UFC CEO Dana White has stated that his relationship with former UFC fighter Tito Ortiz is permanently over, attributing the breakdown to actions taken by Ortiz. White appeared on Tomi Lahren's show "Tomi Lahren is Fearless" to address comments made by Ortiz in a previous appearance, where Ortiz expressed a desire to move past their differences.
White refuted Ortiz's claim that the UFC was purchased because of him, calling it a sign of Ortiz's mental state. "First of all, we did not buy the company because of Tito Ortiz," White said. "That's how mentally ill this guy is -- number one. Number two, yes, we loved Tito when we bought the company. We loved Tito. You know he was one of our guys at the time."
According to White, the rift between him and Ortiz began when Ortiz refused to fight fellow UFC fighter Chuck Liddell. White explained that Liddell had defeated all other contenders, and Ortiz's refusal to face him, due to the perceived certainty of Liddell's victory, created friction. White acknowledged that this conflict, along with the feud between himself and Ortiz, contributed to building the UFC's storyline and fan engagement at the time.
However, White detailed that Ortiz subsequently engaged in actions that "destroyed the relationship." He stated, "Anybody that knows anything about me, call me petty, call me whatever you want. We're never gonna be friends again. ... When somebody shows you who they are, believe them."
When asked by Lahren if going into business with friends is a poor idea, White responded, "It's a really bad idea in my experience. ... Being in business with your friends is definitely difficult, and it's not a great idea."