Dana White 'a little shocked' 'Cowboy' Cerrone didn't call before involvement with MMA Athletes Association

UFC President Dana White said he isn’t upset with the fighters who decided to get involved with the MMA Athletes Association (MMAAA, but expected a bit of a heads up from at least one name involved.

Speaking on the UFC Unfiltered podcast, White alternated between trashing the association – especially for the involvement of advisor and former Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney  – and saying he understands fighters needing to do what they feel is right for their lives.

However, White expected Donald Cerrone to give him a heads up when the lightweight and welterweight fan favorite decided to get involved with the group, which announced its formation at the end of November.

“At the end of the day, here’s the reality, fighters can go out and do whatever they want to do,” White said. “They’re all grown men, man. In life, you know how it is, we all have these paths to walk down.

“I’m a little shocked that ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone didn’t give me a call. Let me tell you this, too, first of all, he’s only headlined like three fights – Fight Nights – in his career. Never held a title in the WEC, never held a title in the UFC, and a couple years ago, he was on his boat, gets into a beef with a guy on another boat. He’s in trouble. Who does he call? He calls me. What do I do? I go out and find him the best criminal defense lawyer and I spent over $100,000 of my own money. When I see Cowboy standing up there, it’s like, ‘Alright. Really? Ok.'”

Cerrone wasn’t the only fighter who seemed to have raised White’s dander. Patrick Cummins tweeted earlier in the week about living in a tent and being homeless.

Cummins got the call to join the UFC when Jon Jones pulled out of a bout with Daniel Cormier at UFC 170. At the time, he was working as a barista, but his history with Cormier made him a valuable replacement.

White said the promotion paid Cummins $300,000 to battle Cormier on the card. He doesn’t understand, he said, how Cummins is now homeless.

“I saw this thing the other day where this kid, Patrick Cummins he just writes this thing where he says, ‘Yeah, I’m homeless. I’m living in a tent,'” White said. “This guy was working at Starbucks. You’d pull up to the window, you’d order your coffee, ‘Yeah, I’ll have a friggin’ coffee, a latte, whatever it is.’ You pull up to the window and Patrick Cummins would be there ready to take your money and give you your coffee.”

“Jon Jones fell out of the fight and there was this story that Patrick Cummins was telling everybody that he made Daniel Cormier cry when they wrestled. There was huge animosity between the two, whatever. I’m not (expletive) on his job, I’m not (expletive) on his job that he worked at Starbucks. I say it all the time, I was a bellman. This guy was working at Starbucks, I don’t know what (expletive) Starbucks was paying, but it’s not a lot of money. So, we bring him into the UFC. He’s a guy who is just breaking in, we give him an opportunity, and the guy made $300,000. My question is: How the (expletive) are you homeless now? You weren’t homeless when you were working at Starbucks.”

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