White: Formely sideways relationship with Miletich 100% my fault
Dana White: “Pat’s been sideways with us for awhile and it’s 100 percent my fault… I’ve apologized to him many times and I respect Pat Miletich a lot.”
UFC president recently spoke with Heidi Fang for MMA Fight Corner and discussed the first UFC welterweight champion, Pat Miletich, who will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and the UFC Fan Expo.
White and Miletich have not enjoyed the most amicable relationship, but that appears to be at an end.
Miletich lost his title to Carlos Newton at UFC 31 on May. 4, 2001. Newton’s first title defense went not to Miletich, but to one of his students, Matt Hughes, beginning a dominant run. The Miletich was supposed to have a coaching slot opposite Newton on TUF 3, ending in a rematch. The season was instead given to Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock. Miletich then left the league to coach the IFL’s Iowa Silverbacks.
“Pat’s been sideways with us for awhile and it’s 100 percent my fault. I picked him and Newton to be the coaches of a season of The Ultimate Fighter and then I switched it. And I didn’t handle it the right way. I’ve apologized to him many times and I respect Pat Miletich a lot. I’ve fully owned up to…hurting the relationship and he deserves to be inducted and I’m excited to do it.”