"That was pretty bad" - Dana White addresses the only snag in otherwise "flawless" UFC 306 broadcast from The Sphere

Dana White has addressed the lone error in the seemingly flawless UFC 306 broadcast. The UFC CEO and president acknowledged that the show's graphics erroneously suggested that boxing legend Terence Crawford was hip-hop legend Kendrick Lamar.

UFC 306 (Riyadh Season Noche UFC) was the promotion's second-ever Mexican Independence Day-themed event. It transpired at the world-renowned Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A., on Sept. 14, 2024.

The same night, Mexican boxing megastar Canelo Alvarez defended his WBA (Super), WBC, WBO, and Ring Magazine super middleweight titles with a dominant unanimous decision victory over Edgar Berlanga Jr. at the nearby T-Mobile Arena in Vegas.

Terence Crawford, the current WBA super welterweight champion and interim WBO super welterweight champion, attended the Alvarez-Berlanga event and was later at UFC 306. 'Bud' sat alongside His Excellency Turki Alalshikh at the Sphere, watching the MMA action unfold.

His Excellency Turki Alalshikh is the GEA (General Entertainment Authority) chairman, instrumental in getting Saudi Arabia's 'Riyadh Season' to become the UFC's first-ever title sponsor.

At a point during the UFC 306 broadcast, the camera displayed Crawford and Alalshikh. The on-screen graphics mistakenly indicated that Crawford was the Grammy award-winning and Pulitzer prize-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar.

Check out a screenshot of the graphics below:

For his part, Crawford called out Alvarez for their long-awaited super-fight. Meanwhile, Alalshikh appeared to lend his support to 'Bud's' call-out, encouraging Alvarez to accept the challenge.

As seen in the comments section of Crawford's Instagram video featuring his call-out, several fans jestingly referenced the UFC's Crawford-Kendrick Lamar error.

Watch Crawford's call-out below:

The mistake elicited criticism from some MMA and hip-hop fans, whilst others lightheartedly jibed at the UFC for the gaffe. During the UFC 306 post-fight press conference, promotional head honcho Dana White was questioned about the same.

When asked if he was expecting to get a text from Kendrick Lamar or Terence Crawford, White responded by stating:

"I was talking to Terence Crawford. I don't want to call him. I don't know who the hell did that. Thought it was, yeah, that was pretty bad. He did kind of look like Kendrick Lamar, though. Let's not f**k around. He kind of did look like Kendrick Lamar. But yeah, that was -- hey, so when I said we had a flawless production tonight, I take that back. There's the one; that was the ... yeah."

Check out Dana White's comments below (16:18):

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Dana White expresses his appreciation for boxing personalities who attended UFC 306

Heading into the UFC 306 event, Dana White promised it would be a "love letter" to the Mexican people, celebrating Mexican culture and Mexican combat sports' rich history. White had also consistently asserted his admiration for Canelo Alvarez despite the latter's event taking place on the same night as UFC 306.

Elsewhere during the UFC 306 post-fight press conference, a reporter pointed out that in addition to legendary pugilist Terence Crawford, a few other big boxing names were also in attendance for the UFC event. Alluding to the respect that boxing personalities displayed toward the UFC and the sport of MMA, Dana White replied by expressing his gratitude toward them.

The 55-year-old said:

"No. It was cool, especially with boxing going on right down the street. That was cool. Yeah. I appreciate it." [16:52]