Dana White ‘f*cked up’ by releasing Shane Burgos

Shane Burgos’s departure was not something that Dana White, president of the UFC, had planned on happening.

After Burgos (15-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) beat Charles Jourdain in July at UFC on ABC 3, he made the decision to fight out the remainder of his contract and then investigate his options for free agency. The fan-favorite featherweight ultimately received an offer from the PFL that he couldn’t reject, and because the UFC did not match it, he now has a new home in the PFL.

White laments the fact that he did not re-sign Burgos since he is a great fan of his demeanor and fighting style.

“He’s not here. That was the mistake,” White told reporters, on Tuesday night. “I like the kid. Listen, do I think Shane Burgos was gonna move on and be a world champion and all this? No. But he’s fun. I like guys that come out, and they bring it every single time they fight and guys who want to perform and guys who want to win.

Burgos, who is now 31 years old, competed in 11 bouts for the UFC and won eight of them, including notable victories over Cub Swanson, Makwan Amirkhani, Billy Quarantillo, and Jourdain. He finished his time in the UFC rated in the top 15 at 145 pounds and won the Fight of the Night bonus four times during his career there.

“Who has it more than that kid does? So I’m happy for him. I’m happy for him, and good for the PFL too. He’s a great kid and not just an exciting, fun fighter, but he’s a great person. So, yeah, good for everybody involved in that. We’re not perfect, but we don’t f*ck up often. We don’t f*ck up often, but we f*cked that one up, Dana said.