Remember what went down with former UFC standout Darren Till? Pushed into the upper echelon of contenders when ‘The Gorilla’ wasn’t ready. The verbose Liverpudlian was the embodiment of what could have been a 170-pound version of Conor McGregor. Moreover, with a country behind his back, pushing Till to the moon seemed the right option for Dana White and Co. Big mistake! His controversial decision win against Stephen Thompson should have alerted the top brass that he wasn’t ready for the endgame just yet. But as fate has it, Till challenged then-welterweight champ Tyron Woodley in his next outing, and ‘getting absolutely destroyed’ would be an understatement.
A KO loss to a surging Jorge Masvidal next was all that was needed for his downfall! And who can forget the two-fight disaster saga of CM Punk? Signed on the back of a successful WWE stint, ‘The Second City Saint’ failed fabulously in both his UFC outings against prospects like Mickey Gall and Mike Jackson. Both of these cases reflect bad signings but also a case of the UFC failing to prioritize legitimate prospects. And this was recently made more clear when José Medina’s UFC Mexico City outing ended in infamy.
The middleweight was signed despite losing on Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS), a decision that was widely questioned from the start. Now, after a brutal first-round KO loss to Ateba Gautier, those criticisms have turned into full-blown outrage. This anger however isn’t just about Medina. It is about the UFC’s inconsistent recruitment policies. The backlash is growing, as fans believe the UFC is watering down its roster with signings that prioritize hype over ability.
Still have no fucking idea why Dana gave Jose Medina a shot after getting dominated on DWCS
All he did was give him brain damage and $20,000
— Alex Behunin (@AlexBehunin) March 29, 2025
With a history of making questionable recruitment choices, favoring fighters who bring storylines and marketability rather than competitive legitimacy has hampered their careers. With DWCS being a major talent pipeline, this loss has reignited concerns that better fighters are being overlooked in favor of ones who fit the bill. And guess what! Fight fans were having none of it. Let’s see what the MMA community has to say!
Fans rip the UFC and Dana White for Jose Medina’s disastrous signing
The prelims middleweight bout between Jose Medina and Ateba Gautier was over before it even started. Gautier, a physically dominant powerhouse, dismantled Medina in just 3:32 seconds of the very first round via brutal knees and punches, exposing just how much of a mismatch this was. Fans saw it coming—and many blamed Dana White for setting Medina up to fail.
One fan expressed their dismay and said, “The disparity in terms of physique in this fight was absolutely insane. You had the MMA equivalent of the Pillsbury Doughboy fighting against a dude who looked as if he was carved out of stone.”
This was followed by claims that the UFC brass endangered by putting on a massive mismatch. “All he did was give him brain damage and $20,000.” Beyond the backlash, some fans also noted that Medina’s loss raises a larger question: How many deserving fighters have been denied a roster spot for moments like this?
“Honestly, it’s insane and takes away from the sport. Think of some of the talent they’ve passed up on Contender that could have taken that roster spot and had legit fights.” The outrage over Medina’s signing wasn’t just about his loss—it was about the UFC’s entire talent evaluation process. Many fans saw this disaster coming from the moment White handed Medina a contract after his one-sided loss on DWCS.
To them, this was yet another example of the UFC prioritizing marketable storylines over legitimate talent, leading to a predictable and avoidable beatdown. One fan quipped, “They signed this absolute bum just for getting dog walked on the Contender Series…” The UFC’s recruitment system has long been under fire for inconsistency. Fighters like Diego Lopes and Dan Ige were initially snubbed despite proving themselves at a high level, while others, like Medina, were fast-tracked into fights they had no business being in.
Many fans also noted that the UFC broadcast team seemed unsure how to spin the fight, with many noticing the repetitive praise of Medina’s toughness—something that usually translates to a fighter absorbing unnecessary damage rather than showing actual skill. One of them said, “The commentary the whole time was ‘José is so tough’—that’s just a nice way of saying he gets hit so damn much.”
March 29, 2025, Mexico City, Mexico, Las Vegas, NV, United States: Jose Daniel Medina and Ateba Gautier meet in the octagon for a 3-round bout at UFC Fight Night – Moreno vs Erceg at Arena CDMX on March 29, 2025, in Mexico City, Mexico /PxImages Mexico City, Mexico United States – ZUMAp175 20250329_zsa_p175_109 Copyright: xLouisxGrassex
While Medina’s loss stole the headlines, Gautier’s performance was nothing short of terrifying. The Cameroonian prospect, now undefeated in his career, delivered a highlight-reel finish that should have positioned him as a must-watch contender. However, many fans downplayed the win, arguing that beating Medina did nothing to prove Gautier’s legitimacy.
Some believe the UFC set him up with an easy opponent to manufacture hype, similar to the way early mismatches helped build up fighters like Sean O’Malley and Khamzat Chimaev before they faced real challenges. This has led to a bigger debate—is the UFC protecting some fighters while throwing others into unwinnable situations.
If the UFC continues down this path, we could see more one-sided beatdowns, unnecessary damage, and diluted competition. For now, the fans aren’t letting this slide, and Dana White’s talent selection process is once again under the microscope. What are your views on this entire hubbub? Let us know in the comment section below!
The post “Brain Damage and $20,000” – Dana White’s ‘Strangest Signing’ Triggers Fans After UFC Mexico Disaster for Jose Medina appeared first on EssentiallySports.