"Nothing happened behind the scenes. They’re both great guys who have had incredible careers here."
That's Dana White telling TMZ Sports his decision to release Alistair Overeem and Junior dos Santos from the UFC wasn't personal, just business ... and everyone's still on good terms.
Junior dos Santos signed with the UFC in 2008. Overeem has been with UFC since 2011.
Both guys were cut from the UFC roster this week -- so when we spoke with Dana on Thursday .