Dana White Says Nick Newell’s Contender Series Spot Isn’t For the UFC’s Sake

Dana White spoke with MMAjunkie about Nick Newell fighting as part of Dana White’s Contender Series. Highlights are below:

On meeting with Newell: “We met face to face, and he told me how long he’s been in the sport, who he trains with, what he’s done. And he’s like, ‘If you don’t believe me, if you don’t think I’m good enough, then at least let me try the Contender Series. So I said, ‘Fair enough’…They were very smart in flying out and meeting with me face to face. This kid’s been working his whole life, training, and he’s telling me that he can – this kid fought Justin Gaethje and went two rounds with Justin Gaethje when Justin Gaethje was on fire.”

On Newell being a congenital amuptee: “The big thing is, if anything ever happened to Nick Newell, if Nick Newell fights in the UFC, first thing they’re going to say is, ‘How could you let a guy with one arm fight in the UFC? You’re an idiot.’ I’m saying, what if something bad happened? ‘Aren’t you guys supposed to be the best? All the best fighters in the world are in the UFC. So you’re going to throw a guy with one arm, fighting guys with two arms?’ You know what I’m saying. You guys know how to be negative. You know the negative stuff will happen if something bad happened. Might even be some of you to write it.”

On Newell’s fighting in the UFC being inspirational: “To be honest with you, I’m not doing this for me or for the organization or anything like that. I’m doing it for this kid. This kid came in and begged – this is his dream, this is what he lives for, and this is what this guy has worked his whole life to do. He wants it so bad. And I’m sitting there going, ‘This is crazy, man, but I’m going to do it. I’m going to give you your chance.’”