Dana White Under Added Pressure as Another Fight Cancellation Strikes UFC 325

The UFC’s 2026 calendar was supposed to feel like a fresh start on the Paramount-era. Instead, Dana White is now dealing with a familiar and uncomfortable pattern: injuries, cancellations, and last-minute uncertainty stacking up across back-to-back pay-per-views. After UFC 324 lost its highly anticipated co-main event between Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes, another domino fell. This time, it hit UFC 325 in Sydney.

According to a post on X byNolan King, “Jimmy Crute has suffered a ruptured ACL and is out of his #UFC325 bout vs. Dustin Jacoby in Sydney, he just announced on Instagram.” It’s a clean update, but the implications are anything but simple. One more fight gone and one more headache for a promotion already juggling damage control.

UFC 325 is scheduled for January 31, 2026, at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, headlined by a featherweight title rematch between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes. It’s a homecoming card built around national pride, star power, and momentum. Jimmy Crute vs. Dustin Jacoby wasn’t the main attraction, but it mattered, especially in Australia.

Crute, an Aussie native, was one of the key local names anchoring the card. And he wasn’t coming in cold. In 2025, Crute went 2-0-1, including back-to-back first-round stoppages of Marcin Prachnio and Ivan Erslan. The Erslan finish even earned him a Performance of the Night bonus and momentum was finally back on his side after a rocky stretch.

In a video shared to Instagram, Crute delivered the news himself, “Good morning, everyone. I have some pretty disappointing news,” he said. “On Monday, I completely ruptured my ACL. I’m out of my fight Feb. 1 against Dustin. I’m extremely disappointed.” He didn’t hide the frustration, but he also framed the setback with perspective. “In nine, 10 months, I’ll come back stronger. More in tune with my body, stronger legs. God is good, and there’s a reason for this, so, yeah. Little speed bump, but I’ll be back stronger.”

For Dana White, this creates layered pressure. UFC 324 marks the launch of a seven-year, $7.7 billion broadcast partnership with Paramount. UFC 325 follows immediately after, carrying the torch with a championship rematch in Australia. These aren’t throwaway Fight Night cards. They’re pillars of the UFC’s early-2026 narrative.

So what happens now? At the time of writing, it’s unclear whether Dustin Jacoby will remain on UFC 325 with a replacement opponent; however, a surprising name has thrown her name into the mix as a replacement for Kayla Harrison!

Amanda Serrana knocks at the UFC and Dana White’s door with an offer to replace Kayla Harrison

As uncertainty hangs over whether UFC 324 can still feature Amanda Nunes on January 24, an unexpected name has stepped forward: Amanda Serrano! The unified WBO and WBA featherweight boxing champion publicly offered to replace Kayla Harrison on short notice.

After news broke that Harrison’s neck injury would require surgery and sideline her for at least six months, Serrano made her position clear on X with, “If UFC and Amanda Nunes are thinking of a replacement, I would love the challenge as I’m still in fight shape. Hope the champ recovers well.”

On the surface, it sounds wild. A boxer stepping in for what Dana White had called the greatest women’s MMA fight of all time? But dig a little deeper, and the offer isn’t completely random.

Serrano isn’t new to mixed martial arts. She holds a 2-0-1 MMA record, and her most recent appearance came in June 2021, when she submitted Valentina Garcia in just 60 seconds. Her other MMA win, back in 2018, was also a first-round submission

However, from the UFC’s perspective, this is where practicality kicks in. Welcoming Amanda Nunes back from retirement against a non-roster fighter, on short notice, in a different sport, would be a massive risk. Even with Serrano’s MMA experience, the jump from regional MMA appearances to facing the greatest women’s fighter in UFC history is enormous.

As such, for boss Dana White, the next few weeks aren’t about selling cards. They’re about protecting trust, with fighters, broadcasters, and fans alike. And in a sport where timing is everything, that may be the hardest fight of all.

The post Dana White Under Added Pressure as Another Fight Cancellation Strikes UFC 325 appeared first on EssentiallySports.