For Dana White, UFC 264 will be welcome respite from two gruelling battles that have polarised the MMA community.
White, 51, has been engrossed in public spats for the duration of his tenure as UFC president. The Connecticut-born mogul thrives on battles with all-manner of rivals, from boxing promoters to journalists and even his own fighters.
The UFC supremo has taken aim at the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Bob Arum and Jake Paul, while fan-favourite Nate Diaz warned welterweight contender Leon Edwards 'don't let these motherf*****s tell you ain't s*** name your price or they will name it for you', having endured his fair share of battles with White.
Dana White will welcome UFC 264 as respite amid a gruelling battle with two of his stars
Yet White's latest feuds only appear to harm the UFC, the fans and its two biggest stars: Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou.
Of all the UFC fighters in the promotion's history, no fighter has been better protected by White than Jones.
The UFC chief has resolutely stood by the troubled star throughout his run-ins with the law and his failed drugs tests.
White even took unprecedented action in moving Jones' fight with Dominick Reyes from Las Vegas to California just one week before fight night after Jones failed a Nevada drugs test, a move that had angered some fans.
White has stood his ground in disputes with Jon Jones (left) and Francis Ngannou (right)
The UFC chief has endured his battles over the years and will hope to emerge victorious again
However, battle lines have now been drawn between fighter and promoter over Jones' pay.
The 33-year-old is preparing to move up to heavyweight having conquered the light heavyweight division, and has spent over a year bulking up ahead of his debut in the glamour division.
Fans are excited at the prospect of seeing Jones, widely regarded as the greatest UFC star of all time, test his hand against physically superior rivals, with a mega-fight against Ngannou predicted to be the biggest UFC fight of all time. Yet the American appears some way off setting foot in the octagon.
Jones has made clear his price for facing Ngannou, but White is steadfastly refusing to budge, leaving the pair at a standstill.
'I'm not asking for anything outrageous, and I know we're in a pandemic and I know when you're a multi-millionaire and you're asking for more it makes you seem like this greedy person and I'm aware of all of this,' Jones explained in April.
White and Jones are at loggerheads over his pay ahead of his move up to heavyweight
Ngannou is disappointed that the UFC has scheduled an interim title fight for next month
'But I'm also aware that I have the voice and the platform to make change.
'If I have to have a bad relationship with Dana (White), sit out for two years, three years to bring light to what's happening, then these are the things people remember you for more than winning belts.'
'Yeah, I've absolutely moved on (from the idea of Jones vs Ngannou),' White fired back.
'Listen, I put on fights every Saturday. We have a window where we try to build some fights and make some things happen. If the fights don't happen within that window, we move on.
'There's nothing wrong with going out on top either - Jon Jones is undefeated, he's never been beaten. So, it wouldn't be a bad thing for him to go out on top.'
While Jones and White have tried, and failed, to come to terms over a return to the
