Dana White

[GeneChing]

Check out Dana's ESPN interview

White not worried about the competition (http://sports.espn.go.com/extra/mma/news/story?id=2928261)
By Ryan Hockensmith
ESPN The Magazine
Updated: July 11, 2007, 11:57 AM ET

You wouldn't expect a wallflower to be in charge of the largest sanctioning body in mixed martial arts. And because Dana White, 36, has been UFC president since Jan. 15, 2001, you get the feeling he knows how to get things done. The former boxer and manager of UFC fighters Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell sat down for an interview with ESPN.com and -- surprise, surprise -- he didn't pull any punches.

ESPN.com: You ran into an interesting problem this season with "The Ultimate Fighter." You had a brawl at the house between two fighters, and you reacted with a passionate speech about how too many people think that MMA is just a bunch of brawlers beating the crap out of each other. But there was also the urge to see those two in the octagon, and the UFC actually announced that that would be a fight. Take us through that decision-making process.
Dana White: Spike really wanted that fight to happen, and we ended up booking the fight. Then I realized, 'How the [expletive] did we book that fight?' That fight will probably happen somewhere else, but it won't happen in the UFC. The thing that people have to realize is in "The Ultimate Fighter," those guys aren't UFC fighters. They want to be UFC fighters. We're looking at them through this microscope and looking at all their strengths and weaknesses. Not just in fighting, but in everyday life. Do they drink too much? Do they do this or that? We're looking for the next guy who can become a world champion. If you ask people out there, they'd love to see those two fight. But if you asked them if those two guys deserved to be in the UFC, everybody would tell you no.

ESPN.com: At UFC 75, Dan Henderson will fight Rampage Jackson. Is this a unification bout or is this just for the UFC title?
DW: It will absolutely be a unification bout. We have to respect Henderson's titles. He knocked out Wanderlei Silva and had the 185-pound championship. When he fights Rampage, they both have belts. Why should Dan Henderson get the UFC title if Rampage can't get the PRIDE titles? It makes one of them the undisputed guy.

ESPN.com: Chuck Liddell versus Wanderlei Silva. Is it going happen?
DW: God, I hope so. So many people have wanted to see that fight for so many years, and PRIDE basically killed the fight. Now that Chuck has lost, the fight makes more sense, and I'd love to make it happen. We're on the phone every day with fighters and fighters' managers. There's still work to be done.

ESPN.com: Will this fight happen in the next six months?
DW: I'd say yes. I honestly believe that. But when you're dealing with me, I don't believe there is a fight we can't make, a TV deal we can't do. I'm a very positive guy.

ESPN.com: What is Chuck up to these days?
DW: He's texting me every day, telling me he's ready to go: "When am I fighting? Who am I fighting?" He's already training again. He's ready.

ESPN.com: What about the rumor that there will be a UFC event in November in New Jersey, at the new New Jersey Devils arena? True?
DW: It's true, it's true. It's going to happen. We haven't announced it yet, but it will be a pay-per-view.

ESPN.com: Where are you with the New York athletic control board?
DW: We haven't even started working on them yet. We just got done in Illinois and Michigan. We'll start working on New York next.

ESPN.com: What's that process like?
DW: This thing is so big now. Everybody gets it. There's not a whole lot of explaining to do. There aren't a lot of stupid questions anymore. Rather than us going in to sell people, the control boards want it in their states.

ESPN.com: How do you feel about the IFL, Bodog, EliteXC and other competition popping up?
DW: It's good for us. I don't look at those guys as competition at all. They're nowhere near the league that we're in. I need shows like that. They're the feeder leagues. All the guys who fight in those shows aspire to be in the UFC someday. They're creating all the UFC talent of tomorrow.
Dana White

ESPN.com: Do you watch other shows?
DW: I actually watched the IFL once, and it was [expletive] painful. These guys are minor league shows. They're necessary. I need them to exist, to continue to pay money to put on their shows. I need them to create more talent and get guys experience in fighting. But I don't worry about them. I'll give you an example. There are races going on all over the country, every weekend. But you know when NASCAR rolls into town.

ESPN.com: Did you watch Showtime EliteXC's Phil Baroni versus Frank Shamrock recently?
DW: I had dinner at the Palms, and I had them put it on in the room because I wanted to see Baroni knock his head off. It didn't work out that way.

ESPN.com: What did you think of their skill levels?
DW: They both looked bad. Phil's a good friend of mine, so it's unfortunate. Frank Shamrock is not going to fight anybody near the top-10 level.

ESPN.com: You wouldn't be tempted to bring back Frank for a big event?
DW: Who knows? But Frank is such a moron. He's so hard to deal with. He really is a *******. If I could get it done, maybe I would. Look at me and Tito. We don't get along at all. You won't ever find two people who work together talk more [expletive] about each other. Tito's an idiot. He's a complete, absolute moron. But we can do business.

ESPN.com: So why not kill two birds with one stone. How about Tito versus Frank Shamrock?
DW: Frank Shamrock would never fight Tito Ortiz. Tito would crush him. Frank's not going to fight anybody serious. He's going to very carefully handpick his opponents, and continue to play the smoke and mirrors game.

ESPN.com: When did you know that all the work was paying off and that the UFC was about to hit it big?
DW: When we got the Spike deal. We knew when we first bought this, we knew we needed to get sanctioned. Once we did that, we knew that would help us get back on PPV. Once we got back on PPV, we knew it was going to be very hard to get on free TV. But once we got on TV, we knew we could do it.

ESPN.com: But you also had to deliver a good TV series.
DW: It really did work out. If you really knew the backstory, it's [expletive] crazy. We financed the whole show ourselves; Spike wouldn't pay for it. It cost us $10 million the first season. We decided to take the shot because we believed it would work. We picked these fighters to come on, but we had no [expletive] clue what we were doing. We had a basic premise on how this show was going to work. We went and found these guys. But everything else just unfolded. I was out one day trying to get sponsors, and Lorenzo Fertita stopped by the gym. "The Contender" had started a week before everybody moved into the house. On "The Contender," it was on NBC, they had sponsors out the [expletive] and they got paid good money for every fight. When the guys heard they weren't getting paid, Lorenzo called me and said, "They're all saying they won't fight." I said, "Really? I guarantee you they'll fight." I went down and gave them the "Do you want to be a fighter" speech? That speech was 20 minutes, but you didn't see that on TV. Season 1 was an incredible, lucky experience.

ESPN.com: Let's run through some quick UFC questions. How many PPVs for the coming year?
DW: We want 10.

ESPN.com: When's the HBO deal going to get done?
DW: It will be done very soon, in a matter of weeks. People don't realize this stuff isn't easy to get done.

ESPN.com: Fedor Emialenenko -- when will he be in the UFC?
DW: We'll have him soon. We'll have him before the end of the year.

ESPN.com: What's the process? Do you talk to his agent? To Bodog?
DW: We don't talk to Bodog. We talk to his managers twice a day.

ESPN.com: Twice a day?
DW: It's not easy to get these contracts done. It takes time and a lot of work. There are a million sticking points. Every guy has his own set of issues, what is important to him. Plus, we have our set of standards. It takes time and a lot of negotiating. There are a lot of trust issues in this business. We want people to trust us. We're having fun. We love this business. You won't find people who love this sport who promote it as much as us. We really, truly love this thing. We bought this and were investing in this when we were losing millions of dollars and nobody cared about it. It never looked like we were going to make it on pay-per-view, let alone free TV. At the end of the day, we don't want guys who are unhappy fighting with us.

ESPN.com: The original plan was to have mega PRIDE versus UFC events. Is that still the plan?
DW: I don't know what we're going to do yet because that thing is so messed up. We're still trying to figure it out. It's a complete disaster. They went out of business for a reason.

Ryan Hockensmith is an associate editor at ESPN The Magazine.

[sanjuro_ronin]

LOL @ Dana trying to 'entice" Frank with the "he sucks" approach !

[Iron_Eagle_76]

Every time I see Dana White I think of a younger Don King. The guy seems like a scumbag to me, through and through. Although I respect what he and the Ferritei? brothers have done to make MMA mainstream and a more respected sport, I always get the feeling he would sell his and every fighter under him's soul if he had to. Then again he may be Mother Theresa reincarnated, but I kinda doubt that one:D

[BruceSteveRoy]

what deal are they trying to hammer out with HBO?

[banditshaw]

Oh so he is Tito's manager huh?
Makes sense considering Tito's last two fights in Cali ended up more favorable to him. While IMO he was beat 1st by Forest Griffin and 2nd by Rashad Evans. Even though probably the Rashad fight was tougher to call.

I guess Tito has to get KTFO to lose.

[BruceSteveRoy]

he used to be tito's manager . back befiore he ran the ufc. thats why they hate each other. tito thinks white turned his back on him when he stopped being his manager and then as president tried to screw him over with his contract. that was a long time ago.

[BruceSteveRoy]

i dont remember the griffin fight as well but i know with the evans fight tito only got the draw rather than a loss bc he lost a point. my reasoning is that if he hadn't grabbed it and evans had slammed him that would have won the round for evans which would have put him up 2 rounds to 1. but since tito wasn't slammed he won the round but lost the point. tito was clearly better in round one and evans was clearly better in round 3.

so yeah it was a close fight, in the end i would probably have to give it to evans. but you never know what would have happened. maybe tito would have pulled ahead in spite of being taken down if he hadn't grabbed the fence.

[Shaolinlueb]

fedor would be coming!!! nice.

[jow yeroc]

I dunno, seems to me that whenever pride guys jump ship to ufc it's never
a walk in the park for them. One trick pony Crocop was dissapointing and
Noguiera nearly got ktfo. He should've lost but the other guy didn't capitalize!
Rampage and Henderson should be interesting.

[tattooedmonk]

Every time I see Dana White I think of a younger Don King. The guy seems like a scumbag to me, through and through. Although I respect what he and the Ferritei? brothers have done to make MMA mainstream and a more respected sport, I always get the feeling he would sell his and every fighter under him's soul if he had to. Then again he may be Mother Theresa reincarnated, but I kinda doubt that one:DInteresting observation . Thanks:D

[Lama Pai Sifu]

Oh so he is Tito's manager huh?
Makes sense considering Tito's last two fights in Cali ended up more favorable to him. While IMO he was beat 1st by Forest Griffin and 2nd by Rashad Evans. Even though probably the Rashad fight was tougher to call.

I guess Tito has to get KTFO to lose.


dana white WAS Tito's manager BEFORE the bought the UFC. Their relationship, as far as fighter and manager goes, has been over for years.

And why don't some of you stop being haters?

[banditshaw]

dana white WAS Tito's manager BEFORE the bought the UFC. Their relationship, as far as fighter and manager goes, has been over for years.

And why don't you all stop being haters.

Thanks, Brucesteveroy made that known a few posts back.

I don't hate on the UFC. I quite enjoy it. I just thought some of the decisions were a little biased towards Tito. It's to be expected tho cuz Tito's been in the game longer and he is a crowd drawer.

[tattooedmonk]

Thanks, Brucesteveroy made that known a few posts back.

I don't hate on the UFC. I quite enjoy it. I just thought some of the decisions were a little biased towards Tito. It's to be expected tho cuz Tito's been in the game longer and he is a crowd drawer.Another interesting observation. Thanks:D:cool:

[Three Harmonies]

Fedor will clean house in the UFC. White needs to be careful what he asks for! ;)

[AmanuJRY]

I dunno, seems to me that whenever pride guys jump ship to ufc it's never
a walk in the park for them. One trick pony Crocop was dissapointing and
Noguiera nearly got ktfo. He should've lost but the other guy didn't capitalize!
Rampage and Henderson should be interesting.

Fedor will have little difficulty in the UFC, IMO.

How would Mark Hunt do in the UFC? He's probably the hardest one for Fedor to finish in the last year or so...


I don't hate on the UFC. I quite enjoy it. I just thought some of the decisions were a little biased towards Tito. It's to be expected tho cuz Tito's been in the game longer and he is a crowd drawer.

Think about the last two Ortiz/Liddel fights, Dana seemed to favor Liddel and I've had that opinion since the fights (first fight, TKO to Liddel after jabbing a thumb in Tito's eye, second TKO to Liddel, questionable ref stoppage).

[ayana]

thanks for this interview :)

[PangQuan]

Dunno. I dont subsribe to cabel TV.

waste of money if you ask me.

So i get FOX for free, HUGE NETWORK

they air IFL 2 or 3 times a week so I watch that A lot...I wouldnt say it sucks....but I also wouldnt say UFC is the best.

Personally i enjoy watching 2 hours of back to back to back fights, many of them being great fights with guys who have a lot of experience.

and LOL at DW comparing UFC to NASCAR :eek:

[BruceSteveRoy]

....but I also wouldnt say UFC is the best.
:

you don't have to but not saying it isn't going to make it less true.

[PangQuan]

I suppose its all a matter of personal opinion.

[kungfufan]

http://mmayou.com/news-and-exclusive-interviews-with-mmayou/37-fighters/174-kimbo-slice-responds-to-dana-white-and-chuck-liddell

[Oso]

dude, your link fu sucks...two links, no dice...

[WanderingMonk]

this cat joined on 5/19/08, posted four thread, apparently all about mmayou.com

all dead links

all are exclusive interview of big name with an unknown site, blah, blah


sound like someone was pumping another site via KFM

[kungfufan]

dude, your link fu sucks...two links, no dice...

Their site keeps crashing. They even have a notice up now that they are switching servers etc...

[Oso]

their main page isn't even coming up

[kungfufan]

their main page isn't even coming up

Not sure why. It is working for me.

Here is the link, relax Oso:
http://mmayou.com/news-and-exclusive-interviews-with-mmayou/37-fighters/174-kimbo-slice-responds-to-dana-white-and-chuck-liddell

[Oso]

http://mmayou.com/news-and-exclusive-interviews-with-mmayou/37-fighters/174-kimbo-slice-responds-to-dana-white-and-chuck-liddell

http://mmayou.com/news-and-exclusive-interviews-with-mmayou/

http://mmayou.com/news-and-exclusive-interviews-with-mmayou/37-fighters/

www.mmayou.com

mmayou.com

http://www11.charter.net/search?qo=www.mmayou.com&rn=bs9Nerw4MjqF8UE

[Seppukku]

Not sure why. It is working for me.

Here is his response (can I post full interviews on here?)
MMAyou.com: That’s awesome. Speaking of your opponents, are you fighting Mike Tyson next? There’s been rumors about it.

Ferguson: I don’t know about that dude. We’re gonna keep that one on the hush-hush.

MMAyou.com: (laughing) Alright. Is there anyone you’d like to face right now?

Ferguson: Nah, I’m just… I don’t want to call anyone out cause to me that’s kind of rude, you know? To just assume you’re gonna kick someone’s ass. You just gotta be prepared for a battle, you know what I‘m sayin? That’s what it’s all about. One on one. Two guys getting in there and it’s a real life chess game.

They also had an interview with Kimbo Slice and Jet Li:

Kimbo Slice: I learned everything I know about fighting from watchin' yo movies, Jet.

Jet Li: I can tell. You're techniques is straight out of wushu, homes. Straight up. You beat Tank Abbot with a move I did in Fist of Legend, right?

Kimbo Slice: I did. It was friggin' sweet.

[Oso]

http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/mma.cfm?go=forum.posts&thread=1281856&page=1

[kungfufan]

MMAyou.com: You’ve gotten some criticism in the press from Dana White and Chuck Liddell. Do you have a message for Dana and Chuck?

Ferguson: Yeah, I love those guys. They’re great guys. I’m a big fan of the UFC. Chuck is one of my great fighters. I love watching him fight, I love his performances. I love what Dana White’s done for the sport man and if it wasn’t for those guys I wouldn’t be where I am today. I thank God for them and God bless them.

[MasterKiller]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkYC8TBzmmQ

[Oso]

sounds like Dana's bodyguards might be earning their money for real.

[冠木侍]

He's always been very opinionated about a lot of things. It's good he still has a sense of good business practices and ethics.

[GeneChing]

I was channel surfing last night and what do I see?


NBC's 'Momma's Boys' gets interesting: UFC's Dana White and Tyler Florence booked (http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1447204.php/NBCs_Mommas_Boys_gets_interesting_UFCs_Dana_White_ and_Tyler_Florence_booked)

Bet Seacrest's mom is a tough customer too... - Ryan Seacrest - 2nd Anniversary of

Bet Seacrest's mom is a tough customer too... - Ryan Seacrest - 2nd Anniversary of "Radio Lollipop" with KIIS FM & CHOC - Childerens Hospital of Orange County, CA - Orange, CA © Dean Kirkland / PR Photos

By April MacIntyre Dec 8, 2008, 20:03 GMT

With this bit of news, now I am really intrigued to see where Ryan Seacrest's new reality show is going.

UFC president Dana White and Tyler Florence, chef and star of the Food Network, are booked to guest-star on NBC's new dating series "Momma's Boys" (December 16 premiere).

The show is "girlfriend vs guy's Mother" premise, as three overly loving mothers help their complacent (lazy) sons choose the perfect woman.

By the way, there is no such thing, right?

White will guest-star in the series' two-hour second episode on Monday, December 22 (9-11 p.m.) and Florence will guest star in the third episode airing Monday, December 29 (10-11 p.m. ET).

NBC sent over the future episode descriptions.

MOMMA'S BOYS
MONDAY, DECEMBER 22 (9-11 p.m. ET)
In the aftermath of the women's face-off with Mrs. Bojanowski, they must now take on their first suitability challenge. White and some of the UFC's top trainers and fighters put the 32 women through a demanding physical challenge as the Moms look on to determine which of the young women are the best mates for their sons. The competition is fierce and the four women who win the challenge are exempt from the boys' first elimination.

Unfortunately, I just caught the very end of the segment so I didn't see the training. That's got to be the stupidest show of the new season.

[BentMonk]

Good interview. Thanks for posting it Gene.

Dana White speaks his mind, and is blunt as hell. I think he's done a great job turning the UFC from a bunch of semi-organized street brawls, into a genuine sport with true athletes. To compare him to Don King is inaccurate IMO. It should be obvious that Dana has integrity, a quality Don King is devoid of. I'm interested to see how long Mr. White's "my way or the highway" attitude lasts as the amount of money the UFC generates continues to grow. I think anyone who invests as much of themselves and their own money into something deserves whatever success comes their way. Now if Dana could just get a fighter from Kentucky who doesn't perpetuate the "drunken redneck" stereotype. Word is Junie's BS was planned, but d*mn dude...you couldn't have found a better way to get attention. lol :D

[SAAMAG]

The UFC was purchased by the brothers, not Dana. Dana was just the guy who approached the brothers advising that it [the purchase of the almost defunct UFC] would be a good investment. He didn't produce the capital. As a byproduct, he owns 10% of the franchise and the 90% goes to the brothers.

He's the face of the UFC...and is making a lot of money. I think that he is a ***** in terms of how he treats some of the fighters, but at the same time some of the fighters are thinking they're worth more than they are. It's hard to know what happens behind the scenes with all the he said-he said bull****.

[GeneChing]

Dana always has interesting take on things....;)

Dana White talks 2020 (http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/dec/27/dana-white-talks-2020/)
UFC president looks ahead to another decade of growth for mixed martial arts
By Brett Okamoto (contact)
Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009 | 4:03 p.m.

The following was pulled from comments made by UFC president Dana White during a conversation with the Las Vegas Sun.

This last year was a big one for mixed martial arts.

The sport was just sanctioned in Massachusetts and Vancouver. We’re going to get it done in Ontario in New York in 2010. We’re working on taking the UFC global. We’ve already done Germany, England and Ireland and we just sold 22,000 seats for an event in Australia in 15 minutes.

That said: Las Vegas is the Mecca for fighting.

Between the UFC and our sister company the WEC, the economic impact fighting has in Las Vegas is astronomical. And I’m from here. I lived in Boston for awhile, I love it too, but the reality is I’m from Las Vegas.

Every time I walk through the back of the MGM Grand or Mandalay Bay, valet parkers and waiters will stop me and say, ‘Dana, thank you for bringing the event here this weekend.’ That’s when these guys make their money. We bring a lot of people into town for these events and we bring them regularly.

People were saying I was a lunatic 10 years ago, but this thing is going to be the biggest sport in the world. The stuff we’re working on right now on so many levels is mindboggling.

The reason I say that is, think about this. Right now in the United States, there is nothing bigger than the NFL. It is huge. But the NFL has been spending billions of dollars trying to break into other countries and it’s not working. You know why? Because these people in other countries don’t care about American football. They didn’t grow up playing it and they’re not invested in American teams.

I take two guys and put them in an octagon and they can use any martial art they want — that transcends all culture barriers. Right now we are on some form of television in over 175 countries. We’re all human beings and we all get fighting.

The UFC will be on network television by 2020, but we’re not going to go out and do a stupid deal because we don’t need them. We built this thing without help from anybody and that’s why the UFC has been able to flourish even in these hard times.

The greatest challenge is time. There’s not enough time in the day to do all the things we need to do. That’s basically the toughest part. And throwing more bodies at it isn’t the answer. Me and Lorenzo Fertitta will sit down and figure out a game plan for the next 10 years and we’ll execute it.

Moving forward, the Fertittas have already shown they’re willing to put their money where their mouth is. When we were about $20 million in the hole, Lorenzo called me one day and said he couldn’t do it anymore. He told me to get on the street and figure out what we could get for this thing. I called him back that night and said somewhere in between $4 million and $7 million dollars. He called me back the next day and had changed his mind and wanted to keep going. The Fertittas believed in this thing, they put money into it and, when things went bad, they put more money into it.

Is 2020 enough time to make this the biggest sport in the world? Yeah. Hell yeah.

[uki]

what a crock of sh!t...

[GeneChing]

I would enjoy hearing his address there.

August 31, 2010, 11:31 am
This House Has No Confidence in Her Majesty’s Jujitsu Skills: U.F.C. Coming to the Oxford Union (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/31/this-house-has-no-confidence-in-her-majestys-jujitsu-skills-u-f-c-coming-to-the-oxford-union/?ref=arts)
By DAVE ITZKOFF

Just when things were starting to quiet down on the drama-ridden campus of Oxford University, that august institution has opened the door to more knuckle-bruising, eyebrow-lacerating, face-contusing conflict – and this time, on purpose.

After the bitterly fought contest for its professor of poetry seat, and the appointment of Trevor Nunn to a visiting professorship that bears the name of his colleague-turned-nemesis Cameron Mackintosh, Oxford is now bracing itself for a visit from Dana White, the president of Ultimate Fighting Championship, who has been invited to address the Oxford Union Society in the fall.

Mr. White, the 41-year-old athlete and entrepreneur who has helped guide U.F.C. from sideshow status to a mainstream, internationally televised mixed martial arts competition, has been asked to speak to the Oxford Union on Oct. 13.

Assuming you’ve misplaced your British history books beneath your piles of gauze and antiseptic, the Oxford Union is the 187-year-old debating society whose alumni include former British prime ministers like William Ewart Gladstone and Edward Heath, Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, and Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister of Pakistan. A variety of speakers have addressed the union, including the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa, as well as Jon Bon Jovi and Kermit the Frog, none of whom were previously associated with an octagonal fighting ring.

[Wayfaring]

Do you wanna be a f'ing scholar???????

[BJJ-Blue]

The UFC was purchased by the brothers, not Dana. Dana was just the guy who approached the brothers advising that it [the purchase of the almost defunct UFC] would be a good investment. He didn't produce the capital. As a byproduct, he owns 10% of the franchise and the 90% goes to the brothers.

He's the face of the UFC...and is making a lot of money. I think that he is a ***** in terms of how he treats some of the fighters, but at the same time some of the fighters are thinking they're worth more than they are. It's hard to know what happens behind the scenes with all the he said-he said bull****.

True. And while he may be abrasive and cocky, White took a company involved in a fringe sport and drowning in red ink and under his guidance the company is making 10s of millions of dollars in profit per year and MMA is now a mainstream sport.

[Ultimatewingchun]

True.

But he's waaay too much of a control freak. Kinda reminds me of the George Steinbrenner from 35 years ago: puts out a good product - but treats a lot of people like 5hit in the process.

He needs to back off all the over-the-top egotistical controls and sign Fedor, Werdum, and Barnett.

Now add Lesnar, Cain, Carwin, and Velasquez to the mix and you could have a heavyweight division that would sizzle with awesome main events for the next 5-6-7 years.

Alot more interesting than seeing yet another Ortiz/Shamrock matchup, don't ya' think?

[Syn7]

its the whole exclusivity thing thats the problem... not being able to fight outside of the organization... if it doesnt change, in the future there will always be arguments about whos the best champion becoz their will be like 7 champions and no chance of unification matches...

is that fedors issue? being controlled? or is it about money???
i dunno why barnett isnt there right now either... he should be... i know he speaks his mind about dana white, maybe thats why? i havent read anything recent about barnett... i always liked him... was he under contract with pride when it went over to zuffa?

[Frost]

its the whole exclusivity thing thats the problem... not being able to fight outside of the organization... if it doesnt change, in the future there will always be arguments about whos the best champion becoz their will be like 7 champions and no chance of unification matches...

is that fedors issue? being controlled? or is it about money???
i dunno why barnett isnt there right now either... he should be... i know he speaks his mind about dana white, maybe thats why? i havent read anything recent about barnett... i always liked him... was he under contract with pride when it went over to zuffa?

It wont be a major problem, UFCs so dominant that apart from Fedor no one else could really claim to be the No1 in their weight catagory outside of the UFC, and you can understand why from a busniess point of view, UFC is the biggest org why risk one of their stars losing outside the UFC when in reality they can make just as much money keeping things in house

barnetts not there because of the slight issue of PEDs :)

Fedors issue was money, control and Dana being well Dana (ie a pri*k) he insults fighters who arent under his org then trys to land them a few months later, works with most of them but Fedor told him to stuff it...

[Syn7]

It wont be a major problem, UFCs so dominant that apart from Fedor no one else could really claim to be the No1 in their weight catagory outside of the UFC, and you can understand why from a busniess point of view, UFC is the biggest org why risk one of their stars losing outside the UFC when in reality they can make just as much money keeping things in house

barnetts not there because of the slight issue of PEDs :)

Fedors issue was money, control and Dana being well Dana (ie a pri*k) he insults fighters who arent under his org then trys to land them a few months later, works with most of them but Fedor told him to stuff it...

oh thats right... i forgot about the barnett ped thing... that was awhile ago now, lots of people scored poisitive and went back... melvin guillard comes to mind... im sure there are tons, it doesnt exactly make the front page... unless its some superstar it can slide under the radar for the most part... esspecially since its so common... for all sports...


cant blame white for his methods... its working out for him...

[Frost]

oh thats right... i forgot about the barnett ped thing... that was awhile ago now, lots of people scored poisitive and went back... melvin guillard comes to mind... im sure there are tons, it doesnt exactly make the front page... unless its some superstar it can slide under the radar for the most part... esspecially since its so common... for all sports...


cant blame white for his methods... its working out for him...

if i remember rightly he failed twice, once years ago and once again a year or so ago just before the fedor fight.... add to that hes not that popular or well known in the USA (spent years in japan) why bother with him?

[Syn7]

yeah they loved that guy in pride... pancrase too... i think enough americans know who he is... i like all the oldskool catch wrestlers and whatnot... they dont need barnett, per se, but they need to start stacking the division... its looking pretty sparse these days... LH's too... seems like the lightweights and welters are stealing the show... and ofcourse the feathers and bantams in wec... i love watching the little guys... any pro has skills, any weight, but the lighter guys can go harder faster longer for the most part... these bluto types get the blood flowing and they gas by the end of round two... and thats the worst when its two big grapplers... esspecially a champ match... 25 minutes dryhump fest... two tired guys pushing against eachother for 5 rounds... yaay:rolleyes:

[GeneChing]

Maine high school gets $100K gift from president of Ultimate Fighting Championship (http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/story/b6a55324ee7a462f90d26424e70a9802/ME--Martial-Arts-Donation/)
* First Posted: May 04, 2011 - 9:26 am
Last Updated: May 04, 2011 - 9:27 am


HERMON, Maine — A Maine high school's athletic facilities are being upgraded thanks to a $100,000 gift from the head of a top mixed martial arts association.

Dana White donated the money to Hermon High School, where he graduated in 1987. White now lives near Las Vegas and is president and CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The money has bought a scoreboard and message board that will be installed on the school's athletic field. Also being purchased is a new grandstand and other seating to increase the capacity.

Principal Brian Walsh told the Bangor Daily News that White made the donation following a visit to the area last Labor Day weekend.

Mixed martial arts is a combat sport that combines elements of karate, judo, jiu-jitsu, boxing, kickboxing and wrestling.
Offhand, does anyone know how much Dana is worth? That should be websearchable, but I'm not going to bother with it now.

[JamesC]

Not much, imo.

[MasterKiller]

Offhand, does anyone know how much Dana is worth? That should be websearchable, but I'm not going to bother with it now.

I believe he owns a 9% stake in the UFC. So, maybe $90,000,000.

[bawang]

dana is a plastic bag containing mixture of lube and feces

[Lucas]

dana is a plastic bag containing mixture of lube and feces

i wish this popped up on top hit on google when u google dana whites name :(

fortunately this thread is the top hit if you google 'dana white kungfu' hahahah

[GeneChing]

An article on White in today's LA Times

Dana White — 'The Baldfather' — pulls all the strings at UFC (http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-ufc-dana-white-20111228,0,970295.story?track=lat-pick)
With street smarts and a dominating personality, Dana White has helped build UFC into a billion-dollar enterprise that dominates mixed martial arts. He demands control over nuts-and-bolts details and doesn't forgive easily, but he says he has no regrets.

By Baxter Holmes
December 27, 2011, 6:32 p.m.

Two men tied to reputed Boston crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger came to collect money.

"I knew one of the guys," says Dana White, recalling the mid-1990s incident, "and he was [Bulger's] right-hand man."

The shakedown, for the regular payment allegedly charged to run a business in Bulger's territory, came while White was teaching a boxercise class at a South Boston health club. White didn't have the money, so he left Boston and moved back to Las Vegas, where he had gone to high school.

"I used to think that Mafia movies were really cool and fun to watch," White says, laughing, "until that ... happens to you, then it's not cool anymore."

PHOTOS: UFC 140

White, 42, has recounted this story before, but its ironic underlining has thickened over the years as the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship has developed what many say is a "Godfather"-like grip over the lucrative world of mixed martial arts. No one is alleging any illegal activity, of course, but White will quickly cut fighters from UFC if he perceives them to be acting in a way that isn't in the UFC's best interests.

Even White's nickname, "The Baldfather," casts him as a don who commands undying loyalty rather than simply as an executive in charge of the UFC, a billion-dollar enterprise that dominates the sport.

Mixed martial arts trainer and agent Jeff Clark said there's a healthy amount of fear of White within the business. "Any good leader needs to set a clear-cut line [that] if you cross him and go against him, there will be consequences," Clark says, "and he certainly does that."

In 2008, White severed ties with several fighters from the American Kickboxing Academy, including Jon Fitch, one of the UFC's top-ranked welterweights, over an alleged merchandising dispute.

Rob Maysey, a Phoenix-based lawyer, says since 2006 he's tried to organize MMA fighters into an association, but the fighters fear being cut from the UFC by White. "'Convince me Dana White is not going to do anything to me,'" Maysey said. "They all say that."

And if a fighter isn't up to snuff, White can take swift action.

He fired popular heavyweight Kimbo Slice, citing ineffectiveness, after a fight in 2010. Slice was the same fighter White had said was terrible two years earlier when Slice was fighting for a competing MMA organization, EliteXC, before Slice joined the UFC.

White, ever confident, laughs at the idea that fear is part of his management style.

"Let me tell you what you hear," he says. " 'We're a monopoly, there's this thing of fear in all the fighters, there's this, there's that.' It's such a crock...."

UFC legend Tito Ortiz has had a rocky relationship with White. In late 2007, Ortiz entered into a well-publicized feud with him, arguing that he wasn't being paid enough, and Ortiz split from the UFC.

"He's a bully. He always has been," Ortiz, known as the "Huntington Beach Bad Boy," later said of White.

But after a short hiatus, Ortiz returned to the UFC in 2009 with a milder approach. "You will never hear anything about money out of my mouth ever again," Ortiz said then.

Today, Ortiz says the two have strong personalities, which is why they butted heads so often.

He compares their relationship, which began in 2001 when White managed Ortiz, to a damaged bridge. "It takes many years to repair that bridge," Ortiz says, "and I'm still trying to do that now."

Can White forgive? "If I didn't, Tito wouldn't be here right now," White says of Ortiz's return to the UFC.

Many others around the sport have had run-ins with White or, by extension, the UFC.

In some cases, the UFC's parent company, Zuffa LLC, has bought out its top competition, such as when it acquired Pride Fighting Championships in 2007 and Strikeforce this year.

In others, White has taken a different approach.

In 2008, the Affliction mixed martial arts show was scheduled to air its first pay-per-view fight. But just weeks before it aired, White threw together a competing rival card to air the same night on cable — a tactic known as counterprogramming.

"He's a determined person," says Tom Atencio, the former face of Affliction who stepped down this year.

Although White doesn't discuss it, one of his most strained relationships is with his mother, June. This year she wrote an unauthorized biography of her son that criticized him for a number of failings in his family and professional life, and on the final page says, "I'm just disappointed in my son."

White's street smarts

UFC Chairman Lorenzo Fertitta believes only Dana White, his high school classmate, could have taken the UFC from the brink of bankruptcy to its current success. "I'm convinced if we hired someone with a Harvard MBA, we'd be out of business by now," Fertitta says.

White only briefly attended college, , but Fertitta says White's street smarts — honed during such South Boston jobs as pouring asphalt and being a bar bouncer — set him apart. "He's just a very, very smart person who knows how to read other people," Fertitta says.

White, an ex-amateur boxer, was an experienced MMA promoter from his time managing Ortiz and Chuck Liddell in Las Vegas.

In 2001, White persuaded Fertitta and his brother Frank, two Las Vegas casino owners, to buy the foundering UFC for $2 million. White has run the company ever since and gets credit for building MMA into a mainstream sport that's drawn young fans away from boxing. The Fertitta brothers are now billionaires, according to Forbes, thanks to their UFC investment.

A key talking point for White is that boxing's demise is attributed to corruption, greed and fragmentation.

Because of this view, he fights to maintain dictator-like control of the UFC in an effort to further legitimize MMA, a sport Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) once called "human ****fighting."

White handles everything almost as he did when the UFC had only four employees. Few tasks are delegated, even today. He still picks the walk-out music for fighters, gives them pep talks and oversees production plans before fights.

If White ran boxing as he does the UFC, with complete control and perhaps similar heavy-handedness, some believe boxing would improve.

"If boxing was run by Dana White, do you think there would be this two-year holdup of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather [fight]?" asked longtime Philadelphia Daily News boxing writer Bernard Fernandez. "I don't think so."

White's demand for control in fight telecasts, of the loud music, camera angles, the entry of his fighters, is the paramount reason why UFC turned down numerous TV deals, including with HBO. "I just always knew we had to do it the way we wanted to do it," White says.

It paid off as the UFC signed a seven-year deal with Fox in August that is worth a reported $100 million annually.

But as the UFC enters into more of the mainstream, how does White balance his bad-boy attitude now that the UFC is more beholden to new corporate sponsors?

"Let's be honest," White asks. "How bad is my attitude?"
continued next post

[GeneChing]

...from previous post

The direct approach

"I like to swear," White says.

And he does.

"He comes off like a drunk sailor," says UFC lightweight fighter Antonio McKee.

White's language is as raw as his personality.

"If I don't like you, I'll let you know I don't like you," White says.

"Maybe, yeah, I'm a little different than what the sports world is used to seeing, but when it comes down to what I do for a living and dealing with the networks and sponsors and everything else … I think anyone who has ever dealt with me in business is happy to be in business with me."

He has made mistakes.

A 2009 profanity-laced tirade against MMA journalist Loretta Hunt drew backlash from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which demanded an apology for his use of a derogatory ****sexual term.

But White says he doesn't regret any misstep.

"There's not one thing that I would change," he says. "I think all the things that have happened to us got us to where we are today."

To many, White's bluntness is refreshing.

"I don't always agree with him, but I always know what he's thinking," says UFC legend Liddell. "And I much rather prefer that, someone who says something to my face rather than saying it behind my back."

Said Ed Soares, manager of several prominent UFC fighters, including middleweight champion Anderson Silva: "You never ask him a question you don't want to know the answer to, because he has no problem telling you how he feels."

Another thing that hasn't changed is his work ethic. White has attended nearly 1,600 consecutive fights, he says, not missing one since he became UFC president.

Between fights, he's constantly promoting the UFC, traveling to seven cities, three countries and two continents in the last few weeks alone.

He'll return from a short vacation to promote UFC 141, which takes place Friday in Las Vegas and features a heavyweight bout between Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem.

When White is home in Las Vegas, he spends his free time with his wife of 17 years, Anne, whom he met in eighth grade, and his sons Dana, 10, and Aidan, 9, and daughter Savannah, 5. He sleeps just four hours a night, he says, and often sneaks out to play high-stakes blackjack.

But five days a week, for three hours each morning, White works out with Skipper Kelp, a former pro welterweight boxer with a 24-1-1 record.

White runs the treadmill and shadowboxes. Then Kelp slips on boxing mitts and White boxes, as he did when he was young, for a few rounds. "He's a crispy boxer," Kelp says.

So boxing is never far from White's mind, even as UFC and MMA have begun to pass it by.

He watches every match he can, even on UFC fight nights, and a huge photo of his favorite boxer, Mike Tyson, hangs in his office. Like Tyson in his heyday, White is a dominating force in his realm, bulling over almost anyone in his path.

And, with a wise-guy grin, a sharp tongue and a sharper wit, the barrel-chested Baldfather will make no apologies along the way.

After all, in his eyes, it's only business, not personal.

baxter.holmes@latimes.com
twitter.com/baxterholmes

[GeneChing]

GODLESS: UFC President Demands Christian Fighters Not Discuss Faith After Winning Fights – “America Doesn’t Want to Hear You’re Thoughts On Jesus” (VIDEO) (http://libertynews.com/2015/07/godless-ufc-president-demands-christian-fighters-not-discuss-faith-after-winning-fights-america-doesnt-want-to-hear-youre-thoughts-on-jesus-video/)
Culture & Hollywood, Today's News July 1, 2015

UFC President Dana White has a very clear message for his fighters. Don’t talk about Jesus.

This came in response to fighter Yoel Romero’s televised plea for Americans to wake up and pay attention to the death of the American dream via the death of faith in our country. Romero won his fight and then used the microphone to tell America to not forget about Jesus, saying he sees the decline of the American dream as a major problem.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZybaBFjNEjQ

Continued next post (for Dana's vid)

[GeneChing]

White didn’t like it. In fact, White is now saying his fighters cannot talk about Jesus or their Christian faith in public.

Watch White’s response below.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmTOGKqpBA8



I do want to hear about what the champions believe religiously. If Jesus is inspiring a fighter to be a champion, that's inspirational.

Romero goes by “Soldier of God” and rocks a John 3:16 headband. Did he say 'Go for Jesus, no for gay Jesus' or 'Go for Jesus, no forget Jesus'?

[Vash]

He's got to herd a bunch of hyper-aggressive guys who experience physical trauma and stress away from the microphone where they could potentially cost their company millions. I'm surprised he allows them to talk at all.

[Jimbo]

My own personal take on this...in this case, I actually agree with Dana White. I do not like it when people try to preach their faith, regardless which religion it is, in a sports setting. Because they almost always come across with a superiority complex; that is, they are somehow better and more blessed by God than their opponent because of their faith. If they start doing that when I'm watching, I hit the mute button.

It's not faith or religion that determines a person's character. There are plenty of professed religious people who conduct themselves as scumbags. Even if they are of good character, it's not the place for preaching the gospel.

[David Jamieson]

Yeah, fight venues aren't personal religious soapboxes.
So, I would agree that stick to the topic is a good idea.

Otherwise, I'm ok with anyone's religion.
Whatever gets you through your time on earth is fine. :)

Besides, if prayer and wishing had any effect as a petition to god, no one would want for anything.

[GeneChing]

I actually like the religious stuff in sports. I respect the grateful. I just wish an athlete would thank someone other than Jesus. Not that I have anything against Jesus. It's just I'm Buddhist personally.

And I think it would be super funny if some athlete thanked Satan. ;)

[David Jamieson]

9521
close enough? :D

[GeneChing]

The UFC ruined itself for $4 billion
By Michael Blaustein September 14, 2017 | 10:35am

https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/090117-ufc-mcgregor-1.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=664&h=441&crop=1
Getty Images

The great circus sideshow that was Conor McGregor’s detour into boxing is over, and UFC president Dana White could not be happier about it.

“I’m ready to get back to the UFC and do what I do,” White said with a huge smile at the post-fight press conference in the early hours of the Sunday morning after the fight. “I’m not looking to do this again.”

The truth of the matter is White has absolutely no say in the matter. And he knows it.

“It takes two very special people in the right place at the right time to do the freakish kind of numbers and the water-cooler talk, all the things that this fight had. … This s–t doesn’t happen all the time,” White said.

“I want to get back to business doing what I do, which is the UFC.”

But nobody knows what the UFC even is anymore — including White.

It used to be so simple. The UFC was where the best fighters in the world duked it out to see which martial art was best. Once that was figured out — it turns out that mixing striking, wrestling and jiu jitsu together is the way to go — the game evolved into a straight-up battle for supremacy. Men, and eventually women, were sorted into weight classes and fought to see who was the best at their size.

https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/090117-ufc-mcgregor-2.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=300
White at the Mayweather-McGregor post-fight press conference.Getty Images

Meritocracy was the bedrock principle from which the UFC built its hardcore fan base. Making the best fight the best was also how the UFC became a star-making machine because, unlike in boxing, the kings and queens of the organization were constantly under siege by up and comers. Therefore, anyone who could hold onto a belt for a long time was unquestionably great, and greatness is one path to stardom.

The old UFC hit its pinnacle with Ronda Rousey, whose reign of unprecedented dominance came to an end just as uber talent agency WME-IMG stepped in and purchased the UFC for $4 billion.

The May 2016 sale rocked the UFC to its core. On the management side, the man working in the shadows behind White, the company’s longtime match maker Joe Silva, announced his retirement. Worse still for the company as a whole, its stable of more than 500 contracted fighters all of a sudden knew exactly how much they were worth.

For years, the UFC paid its fighters next to nothing because there was nowhere else for fighters to go and because there was no way for the fighters to know if they were getting a good deal or not. Unlike the NFL or NBA, nobody knew what franchises were worth or even if the sport had a viable future.

As a result, the standard contracts for low-level fighters became what is called “5 & 5,” “10 & 10” or “20 & 20,” which means that the fighter is paid $20,000 to show up on weight on fight day and another $20,000 if he or she wins. Even champions coming in from other organizations, like Eddie Alvarez, were paid next to nothing. His first contract with the UFC paid him a measly “70 & 70,” according to MMA Junkie, a fact only revealed because his 2013 contract was part of a court case and thus became a public document. It is still the only full UFC contract to be made public.

https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/090117-ufc-mcgregor-3.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=300
Eddie Alvarez gets punched by McGregor at UFC 205.Getty Images

The UFC’s $4 billion price tag has opened the eyes of its best fighters, who are starting to demand bigger pay days. McGregor is the prime example of this new trend, but others are learning from his example. Flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, has been fighting with White about money and marketing opportunities for months, and the UFC boss has retaliated by threatening to dissolve the entire division. Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, meanwhile, said after his most recent fight, against Demian Maia, that he purposely fought conservatively because he was promised a super fight with Georges St-Pierre. That fight may never happen because Michael Bisping, the middleweight champion, hasn’t fought for nearly a year as he’s waited for the announced, then canceled, then re-announced gigantic GSP payday, which is finally set to go down at Madison Square Garden in November.

While those three divisions are in monetary chaos, more belts are in purgatory for entirely random reasons. The 35-year-old heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic is tied for the most title defenses in the division’s history, with two, but got his last three wins over a 40-year-old, a 37-year-old and a 33-year-old, Junior Dos Santos, who recently failed an anti-doping test. Meanwhile, over in the light heavyweight division, Jon Jones’ own anti-doping problems mean that the promotion’s one-time glamour division is now headless. The women’s featherweight division can only look on in envy seeing as it lacks bodies. Period. The UFC’s own website only lists three female featherweights: champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino, the woman she defeated for the belt, Tonya Evinger, and Megan Anderson, who has never stepped inside the UFC cage.

https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/090117-ufc-mcgregor-4.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=300
Jon Jones Getty Images

In total, six of the UFC’s 11 divisions are in complete flux because of either money issues or unpredictable twists of fate. That leaves just five divisions in relatively good shape, and even some of those have question marks hanging over them. Nobody knows when McGregor will return to the lightweight division, the bantamweights have been on hold for nearly a year as champion Cody Garbrandt deals with a mysterious back injury, and dominant female champions Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Amanda Nunes have had trouble turning their awe-inspiring skills into pay-per-view buys.

The UFC used to solve all these problems by turning the meritocracy knob to 11. That’s how the torch was passed from generational stars like Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture to the likes of St-Pierre and Anderson Silva.

However, since the WME-IMG takeover, a new model has been adopted. Ridiculous mega fights are now the name of the game. WWE star CM Punk made his MMA debut at age 37 and was promptly bulldozed by a relative nobody at UFC 203. Bisping sidelined himself for a year in order to fight at Madison Square Garden against St-Pierre, who last fought in 2013 as a welterweight. Even Jon Jones, before he failed his USADA test and was stripped of the light heavyweight title, got in on the action by calling out Brock Lesnar, who is currently suspended for failing his own PED test.

The Jones-Lesnar fight that will now, in all likelihood, never happen is the ultimate expression of the new UFC. It would have been an economic boon for both fighters. Already highly paid by MMA standards, Jones and Lesnar could have marketed the fight as “MMA vs. pro wrestling” just like McGregor and Mayweather played up “MMA vs. Boxing.” For good measure, Jones and Lesnar also could have thrown in cliche fighting storylines like “big (Lesnar) vs. small (Jones),” and “white farmer vs. cocky black athlete.”

https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/170913-ufc-problems-1.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=300
Brock Lesnar (left) fights Mark Hunt at UFC 200.Getty Images

There is no doubt that Jones-Lesnar would have been a gigantic payday. It also would have been completely and utterly empty. Lesnar has been popped for steroids multiples times and has fought only once in the past five years. Jones, meanwhile, has his own PED problems and would have been ducking a fight with Alexander Gustafsson, the current #1 contender who battled Jones in 2013 in what many consider to be the greatest title fight of all time.

Despite the extremely problematic Jones-Lesnar fight and the variously broken weight classes, White swears that things are just like what they were in the good old days.

“The way that I look at fights, and the way that I look at fighting is that we’re going to have fights that we put on that are for the UFC hardcore fans, we’re going to have some fights that will do better than others. Then we’ll have some fights that are big where we do the Diaz-Conor 1.5 million [pay-per-view buys],” White said shortly after Mayweather TKO’d McGregor.

Looking into the future, there is nothing to suggest that White can put on either type of fight.


Dana White (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?47174-Dana-White) on McGregor V Mayweather (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70318-McGregor-vs-Mayweather-August-26)

[Oso]

Right. So, if you take it all in as a gestalt...ALL martial arts is bull****. It all ends up falling apart from either lies or bull**** marketing for the sake of money. FML, I spent 28 years of my life believing there was some honest end to the game. I rolled a 1.

[Oso]

I actually like the religious stuff in sports. I respect the grateful. I just wish an athlete would thank someone other than Jesus. Not that I have anything against Jesus. It's just I'm Buddhist personally.

And I think it would be super funny if some athlete thanked Satan. ;)
Or, Inshalla?

[GeneChing]

Morning Report: Dana White goes after Cris Cyborg: ‘Dealing with her has been a nightmare’ (https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/8/7/20757450/morning-report-dana-white-goes-after-cris-cyborg-dealing-with-her-has-been-a-nightmare)
By Jed Meshew@JedKMeshew Aug 7, 2019, 8:00am EDT

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XD7-xumWEZshRPvm0zIOBoJw1pc=/0x0:1920x1280/920x613/filters:focal(807x487:1113x793):format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64928482/301_Dana_White.0.0.jpg
Dana White Esther Lin, MMA Fighting

The saga continues.

Dana White and Cris Cyborg have been publicly feuding for months, but with UFC 240 in the rear view, Cyborg is now officially finished with her UFC contract. But so ready to be done with Cyborg was White that he released her from her contractual matching period last weekend, saying that the UFC was out of the Cyborg business. In turn, Cyborg noted how happy she was to be done with the UFC and White’s “big ego.” Normally, one would expect that to be the end of the beef. Well, not exactly.

At a media scrum following Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series (video courtesy of The Mac Life), Dana White was asked about Cyborg and went off on the former featherweight champion.

“Just a lot of things,” White said when asked why he released Cyborg early. “Dealing with her has been a nightmare the entire time she’s been here, and I said the other day in the interview with Laura, there was a lot of controversy bringing her in in the first place at that time. And when I did the interview with Laura, we really didn’t mention the whole her lying on the video about what I said. Her [air quotes] production team [air quotes] lying about what I said on the video. It’s just been a bad experience dealing with Cyborg from day one.

“We brought her in after she tested positive for steroids and got done with that. We made her a clean athlete with the best drug testing policy in all of sports the entire time she was here. Which, when she talks about her legacy and her [air quotes] brand [air quotes], her legacy and her brand, nothing is better than knowing that she’s a clean athlete after testing positive for steroids and all the negativity that surrounded her about being a dirty athlete.

“We bring her in here, we do all this stuff, and she was just never happy. Never happy, complaining about everything. She was a nightmare to deal with it and at the end of the day, she knows, I know, Amanda Nunes knows, I tried to make that Nunes fight and she doesn’t want it. She doesn’t want it and she gets mad when I say I don’t blame her - I DON’T BLAME HER! Because if that was Amanda Nunes last Saturday I think everybody can agree what would have happened in that fight.

“So she’s unhappy, we’re unhappy, she lies and does that thing, - see you later, have a nice life.”

White and Cyborg have been quietly feuding for years, but it recently boiled over in advance of UFC 240. White repeatedly told the media that he wanted to make a Cyborg vs. Nunes rematch instead of Cyborg’s bout with Felicia Spencer but that Cyborg was refusing to fight Nunes again. Cyborg, in turn, took umbrage with her boss throwing her under the bus instead of promoting her upcoming fight and also disputed White’s claims. Things reached a crescendo when after UFC 240, Cyborg released a video of her backstage encounter with White, but the video was doctored to make it appear White said certain things he did not say. Afterward, Cyborg apologized for the video and blamed the incident on her production team but White isn’t ready to accept that.

“I don’t think there’s any peace between me and Cyborg,” White said. “Whether you like me or don’t like me, whatever your opinion of me doesn’t matter, what she did was dirty. Dirty what she did with the video and meanwhile she’s running around saying she better get an apology from me. Yeah, I got an apology from her because what she did is one of the dirtiest things. It had to kill her to apologize to me but what she did is one of the dirtiest things that you can do to somebody. That’s why she apologized.”

But White maintains that even that is something they could overcome for the sake of business. After all, White said, he worked with many fighters who didn’t like him - including Mark Hunt while Hunt was suing him and the UFC - but he kept fights moving right along. The issue with Cyborg, White said, is that the fight to make is one that she will never accept, despite her public posturing that it is the fight she wants.

“She doesn’t want to fight Amanda Nunes,” White said. “You guys and the fans need to get it into your head that she did everything she could, including doctoring a video lying about what I said, to avoid fighting Amanda Nunes. The fans and the media need to just get it through your heads that all that sh*t was going on - ‘Oh he’s bullying me.’ Bullying you? You’ve been here for five years, what are you talking about? You’re talking about stuff that happened five years ago. It was all a smoke screen to not fight Amanda Nunes. She doesn’t want that fight otherwise we wouldn’t even be having this conversation right now. I’ve had problems over the last 20 years with plenty of fighters, from Tito Ortiz to Mark Hunt to God knows who else, we always made fights. She doesn’t want to fight Amanda Nunes.”

Cyborg, for her part, has vehemently maintained that the only fight she wants is the Nunes fight as it is the best for her legacy. She even had a Cyborg vs. Nunes 2 shirt made that she donned post UFC 240. However, White says he’s ready to put his money where is mouth is. If Cyborg really wants the fight, she can have a one-fight deal for the rematch. But White says that still won’t get it done.

“If I’m lying, she can call tomorrow and we’ll make that fight,” White said. “She will not call tomorrow and that fight will not be made because she does not want to fight Amanda Nunes. She won’t take the fight. SHE WON’T DO A ONE-FIGHT DEAL! SHE WILL NOT FIGHT AMANDA NUNES! SHE WILL NOT FIGHT AMANDA NUNES ON A HALF A FIGHT DEAL! Amanda Nunes will knock her out again in the first round. I know it, you know it, and she knows it and she will not do that fight. Period.”

After hearing this from White, Cyborg’s Twitter account tweeted that a conversation between White and her management team will take place today, however that tweet has since been deleted. Meanwhile, White says the UFC women’s featherweight division is going to keep on trucking without Cyborg and that, realistically, the UFC doesn’t even need her as they already have the best 145er in the world.

“Amanda’s gonna defend both titles just like she always did,” White said. “Cyborg leaving doesn’t matter. We know who the best fighter in the world is at 135 and 145, it’s Amanda Nunes. She had the opportunity for her legacy, Cyborg’s legacy, to get that fight again and she doesn’t want it. So we will continue to bring in the best fighters in the world and put them in against Amanda Nunes.”



Cris Cyborg Youtube
✔
@criscyborg
Once I discovered what had been done by production I could not wait to apologize. I have prayed many times that one day myself and @danawhite could talk face to face about our differences and find a way to move on. I am never too proud to offer an apology. https://twitter.com/bokamotoespn/status/1158927894443220992 …


Brett Okamoto
✔
@bokamotoESPN
“It had to kill [Cyborg] to apologize to me. She did because what she did (with the doctored video) is one of the dirtiest things you can do. Fans and media need to get it though their heads she did not want to fight Amanda Nunes.” — Dana White

188
8:10 PM - Aug 6, 2019
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39 people are talking about this


THREADS
Christiane "Cyborg" Justino (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?62823-Christiane-quot-Cyborg-quot-Justino)
Dana White (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?47174-Dana-White)

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4m7-69zTP8


JANUARY 10, 2020 / 8:37 PM / 3 DAYS AGO
Mixed Martial Arts: UFC's White says he wants to hire woman who fought shoplifter (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mma-ufc-white/mixed-martial-arts-ufcs-white-says-he-wants-to-hire-woman-who-fought-shoplifter-idUSKCN1ZA052)
2 MIN READ

https://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20200111&t=2&i=1474930464&w=1200&r=LYNXNPEG0A04Q
FILE PHOTO: UFC fight promoter Dana White speaks on behalf of his friend, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, during the second session of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. July 19, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar

(Reuters) - UFC president Dana White plans to fly a former Best Buy employee who thwarted an alleged shoplifting attempt in Hawaii to an upcoming UFC fight in Las Vegas and may even hire the woman, he said on Twitter on Friday.

Security footage that went viral showed Summer Tapasa-Sataraka, 24, battling a man trying to leave the store in Aiea with a speaker, using her forearms to block the exit and wrestling the man to the ground before he left empty handed.

“This is Summer. She stopped this punk from getting away with stealing from Best Buy in Hawaii.

“She got fired for this. Flying her in this weekend and giving her tickets to the McGregor vs Cowboy fight,” White said, referring to the Jan. 18 bout between Irishman Conor McGregor and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.

“I want her to work for me! Get ready for the best weekend of your life, Summer.”

In a Facebook post last month, Tapasa-Sataraka said she had seen the man steal from the store before and noticed him trying to walk away with the same item again.

“I just kept thinking ... not today!!” she wrote about the confrontation, which has been viewed millions of times online.

She added that she had already informed Best Buy of her plans to leave the company before the incident and harbored no ill will toward the electronics retailer.

On Friday, Tapasa-Sataraka reposted White’s offer on her Facebook page and suggested she was thrilled.

Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Clarence Fernandez

THREADS
Successful Street Applications (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49825-Successful-Street-Applications)
Dana White (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?47174-Dana-White)

[GeneChing]

Put these two in the cage. I'd watch the hell out of that fight. :cool:


‘He Doesn’t Know Anything About Martial Arts’ – Chatri Sityodtong Claps Back at Dana White (https://www.essentiallysports.com/mma-one-championship-ufc-news-he-doesnt-know-anything-about-martial-arts-chatri-sityodtong-claps-back-at-dana-white/)
Published 10/04/2021, 6:35 AM EDT

https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/Chatri-Sityodtong-and-Dana-White-2.jpg?width=900
By ARMAN KHAN
ONE Championship’s claim to being the “Home of Martial Arts” isn’t just a simple battle cry, it’s the core ethos for the now 10-year-old promotion.

For the past decade, ONE has featured not only the best mixed martial artists in the world, but also elite fighters across Muay Thai, kickboxing, submission grappling, and the like.

That’s why when someone like UFC President Dana White took potshots at the hybrid MMA-Muay Thai special rules match between Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon at ONE X in December, ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong couldn’t help but fire back.

“I don’t think Dana knows how to fight,” Sityodtong said at the ONE: Revolution post-event interviews, in direct response to White’s comments.

“Dana is a great businessman, but he doesn’t know anything about martial arts. I don’t even think he knows how to throw a leg kick. He talks like it with his athletes, but I’d love to see a video of him throwing a leg kick. I don’t think he’s even qualified to talk about Muay Thai.”

White had recently made comments about the Johnson-Rodtang matchup, saying it was “weird” and would “not work.” Sityodtong doesn’t believe White is in a position to give his opinion on the bout.

Is Chatri Sityodtong the right person to talk about martial arts?

To say Sityodtong knows what he’s talking about when it comes to martial arts is an understatement.

Not only is Sityodtong one of the prime movers in one of the world’s biggest sports properties, but he himself is also a martial artist through and through, having been a Muay Thai practitioner for close to four decades now, as well as recently earning a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

“It’s different. I’ve been doing Muay Thai for 37 years and still train every day, and I do BJJ five to six times a week,” Sityodtong said.

In comparison, White practiced boxing back in his teen years before he eventually became a manager and a businessman.

Demetrious Johnson vs. Rodtang Jitmuangnon hybrid match was a calculated move

Sityodtong clarified that this unique setup for the Johnson-Rodtang bout wasn’t done on a whim. Rather, it was a calculated move aimed at pitting two of the best in their respective disciplines in this one-of-a-kind showcase for the promotion’s 10 year anniversary.

“We wanted to do something spectacular and something different and I said, let’s also pay homage to Asian MMA and the history of Asian MMA,” Sityodtong said.

“This is our 10th year anniversary and I said let’s do something with world title fights but at the same time, let’s do something that celebrates the true spirit of what Japan started because I don’t think people realize but Shooto is actually the first mixed martial arts organization in history.”

“So I told my team: Think of a crazy fight that we could do. It’s a one-off thing, it’s not like we’re going to do this every event with other fighters. It was just a crazy idea to celebrate Asian MMA.”

Sityodtong on the difference between UFC and ONE Championship

As for White, Sityodtong understood the American’s hesitance on this unique hybrid match. But all innovations have their own set of detractors in their heyday, and at the end of the day, it all boils down to the difference of the promotions at their core.

“We have a different approach. UFC is the largest mixed martial arts organization in the world. ONE is the largest martial arts organization in that we have many verticals of martial arts,” Sityodtong said.

“We have mixed martial arts, we have Muay Thai, we have kickboxing, we’ve even had boxing world title fights, we’ve had submission grappling. We try to excite and delight and surprise fans, combat sports fans from all over the world and from all genres. In many ways, it’s not just martial arts being ONE. I do believe all martial artists on the planet irrespectively, whether it’s karate, taekwondo or wrestling, or boxing or Muay Thai, we are all on the same path.”

In conclusion, Chatri Sityodtong said: “ONE is the home of Martial Arts. He can take whatever digs at ONE he wants, I’ll take a dig at his leg kicks.”

threads
Dana-White (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?47174-Dana-White)
ONE-Championship (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71006-ONE-Championship)

[GeneChing]

DANA WHITE
NIGHTCLUB FIGHT WITH WIFE ON NYE
... Dana Says, 'There's No Excuse' (https://www.tmz.com/2023/01/02/dana-white-wife-drunk-fight-slap-new-years-eve-nightclub-cabo/)
EXCLUSIVE
1/2/2023 4:24 PM PT
TMZSports.com

Dana White and his wife got physical with each other on New Year's Eve, stunning onlookers in a crowded Cabo San Lucas nightclub ... an incident Dana says was, regretfully, fueled by booze.

The UFC honcho and Anne White, who've been married for 26 years, were celebrating Saturday night with friends in El Squid Roe ... but things took a turn shortly after they all welcomed in 2023 at midnight.

The couple and their group were in a VIP area above the dance floor, and when Dana leaned over to say something to Anne ... she reacted by slapping him across the face. Dana immediately slapped her back in the face, before friends jumped in and pulled them apart -- and it all played out in plain view of patrons down below.

Eyewitnesses in the club tell TMZ Sports ... Dana and Anne both seemed heavily intoxicated prior to the violence, and the video seems to bear that out, because things went from zero to 100 in an instant -- seemingly for no reason. Further, we're told the conflict was all over in less than a minute.

We spoke to Dana about the incident, and he admits he and Anne had been drinking heavily -- but quickly adds that's no excuse for him getting physical. He told us, "You've heard me say for years, 'There's never ever an excuse for a guy to put his hands on a woman,' and now here I am on TMZ talking about it."

He says he's embarrassed by this "horrible" incident, and he and Anne have apologized to each other. He says they're "good," but their biggest concern now is for their 3 kids ... with whom they've already discussed the fight.

Meanwhile, Anne tells TMZ Sports ... "Dana and I have been married for almost 30 years. To say this is out of character for him is an understatement -- nothing like this has ever happened before. Unfortunately, we were both drinking too much on New Year’s Eve and things got out of control, on both sides. We’ve talked this through as a family and apologized to each other. I just hope people will respect our privacy for the sake of our kids."
She did slap him first. Wonder what he whispered...

[GeneChing]

Thought we already had a thread devoted to slap fighting but I couldn't find it.


American neuroscientist and concussion expert slammed slap fighting, just as the brutal sport makes inroads in the US (https://www.insider.com/slap-fighting-is-a-sad-spectacle-neuroscientist-chris-nowinski-2023-1)
Alan Dawson Jan 18, 2023, 9:49 AM

https://i.insider.com/63c79fb2eee94d001a78c178?width=700&format=jpeg&auto=webp
Slap fighter Sorin Comsa was left disfigured after a recent match. Photo by RXF

Concussion Legacy Foundation CEO Chris Nowinski slammed slap fighting as the brutal sport makes inroads in the US.
Footage of a slap event went viral this week when one competitor's face appeared disfigured.
A new slap fighting venture, backed by UFC boss Dana White, airs for the first time Wednesday.


Neuroscientist and concussion expert Chris Nowinski slammed slap fighting, just as the brutal sport makes inroads in the United States.

An event held on Monday attracted the attention of the internet as one participant's face looked disfigured after absorbing a few strikes.

Footage from the show, which took place in Romania, made for uncomfortable viewing, as Sorin Comsa had chalk and blood over the left side of his face.

His cheek was swollen; his lip sagged on the left side; and his face seemed unrecognizable from how he normally appeared.

Nowinski, a former pro wrestler with WWE and co-founder of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, commented on the clip.

"I believe adults can choose to do dangerous jobs if they understand the risks and reasonable efforts are made to protect them," the 44-year-old tweeted.

"But head hits with no defense is just sad. It reminds us that people who don't take the risks often exploit those who do."


Nowinski's criticism comes on the eve of a big American slap event
https://i.insider.com/637559fe2d22e7001161fa0f?width=700&format=jpeg&auto=webp
Dana White, the brains behind Power Slap. Photo by UFC
Reality TV show Power Slap, a brainchild of UFC boss Dana White, makes its debut Wednesday on TBS.

The pre-recorded program follows various slap fighters as they hope to leave an impression on executives and fans, vying for prominent rankings, before live event title shots later in the year.

Insider understands that live events are expected to take place as soon as March, and will be held at the UFC's TV studio, Apex, in Las Vegas.

Power Slap is not without controversy.

The show was originally due to air January 11; however, the premiere was delayed a week because White had media commitments that were ultimately canceled in the aftermath of a now-infamous New Year's Eve altercation between White and his wife, Anne White, who were seen on video slapping each other at a nightclub in Mexico.

"There's no defense for this," White told reporters last Wednesday at a press conference in Las Vegas.

"All the criticism that I have received this week and in the future is 100% warranted."

'You don't ever bounce back from this'
https://i.insider.com/63b46dcbdb9ee8001938692d?width=700&format=jpeg&auto=webp
Dana White and Anne White slapped each other on video. Photos by TMZ Sports
Insider reminded White about a comment he made back in 2014 in response to seeing video of former NFL running back Ray Rice knocking out his fiancée — "You don't bounce back from putting your hands on a woman," he said then — and asked how he might bounce back from this.

"You don't," White told us. "You don't ever bounce back from this. For the rest of my life, however long that is, people are going to label me that. I did it."

White said it's something he "has to deal with and live with" forever.

Power-Slap (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72455-Power-Slap)
Dana-White (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?47174-Dana-White)