UFC president Dana White is not happy with country music singer Jason Aldean.
After Saturday night’s UFC 216 pay-per-view event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, down the strip from where the tragic Las Vegas shootings took place during an Aldean performance a week ago, White unloaded on the singer for turning down an opportunity to appear at Saturday’s event.
The UFC dedicated UFC 216 to the victims and all of those affected by the tragedy, while hosting 1,500 victims, family members and first responders at the event.
White claims he asked Aldean to perform the national anthem prior to the night’s main event, but Aldean had an excuse. Ultimately, what White claims Aldean told him was not the truth and the singer ended up singing a rendition of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” during the cold open of Saturday Night Live.
From TMZ Sports:
White says he had reached out to Aldean’s camp to sing the national anthem at UFC 216 in Vegas on Saturday night … an event in which 15 survivors and hundreds of 1st responders were in the crowd.
White says Aldean’s people turned down the offer — saying he was shaken up from the shooting and might never perform live again.
White then went on one of his trademark rants, blasting Aldean for his decision.
“His image was more important then coming back to Vegas and playing for the people who are his fans and who got shot watching him play,” White says. “F*ck you Jason Aldean. Stay out of Vegas.
“Those are people who buy your albums and none of you country music people could sing the anthem in front of survivors and 1st responders? This isn’t about money. This is about the bad ass people who fought through this sh*t that this coward did.”
In the end, Aldean did what he wanted and still managed to give a comforting message to a wide audience.
Sure, it wasn’t on the platform White may have preferred, but it still got the positive message across. White should be happy enough about that.
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