Dana White, the head of the UFC, criticized the recent ice bath challenge featured on the latest episode of The Ultimate Fighter.
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Dana White, the head of the UFC, criticized the recent ice bath challenge featured on the latest episode of The Ultimate Fighter, a reality show where Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler serve as rival coaches guiding a group of rookies and veterans competing for a UFC roster spot.
During this week’s episode, McGregor and Chandler entered freezing ice baths while answering UFC history trivia questions announced by the legendary Bruce Buffer. They endured nearly 30 minutes in the icy 3.8-degree water, visibly shivering.
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Reflecting on the experience, McGregor mentioned, “We got into the ice bath, his jaw was rattling. He was absolutely shaking in the thing. I thought we were going to have to call an ambulance or something. It was cold in fairness, but I was all right with it. I was a bit sore and banged up from the training so it actually helped me. When I got in, it was like, ‘this is nice.'”
McGregor won the trivia contest and celebrated in his signature style, saying, “Got the W baby. The rich get richer. I got ten thousand dollars in this pocket that I’m after winning.”
However, White, who observed the challenge alongside the contestants, expressed strong disapproval of the stunt and criticized the show’s production team: “I’m going to tell you this; it was a huge clusterf*** by the production team that shot this thing. Completely irresponsible. Completely a s show, and both of them could have been hurt doing this. It was ridiculous what happened during the coaching challenge.”
White emphasized the dangers involved, explaining that he had undergone a similar challenge in lower temperatures for a shorter duration. He deemed the extended ice bath on the show dangerous, stupid, and irresponsible, expressing his frustration and vowing that such an incident wouldn’t be repeated.
Speculation about a potential real-life fight between McGregor and Chandler has been fueled by their appearances as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter. While McGregor’s return to the Octagon is uncertain following his leg injury in 2021, White indicated that a bout against fellow veteran Chandler is more likely, given McGregor’s propensity for engaging with his opponents, saying, “Yes he’s fighting Chandler. He likes to f*** with everybody. You know what I mean? Especially his opponent, or possible opponents.”
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