As revealed by Reddit, Dana White fired Takashi Sato, Don Shainis, Aaron Philips, Journey Newson, Maxim Grishin, Erick Gonzalez, Nick Fioree.
Brazilian strawweight fighter Maria Oliveira recently took a big risk by accepting an offer to participate in a live reality show in Brazil, despite having a scheduled match at UFC 289. Oliveira did not inform UFC president Dana White or anyone else in the promotion about the double booking. If she had remained on the reality show during the UFC event, it could have potentially led to the first-ever match cancellation due to such circumstances in MMA history.
In an interview with Ag Fight, Oliveira explained her decision to accept both opportunities simultaneously. She was aware that not informing the UFC about the reality show could result in her release from the promotion. However, she saw it as an opportunity to increase her exposure and name value through television.
Oliveira acknowledged the risk involved in taking part in the reality show while also having a scheduled fight. She understood that canceling a fight on short notice could have consequences, but she was willing to take that chance. She believed that participating in the reality show could potentially generate hype for her and provide an opportunity to negotiate with the UFC matchmakers to keep her spot in the promotion. In the end, Oliveira was eliminated in the first round of the reality show and was able to proceed with her scheduled UFC fight.
The reality show in question was called “A Grande Conquista” (The Great Conquest) and aired on Brazil’s second-largest TV station, Rede Record. The winner of the competition would receive a prize of one million reais (approximately 200 thousand dollars). However, Oliveira did not advance beyond the first round and did not have the chance to compete for the prize.
Despite the risk she took with the reality show, Oliveira is still scheduled to compete at UFC 289 against Diana Belbita. The event, taking place in Vancouver, Canada, on June 10, features a women’s bantamweight title fight between champion Amanda Nunes and challenger Irene Aldana as the main event.
