Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White was asked about the company’s usage of what look like AI-generated promo images and fans reacting negatively to the AI content. His response wasn’t to deny that AI tools were being used, but instead to aggressively tell fans to “shut the fuck up” and just consume the product, okay?
Over the weekend, UFC Fight Night 271 was held in Seattle, Washington. In the lead-up to the event, some fans online noticed a promo image that seemed to have been created using AI-generation tools. Others have also pointed out past promotional images that look to have been AI-generated. This upset many who felt like the UFC, which last year signed a $7 billion deal with Paramount and charges a lot of money for a ticket, should be able to afford a few artists who could make decent images instead of relying on AI slop that looks like someone whipped it up using Grok in a few minutes.
When White was asked about fans reacting negatively, he first asked back, “What does that mean?” When the reporter clarified, he became visibly frustrated and seemed to get even madder at the very thought of paying an artist to make art.
“Give me a fucking break,” said White. “AI is coming, and if we’re using AI, who gives a shit. People are upset…and we should use artists? How about this: Shut the fuck up and watch the fights.”
— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) March 29, 2026
It should be noted that White didn’t deny that UFC was using AI. In fact, he seemed to confirm that the large company does indeed use the controversial tech. But instead of trying to come up with some buzzword-filled reply to the answer that attempts to mollify critics, he just said what most CEOs actually think when it comes to shoving AI into more products and services. These guys don’t care what you think about any of this. Shut up, consume the product, and give them money. That’s it. Consume and stop asking questions. I sort of respect this answer as it’s honest, even if it’s also stupid, and White seems like an angry old man being told he can’t use that word anymore at a family holiday dinner.
Rich companies want to make more money while cutting costs by replacing people and jobs with ChatGPT. Dana White just said it more plainly than most CEOs in 2026.