UFC President Dana White is facing backlash for a social media post shared shortly after the announcement of the death of fighter Allan Nascimento.
Nascimento, a flyweight fighter who had been with the UFC for five years, died at the age of 34 on Monday after an apparent heart attack in his sleep. The UFC confirmed his passing Monday night, extending condolences to his family and loved ones. Nascimento had a professional record of 22 wins and 7 losses and had earned Performance of the Night bonuses for submission victories.
Just hours after the UFC's official tribute to Nascimento was shared, White posted a photo of himself smoking a cigar with the caption "Great day" accompanied by a smiling emoji on his Instagram story. This post drew sharp criticism from fans who deemed it "tone deaf" and insensitive.
"Dana is so tone deaf its actually insane," one user commented on social media platform X. Another user wrote, "Gotta be one of Dana White’s worst timed IG story posts ever." Others expressed similar sentiments, with one person stating, "Posting this s*** back to back might be the dumbest s*** I’ve ever seen in my life man."
Nascimento, whose nickname was "Puro Osso," competed in various promotions before joining the UFC in 2021. He won four of his six fights in the promotion. Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, who trained with Nascimento, posted an emotional tribute online, calling him a "brother" and a "legend."