Dana White: “No Deal in Place to Buy PRIDE”

By Greg Savage

UFC president Dana White told Sherdog.com Saturday night in Las Vegas that there is not a concrete deal in place for Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta to purchase PRIDE at this time.

When questioned about reports claiming PRIDE president Nobuyuki Sakakibara had informed his American staff that PRIDE was in the process of selling to the Fertittas, White quipped: "I ran Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) out there and said he was going to fight Chuck Liddell (Pictures) because Mr. Sakakibara said it was done. So take that for what its worth."

White was adamant about the lack of a deal despite the flurry of reports claiming an agreement had been reached.

"Like most things," he said, "about 70 percent of what you hear is bullshit."

White, who was scheduled to box former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz (Pictures) in an exhibition bout Saturday, declined to comment on the record about the circumstances that prevented the bout.