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UFC Broadcast Mislabels Shakur Stevenson as Jalen Williams

Dana White warned the on-air mistake harms the promotion’s reputation after he recently signed Stevenson to Zuffa Boxing.

Overview

  • The UFC 329 broadcast showed Shakur Stevenson in the crowd on Saturday but displayed a lower‑third that read “Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder,” a misidentification that was captured and shared widely online.
  • Play‑by‑play announcer Jon Anik immediately flagged the error on air, and the clip went viral as viewers and sports personalities reacted across social platforms.
  • At the post‑fight press conference Dana White angrily blamed his production team, saying the mistake was unacceptable given Stevenson’s recent signing and the company’s past production work.
  • Reporters noted the error fits a pattern of past celebrity‑cam gaffes for the UFC and suggested a likely technical titlecard mix‑up as a possible cause, but no formal internal findings or corrective steps have been disclosed.
  • Beyond the immediate embarrassment, the blunder raises reputational and commercial concerns for Zuffa Boxing because it occurred during Stevenson’s public debut with the promotion and highlights a recurring weakness in UFC broadcast workflows.