Zach Bryan paid UFC fighter David Onama for shoutout as singer's ex Brianna Chickenfry was in audience

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The intense UFC fight between David Onama and Roberto Romero on November 16 at Madison Square Garden took an unexpected turn when Zach Bryan was thrust into the spotlight.

After his victory, Onama took to the microphone and gave a shoutout to Bryan, sparking confusion among fans. Now, new reports have revealed that the shoutout was not spontaneous but was paid, the UFC fighter revealed in a recent interview.

UFC fighter David Onama admits he had 'no idea' who Zach Bryan was

What seemed like a casual mention quickly unraveled into something far sketchier. “I wanna come back here next month to watch Zach Bryan in concert. So, I’ll be here for that,” David Onama said during his celebratory remarks, Perez Hilton reported. 

However, it didn’t take long for the shoutout to raise eyebrows as Onama later revealed on the 'Fight Nation' podcast that he was paid to say it. According to the New York Post, Bryan's ex-girlfriend Brianna LaPaglia, aka Brianna Chickenfry, had been in attendance for UFC 309. 

Even more shockingly, the fighter admitted he had no idea who Bryan was. Speaking on the podcast, Onama shared how the peculiar situation unfolded. “My manager [told me], ‘Zach Bryan is here, and he wants you to give him a shoutout for his show here in New York City.’"

"To be honest, I had no idea who Zach Bryan was. I was like, I don’t know who Zach Bryan is, but I’ll give you a shoutout, I’ll give you some love, and that’s why I gave the shoutout,” Onama explained.

To make matters even murkier, reports suggest Bryan wasn’t even at the fight, contrary to what Onama was led to believe.

Speculation swirled that this was a calculated move to take a jab at Bryan's ex-girlfriend Brianna LaPaglia aka Brianna Chickenfry, who was in the audience.

Dave Portnoy slams Zach Bryan as a ‘small, pathetic man’ over UFC shoutout

When the 'Fight Nation' hosts asked if the shoutout was part of a paid promotion, Onama confirmed, “Yup, exactly. That’s literally what it was.”

While he clarified he hadn’t been paid “yet,” his comments suggested he expected compensation soon.

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy wasn’t about to let the incident slide. Taking to TikTok on November 20, he blasted Bryan.

“This small little 4-foot-8 f**king psychopath is that pathetic and that lost where they gotta beg UFC guys for a shoutout just to try to rub it in [Bri’s face]? Like Brianna gives a f**k!” Dave wrote.

Adding a humorous twist to the drama, Onama revealed during the podcast that he’s actually a fan of Morgan Wallen.

The country star’s music, coincidentally, has been tied to Bryan's jealousy in the past—especially when Brianna listened to it. Portnoy couldn’t resist taking another dig at Bryan's alleged insecurity.

“We know you’re popular, Zach, you don’t need to f**king bribe people to say your name, you pathetic little man,” Portnoy continued.

“They did the same thing with a walkout to Something in the Orange. … Like, dude, we get you’re world famous, but everybody knows you’re a f***ing piece of s**t loser,” he added.