight to get out of bed every day! fucking six years old. I'm gonna be 57 in July. I fight to get out of bed every day. But yeah, I vaguely remember something like that. I think so.”