Dana WhiteProps: Orange County Register

Quoteworthy:

“You think of this. You come over to my house this weekend and we kick back and watch TV. We put on (expletive) NASCAR. We’re like, ‘Holy (expletive). Look at all the (expletive) people at this race. All those fans and this and that. These guys got television deals and merchandise deals and all this crazy (expletive). You know what? Let’s steal two of their drivers, and let’s start our own (expletive) company. We’ll call it (expletive), you know, GASCAR instead of (expletive) NASCAR.’ That’s how (expletive) stupid it is. It’s the exact same thing, you know. NASCAR is huge. Nobody is going to jump out and start competing with NASCAR. But small races go on every weekend all over the country. All these guys eventually want to make it to NASCAR and become professional drivers.”

UFC President Dana White talks competition, importance of the Bud Light deal, the unimportance of the CBS-EliteXC deal, Ultimate Fighter 7 and much more.

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March 8th, 2008     78 Comments

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Comment by Merrillizer
2008-03-08 12:16:37

Let’s hope Dana doesn’t turn into Vinny Mac. Look what Vinny did to “pro wrestling”…..errrr “sports entertainment”. He gobbled up his competition, and the ratings took a dump. So did the ticket sales. The put a curtain up now to hide the empty part of the arena.

HAHAHAHAAAAAAAA

 
Comment by Muscle Dolphin
2008-03-08 12:23:45

You can disagree with Dana’s “colourful language” and feel that he is somewhat brash, but he does make a lot of solid points. The Bud-lite endorsement is by far the biggest development this year in MMA from a business point of view. The CBS-Elite deal must really be bad (it is essntially a modifies time-buy) if someone like Bob Arum doesn’t even like it in a time when boxing is trying to do everything in its power to get some mainstream attention. Prediction: EliteXC will be out of business by this time next year and the UFC will buy out some of their contracts. I do think that HDNet Fights has some potential due to Mark Cuban’s bank account and his ego. When all the dust finally settles, Dreams or WVR will ultimately become the UFC’s competition.
Contrary to what most people here probably think, I agree that it is primarily the UFC that is hot, not MMA in general. The upstart companies are misreading the landscape.

 
Comment by Kevin
2008-03-08 12:24:44

wow…that is totally unlike Dana to say something like that…I am so surprised…(THIS IS sarcarm for anyone out there about to call me stupid!)

 
Comment by EazyEismydad
2008-03-08 12:35:21

Meanwhile 8 out of the top 10 lightweights are in non-Zuffa organizations. They can only get a legitimate 1 vs 2 in the world in 2 weight classes. 3 if you actually counted dan henderson #2, when we all know Filho, Kang, Lawler or Lindland are really in that spot.
Dana I dont know what your smoking, but you should share some.

 
Comment by wannabe
2008-03-08 12:42:41

Do not like Dana. However hhe is very adept at making a point and I totally agree with him. So long as he does not do something stupid like letting top ten talents slide by or away. Think he could probably use a couple less expletives and still get the point across. I am no angel but geez man.

 
Comment by Mike Rotch
2008-03-08 12:45:48

Was Dana White raised in a trailer park?

 
Comment by djrmma
2008-03-08 12:46:11

Dana hit the nail on the head. EliteXC, HDnet, whoever else does not come close to the UFC. They (UFC) own the market, and all these others will never compete. Why? Dana and Co. run a tight ship financially, they will not go backrupt. They don’t overpay fighters. They are scolded for it much of the time, but no overpaying for fighter is what will keep this ship (UFC) afloat for a long long time.

 
Comment by wannabe
2008-03-08 12:47:32

Also agree that the Bud sponsorship is pretty much an arrival sign. Crazy one company has that much power but if you have a Bud logo your pretty much it. That and the Burger King logo with the TUFF show. Not sure if they were there before and while not on the same level as Bud they are still pretty damn big and known. UFC is definatly the KING of MMA.

 
Comment by clayton
2008-03-08 12:47:38

“we will smote our competitors and ensure that MMA is one day as boring as NASCAR.” – Dana White

Why do people believe that competition is bad for the sport? I just don’t get it.

And Dana, for what it’s worth, there are a lot of racing circuits just as big as NASCAR.

 
Comment by Anthony
2008-03-08 12:54:25

I don’t think he’s saying that competition is bad because in numerous previous interviews he’s always referred to them as “necessary” and the “minor leagues”. Which is exactly what they are. They act as talent developers for the UFC. Every fighter eventually wants to be (save most of the Asian fighters who want to stay in their home country) in the UFC because of what the UFC can provide them — stability and top competition.

The UFC isn’t going anywhere. On the contrary, it’s only going to get bigger and badder.

Dana is the man and he’s running this shit the right way.

 
Comment by yoububg
2008-03-08 12:55:14

This is (expletive) great. I (expletive) love Dana White and his dirty (expletive) mouth.

 
Comment by clayton
2008-03-08 12:58:51

Anthony, what you describe, and what Dana has described in the past, is not in any way competition.

 
Comment by c-war
2008-03-08 13:03:14

funny stuff, only thing is….Nascar has been around for a very long time. The UFC hasn’t even been big for more than half a decade.

 
Comment by JTK5
2008-03-08 13:21:47

I read this site everyday, but don’t post much. Its fun to see the comments and how excited, smart, and STUPIED some of the fans are. I just hope those people that bash Dana everyday on this site read this article. It should stand as a REMINDER of what he has done, doing, and will do for this sport & UFC. Fighter salaries are higher than they ever used to be, and are going up – I here that crap every time PPV salaries are released!!! They used to fight to buy dinner, now (once you pay some dues) they fight to buy cars & houses! Also, the quality of the UFC’s competition is up to the competition, not the UFC (dayton). I could go on, but I’ve got work to do. One more thing – Dana… you have a really bad mouth, and that’s fine with your friends, but on public interviews… Work on that;)

 
Comment by bryant
2008-03-08 13:40:52

dana really is weird, if he were the one with the cbs contract he would be praising it but you don’t have to knock another competitor down cause they beat u to the punch

 
Comment by The_Mexicutioner
2008-03-08 13:58:15

Once Cuban starts offering these guys more money (which they deserve), they will start going to HDNet, and once the top guys start going to HDNet, then the fans will follow to watch. I used to love the UFC, but Dana’s bulls*it is becoming annoying and the pay per views arent al what they used to be. The last one overall was pretty weak. Not worth the $50 to watch in HD or the $40 towatch on regular signal.

 
Comment by "Mr. NC-17"
2008-03-08 14:00:13

Dana White sometimes sounds really stupid, and sometimes he sounds very intelligent.

This case, I think a little bit of both.

But the UFC is not untouchable. I really hope Elite XC gets Fedor, and then we will see who is talking.

 
Comment by Muscle Dolphin
2008-03-08 14:00:40

[quote comment="352494"]dana really is weird, if he were the one with the cbs contract he would be praising it but you don’t have to knock another competitor down cause they beat u to the punch[/quote]
EliteXC never beat them to the punch. The UFC and at least Bob Arum (and probably others) turned it down because they thought that it is a bad deal for them overall. In business you have to have a business plan and weigh the pros and cons of all situations. We don’t know all the inner workings of the UFC decision making process. Maybe the UFC has a much better deal in the works with another station that makes sense to them? Only the hardcore MMA fans will watch a second tier organization on regular TV on a Saturday night. EliteXC was probably CBS’ last choice. Elite XC has to sell an astronomical amount of advertising just to try and break even. This is EliteXC’s “hail mary pass”. At least Dana and the UFC are putting their money where their mouth is by getting MMA sanctioned in different states. EliteXC is doing nothing of the sort. EliteXC is just trying to make some money off of the UFC’s coattails. That happens in all fields of business. Furthermore, Gary Shaw isn’t even a fulltime promoter-that’s how commited he is to the sport. Dana White may not always do things the conventional way, but without him MMA would not be where it is today. Personally, I don’t understand all of the Dana haters who say that they like MMA. Without Dana and the Fertittas MMA would be nowhere.

 
Comment by clayton
2008-03-08 14:02:55

JTK5, competition in business isn’t supposed to be a one way street. Have you heard of a company called Microsoft? The Dana supporting set could sure use a course in basic business ethics and even an intro to economics.

 
Comment by DAVID
2008-03-08 14:06:53

WOW CAN DANA TALK LIKE A PROFFESIONAL. I MEAN COME ON MAKE A POINT BUT NOT IN A 16 YEARS OLD LANGUAGE. DAMN HES DUMB

 
Comment by Scooby
2008-03-08 14:09:58

Dana makes mma fans look like trailer trash by proxy. Everytime he opens his mouth I feel like people will lump mma fans in with WWE and NASCAR fans. I don’t like it.

 
Comment by kama kaze
2008-03-08 14:12:40

i don’t know about you guys but i watch more ppv ufc than any of the orgs combined. especially with pride gone. dont be foolish, UFC is GODZILLA BIG right now. and if zuffa was a public company i’d buy that shit.

 
Comment by KS
2008-03-08 14:16:10

NASCAR also shows about 100 events a year.
Take a page out of that book Dana, and give us a few more free Fight Nights on SPIKE.

 
Comment by PACO
2008-03-08 14:16:51

Sounds to me like Dana is a little scared of his competition. If he wasn’t threatened by all the other organizations out there, he wouldn’t have negative comments to say. Here’s the real picture, Elite XC may not be the UFC, but their fights are definitely entertaining and with the return of DREAM (former PRIDE) I would be pooping my pants too. The problem with the UFC is how they favor certain fighters, try to build them into superstars instead of placing them in top competion against their better fighters. I also don’t appreciate their disrespect towards Diego Sanchez, Andre Arlovski and so forth. Not only that, but the damn UFC raised their paperview rates!!! Total B.S!!! They could have so many interesting match ups but refuse to let the fans get what they want. Without us, the UFC is nothing!!!

 
Comment by kama kaze
2008-03-08 14:18:53

[quote comment="352519"]JTK5, competition in business isn’t supposed to be a one way street. Have you heard of a company called Microsoft? The Dana supporting set could sure use a course in basic business ethics and even an intro to economics.[/quote]

Bill Gates of mma.

 
Comment by Scooby
2008-03-08 14:21:21

[quote comment="352532"]Sounds to me like Dana is a little scared of his competition. If he wasn’t threatened by all the other organizations out there, he wouldn’t have negative comments to say. Here’s the real picture, Elite XC may not be the UFC, but their fights are definitely entertaining and with the return of DREAM (former PRIDE) I would be pooping my pants too. The problem with the UFC is how they favor certain fighters, try to build them into superstars instead of placing them in top competion against their better fighters. I also don’t appreciate their disrespect towards Diego Sanchez, Andre Arlovski and so forth. Not only that, but the damn UFC raised their paperview rates!!! Total B.S!!! They could have so many interesting match ups but refuse to let the fans get what they want. Without us, the UFC is nothing!!![/quote]

It doesn’t cost Dana much to downplay the prominence of his competition. And he has a point, the other organizations are bush league in comparison.

 
Comment by clayton
2008-03-08 14:33:14

It’s impressive. Dana can stand behind a podium and speak in the manner of a true sophist with curse-laden paper thin logic and people latch on as though he were speaking the language concrete math. Then rally up and come here and to the other MMA forums and mount impassioned defenses before the detractors even show.

“That’s right, Dana, you tell them! The UFC is the best, and I know cause I’ve been a fan of MMA since TUF 4!”

 
Comment by JTK5
2008-03-08 14:59:23

No, who is Micrsoft?

 
Comment by Muscle Dolphin
2008-03-08 15:12:41

[quote comment="352541"]It’s impressive. Dana can stand behind a podium and speak in the manner of a true sophist with curse-laden paper thin logic and people latch on as though he were speaking the language concrete math. Then rally up and come here and to the other MMA forums and mount impassioned defenses before the detractors even show.

“That’s right, Dana, you tell them! The UFC is the best, and I know cause I’ve been a fan of MMA since TUF 4!”[/quote]

I must admit that you’re writing style is well developed stylistically speaking. Personally, I don’t see Dana as a sophist. His arguments aren’t confusing or overly illogical. You may disagree with them and like everyone who is trying to sell something he may engage in exagerations, but he’s a promoter. It’s entertainment. No promoter speaks in concrete math terms. Dana’s “streetfighter mentality” has put MMA on the map. I do think though that it is time for the Fertittas to bring someone else on board to “complement Dana” since the UFC is now at a different stage. Gary Shaw someimes talks like he’s a member of The Flat Earth Society (i.e. We have the best fighters…blah,blah,blah). Mark Cuban regularly spouts rhetoric. Why do you have an axe to grind with the UFC? The UFC is the best. To argue otherwise is silly and futile.

 
Comment by clayton
2008-03-08 15:19:04

HA! Touché!!

 
Comment by Luppers
2008-03-08 15:52:50

(expletive)-A Dana!

 
Comment by ORTIZ!!!!!!08....BABY!
2008-03-08 16:02:01

GEE…that sounds professional every other word is a cuss word…sounds like hes a little distressed about other companies gunning for the big time,well dana its like this you keep screwing things up[like your doing so well right now] and its all gonna become reality for you and the ufc.Looks like ill be following tito,randy to their organizations cause their the best of the best crowd drawers and fighters today.

 
Comment by Brawlin'
2008-03-08 16:05:47

[quote comment="352473"]I read this site everyday, but don’t post much. Its fun to see the comments and how excited, smart, and STUPIED some of the fans are. I just hope those people that bash Dana everyday on this site read this article. It should stand as a REMINDER of what he has done, doing, and will do for this sport & UFC. Fighter salaries are higher than they ever used to be, and are going up – I here that crap every time PPV salaries are released!!! They used to fight to buy dinner, now (once you pay some dues) they fight to buy cars & houses! Also, the quality of the UFC’s competition is up to the competition, not the UFC (dayton). I could go on, but I’ve got work to do. One more thing – Dana… you have a really bad mouth, and that’s fine with your friends, but on public interviews… Work on that;)[/quote]

You shouldn’t call people stupid when you can’t even spell it right.

 
Comment by jess
2008-03-08 16:05:59

In a sense he’s right. But these other promotions are quickly becoming competitors as time goes on, specifically EliteXC and HDNet Fights. Dana’s been saying this for a long time, and sometimes his ’spin’ can convince me. But as time goes on, I think he’s just worried that his big guys like Arlovski for example might like to test their market value outside of the UFC’s blanket. And Arlovski could further help promote the growth of those smaller shows.

 
Comment by Egads
2008-03-08 16:53:56

every time i read these posts, most people talk about how much of an ass dana is and fighters salaries. i dont know him personally so i cant comment on his ass holeness and neither can you really. just about every fighter says the UFC is their goal and their home when they finally make it. adn most of you buy every single one of their ppv events. if i dont like restaurant, i just simply dont return to it. i dont put on my internet warrior armour and sling shit i know little about. and for salaries, i dont give a rats ass about what anyone makes and neither should you. if they dont like, quit, go fibnd another organization to fight for. and good luck with that. in every business, almost 25% of employees want more money, boohoo. i dont care wht the deli girl or the guy that changes my oil makes. and besides, if every fighter got payed more money you’d be paying $75 per show and have another thing to whine about. internet warriors are a bunch of bitches, get a life.

 
Comment by Scooby
2008-03-08 16:59:35

[quote comment="352649"]In a sense he’s right. But these other promotions are quickly becoming competitors as time goes on, specifically EliteXC and HDNet Fights. Dana’s been saying this for a long time, and sometimes his ’spin’ can convince me. But as time goes on, I think he’s just worried that his big guys like Arlovski for example might like to test their market value outside of the UFC’s blanket. And Arlovski could further help promote the growth of those smaller shows.[/quote]

No non-UFC promotion has ever done more than 75,000 buys.

They are POTENTIAL competitors, but the UFC posts between 500,000 and 1,000,000 PPV buys/show.

The UFC’s market value hasn’t been impacted by the other organizations.

 
Comment by jimc
2008-03-08 17:06:22

To everyone here that is bashing Dana and the UFC..

No organization comes close to the UFC! It’s like comparing pintos to a ferrair. Bugs to an elephant. My God, many of you want to nit-pick about the dumbbest shit.

The UFC doesn’t have some of the top lightweights… They may not get Fedor…Dana curses too much…They raised their PPVs…EliteXC and HDNet Fights and other bogus companies are giving them a run…blah, blah, blah, blah, blah!

Look, you all know that every month, you’re looking forward to the next UFC show, because you know it’s the best MMA show in existence – period, end of of story. So quit you’re freaking whining!

 
Comment by Stagger-Lee
2008-03-08 17:22:30

[quote comment="352513"]Dana White sometimes sounds really stupid, and sometimes he sounds very intelligent.

This case, I think a little bit of both.

But the UFC is not untouchable. I really hope Elite XC gets Fedor, and then we will see who is talking.[/quote]

even if EliteXC gets Fedor? Elite will still be a far 2nd to the UFC…

One fighter cant bring an MMa promotion futher then the UFC…
(even Fedor)….

When most people think of “MMa” they think “UFC” not Fedor!

 
Comment by nafe
2008-03-08 17:29:32

Dana and the UFC would be respected so much more if every second word wasn’t fuck.

 
Comment by RAIDERFAN
2008-03-08 17:50:17

Can this guy speak English? How many F bombs do you have to drop in an interview. Dana thinks he is the man right now, but it’s all about the fighters. Fighters are the stars and Dana is living off them, as soon as you see these fighters leaving to other oganizations because of money disputes, the UFC will crumble fast.

 
Comment by RAIDERFAN
2008-03-08 17:51:12

[quote comment="352534"][quote comment="352519"]JTK5, competition in business isn’t supposed to be a one way street. Have you heard of a company called Microsoft? The Dana supporting set could sure use a course in basic business ethics and even an intro to economics.[/quote]

Bill Gates of mma.[/quote]

More like Suge Knight.

 
Comment by kama kaze
2008-03-08 18:15:58

[quote comment="352848"][quote comment="352534"][quote comment="352519"]JTK5, competition in business isn’t supposed to be a one way street. Have you heard of a company called Microsoft? The Dana supporting set could sure use a course in basic business ethics and even an intro to economics.[/quote]

Bill Gates of mma.[/quote]

More like Suge Knight.[/quote]

Suge didn’t monopolize anything yet.

 
Comment by alex
2008-03-08 18:32:23

Dana sure loves(expletive) NASCAR.

 
Comment by Mr.FancyPants
2008-03-08 18:32:46

[quote comment="352421"]Meanwhile 8 out of the top 10 lightweights are in non-Zuffa organizations. They can only get a legitimate 1 vs 2 in the world in 2 weight classes. 3 if you actually counted dan henderson #2, when we all know Filho, Kang, Lawler or Lindland are really in that spot.
Dana I dont know what your smoking, but you should share some.[/quote]

WEC is owned by Zuffa and has Filho, plus robbie lawler is washed up,, guys like Evan Tanner mopped the floor with Lawler. Lindlan is washed up, Trigg enough said. and what about Okami, Franklin, Marquadt,

 
Comment by justagirl
2008-03-08 18:35:26

[quote comment="352435"]Was Dana White raised in a trailer park?[/quote]

LOL!!! Now that’s funny!

 
Comment by kama kaze
2008-03-08 18:44:03

reality check… would any of have the audacity to ask your billionaire friends to invest 44 mil in a going bankrupt UFC? No & here’s why. 1. you dont have billionaire friends. 2. even if you did, and granted you had the balls to ask, they wouldnt listen to you. 3. let say you bought the ufc, would you be making major deals? ie: a reality show with spiketv and budweiser as a sponser? probably not. you gotta respect all the major moves that he made as an entrepreneur and pioneer of the sport and quit acting like girls and look past the cussing. gary shaw and mark cuban are just jumping on the bandwagon imo. thats my 2 cents.

 
Comment by Anthony
2008-03-08 18:45:58

[quote comment="352528"]i don’t know about you guys but i watch more ppv ufc than any of the orgs combined. especially with pride gone. dont be foolish, UFC is GODZILLA BIG right now. and if zuffa was a public company i’d buy that shit.[/quote]

So would I. I wanted to buy it last year but then I realized it wasn’t public..

 
Comment by clayton
2008-03-08 19:04:01

Muscle Dolphin, I missed your comment earlier (My “Touché!!” was directed at JTK5). Anyway, thank you for engaging in a reasonable manner. You make good points. Calling Dana a sophist was imprudent. Frankly, I don’t think he’s capable of Sophistry. He does have a strong Limbaugh-esque method of reason, though, and when people are so easily convinced, the end result of either style is much the same.

So to answer your question, “Why do you have an axe to grind with the UFC?”

Dana’s obviously worked wonders in bringing money and attention to the sport. He’s created a fantastically successful brand, and has brought many/most of the sports fighters under one roof. It’s hard to argue these are bad things. But with these accomplishments come great responsibility in not just maintaining profit, but pleasing fans and maintaining the sport over which he wields huge influence. I admit, I am different than most fans. I’ve been following the sport since I was a child, but that’s why I care so much. I’ve been frustrated time and time again when fights that should happen don’t or when title fights are put on hold for TUF coaches or when some of the best fighters in the world are pushed away from the UFC or for a variety of other reasons that seem motivated purely by short term profit and even ego. If Dana had more competition, he’d try harder to take the best fighters not already signed and if he couldn’t arrange the fights between those fighters the fans want most, another organization could. The sport wouldn’t suffer from this atmosphere, it would thrive.

Your suggestion of bringing in another strong management figure seems like a reasonable solution. If and when one of the struggling potential competitors is capable of competing, Dana’s one-track, compromise-free strategies will hurt the UFC and the great fighters legally locked to its tracks and therefore the sport.

In short, I am thrilled that I have access to countless sources of MMA info and can watch MMA on my television several times a week. I owe this to Dana almost exclusively, but I believe there’s a lot he could do differently that would allow the sport to grow more and in ways that every fan could appreciate.

 
Comment by yoububg
2008-03-08 19:04:43

[quote comment="352941"]reality check… would any of have the audacity to ask your billionaire friends to invest 44 mil in a going bankrupt UFC? No & here’s why. 1. you dont have billionaire friends. 2. even if you did, and granted you had the balls to ask, they wouldnt listen to you. 3. let say you bought the ufc, would you be making major deals? ie: a reality show with spiketv and budweiser as a sponser? probably not. you gotta respect all the major moves that he made as an entrepreneur and pioneer of the sport and quit acting like girls and look past the cussing. gary shaw and mark cuban are just jumping on the bandwagon imo. thats my 2 cents.[/quote]

Your two cents are dead on, well said.

 
Comment by Muscle Dolphin
2008-03-08 19:29:57

[quote comment="352981"]Muscle Dolphin, I missed your comment earlier (My “Touché!!” was directed at JTK5). Anyway, thank you for engaging in a reasonable manner. You make good points. Calling Dana a sophist was imprudent. Frankly, I don’t think he’s capable of Sophistry. He does have a strong Limbaugh-esque method of reason, though, and when people are so easily convinced, the end result of either style is much the same.

So to answer your question, “Why do you have an axe to grind with the UFC?”

Dana’s obviously worked wonders in bringing money and attention to the sport. He’s created a fantastically successful brand, and has brought many/most of the sports fighters under one roof. It’s hard to argue these are bad things. But with these accomplishments come great responsibility in not just maintaining profit, but pleasing fans and maintaining the sport over which he wields huge influence. I admit, I am different than most fans. I’ve been following the sport since I was a child, but that’s why I care so much. I’ve been frustrated time and time again when fights that should happen don’t or when title fights are put on hold for TUF coaches or when some of the best fighters in the world are pushed away from the UFC or for a variety of other reasons that seem motivated purely by short term profit and even ego. If Dana had more competition, he’d try harder to take the best fighters not already signed and if he couldn’t arrange the fights between those fighters the fans want most, another organization could. The sport wouldn’t suffer from this atmosphere, it would thrive.

Your suggestion of bringing in another strong management figure seems like a reasonable solution. If and when one of the struggling potential competitors is capable of competing, Dana’s one-track, compromise-free strategies will hurt the UFC and the great fighters legally locked to its tracks and therefore the sport.

In short, I am thrilled that I have access to countless sources of MMA info and can watch MMA on my television several times a week. I owe this to Dana almost exclusively, but I believe there’s a lot he could do differently that would allow the sport to grow more and in ways that every fan could appreciate.[/quote]
I agree with the general thrust of your arguments and I think that you’ve articulated them extremely well. I’m actually surprised that the Fertittas haven’t brought someone on board to “balance” Dana. The UFC (and MMA) has evolved tremendously over the last two or three years and Dana was the right person at the beginning, but I think it is time to bring someone else in that is less antagonistic. Before the Couture situation, I thought that Couture would be the ideal counterweight to Dana. IMHO Dana might be “in over his head” at this juncture. With Bud-lite coming on board, the UFC will become even bigger. A huge sponsor like Bud-lite is serious business and I wonder if the executives at Bud-lite might think that Dana needs to “tone it down” a bit. Perhaps the job is too much for Dana. Admittedly, I am a fan of the UFC and MMA in general. Most of the other organizations are not helping to build MMA. When Kimbo Slice is your main guy (EliteXC), you are mocking the true professionals and you are setting the sport back. No other organization is trying to get MMA sanctioned.

 
Comment by Diego Castillo
2008-03-08 19:52:44

Dana is the (expletive) man, his organization is definitely the elite of MMA. No other organization holds the quality of fighters that the UFC has, I’ve watch EliteXC, HDNet even the WEC, they don’t have the same talent, I’m not saying their are bad organizations, or that all the fighters are not professional athletes, but you can only name a few that are in the top ranks.
I personally will not pay the same amount of money to watch a fight on any of these organizations, and I know I’m not he only one that thinks this way.
The fighters now are getting better contracts with the UFC, the incentive bonus are getting higher and higher, and that’s not all, once you make it to the UFC you get big contracts from sponsors why? because the big market that the UFC can draw, so again: Dana is the (expletive) man!!!!!!!!!!!

 
Comment by blah
2008-03-08 20:11:29

[quote comment="352400"]wow…that is totally unlike Dana to say something like that…I am so surprised…(THIS IS sarcarm for anyone out there about to call me stupid!)[/quote]

–haha, love it!
i do like how dana says “steal a couple of guys” like elitexc stole a couple of guys or something…lol

 
Comment by blah
2008-03-08 20:21:06

[quote comment="352494"]dana really is weird, if he were the one with the cbs contract he would be praising it but you don’t have to knock another competitor down cause they beat u to the punch[/quote]

–dont we all know that too well! i will never forget how dana bashed wanderlei like no other, then the following couple of weeks, he signs him and calls him the toughest man in MMA!! that my friends is DANA FOR YOU.

So to you all who defend him, go ahead, us dana haters have been followin this shit long enough, and i do think we all have specific reasons why we do!!! Don king was a pretty well liked promoter in the beginning, and made the sport a little more famous in his own right, dana is not much different boys and girls…

 
Comment by jess
2008-03-08 20:29:34

[quote comment="352761"][quote comment="352649"]In a sense he’s right. But these other promotions are quickly becoming competitors as time goes on, specifically EliteXC and HDNet Fights. Dana’s been saying this for a long time, and sometimes his ’spin’ can convince me. But as time goes on, I think he’s just worried that his big guys like Arlovski for example might like to test their market value outside of the UFC’s blanket. And Arlovski could further help promote the growth of those smaller shows.[/quote]

No non-UFC promotion has ever done more than 75,000 buys.

They are POTENTIAL competitors, but the UFC posts between 500,000 and 1,000,000 PPV buys/show.

The UFC’s market value hasn’t been impacted by the other organizations.[/quote]

I don’t dispute your numbers, but fighters have other places to go now. They have more options than they did even just a year ago, and things are changing fast. I don’t claim to know about market value, but not every promotion will remain apart of the ‘feeder system’.

 
Comment by 518 milk chicken
2008-03-08 21:51:27

sorry dana…I already have the rights to gascar….We should be racing near you in early 2008. cheers!!!

 
Comment by Argghhh
2008-03-08 21:53:59

Arrrggghhh! He’s such an arrogant fcuk.He’s bloody right though.

 
Comment by TX2
2008-03-08 22:18:12

God I hate Dana White and everything about that company. If you want to see fighting without excessive corporate sponsorship, a fucking Mickey’s instant replay after every bout, and CEO’s who don’t dress like they’re 14 year old boys, watch some old school UFC.

No rules, no time limit, no weight classes…just ass kicking the way it was meant to be.

As Royce Gracie likes to say, “you don’t see fights like that anymore.”

 
Comment by hector
2008-03-08 22:24:23

totally off topic but, MANIA I just saw a video of BJ Penn in Tijuana, mexico and he is interviewed and he says that Wandy was talking shit that he wanted to come over and make easy money by fighting him and BJ calls Wandy out saying that he wants him to come over and see how easy it is to fight him. he also said that “Rude boy” Mandoloniz and Kendall Grove where fighting there thats why he was in Tijuana so
I know it must of been a while ago but have you ever hear of this and can you imagine BJ vs Wandy OMG that would be crazy shit

 
Comment by Bob
2008-03-08 23:07:42

I don’t think Dana is afraid of competition directly. I think that he is afraid of how much more he will have to pay to keep his top level talent to stay as card fillers in the UFC as opposed to being the “stars” of other organizations. Build your name in the UFC, and then get the big payday, and main events in other organizations. I’m one of those guys who is a fan of mma because of exposer to the UFC on Spike. Therefore I can only thank Dana for giving me what has turned into my favorite pastime. Off subject: Why is J-lau the main event of a fight night while the winner of the TUF he was on is at the bottom of the televised card? Is it his connection to Penn? I was just wondering if anyone has insight on that.

 
Comment by bobby.rush®
2008-03-08 23:27:18

I (expletive) love this guy… i dont care what other people think but i reckon the fertitas are lucky to have a guy like dana running the show…

 
Comment by Scott
2008-03-09 00:20:06

I can’t help but think Dana just might be one of those people that thinks any publicity he gets is good, and any that his competitors get poses a threat. If he really believed that the other organizations didn’t have the ability to compete with the UFC, then he wouldn’t have any reason to even respond to the EliteXC/CBS deal, much less trying to trump it with the Bud Light sponsorship. I mean seriously, what would fight fans care more about, MMA being broadcast on network television, or an organization signing with a beer sponsor? I couldn’t care less who has a logo in the canvas or gets a plug in the introductions. Though I would like to see Dana learn how to get his point across without swearing, if you’re conducting a professional interview, act accordingly. It’s embarassing for some of the fans and really doesn’t do anything to improve the image of the UFC or MMA in general.

 
Comment by MMACrossfire
2008-03-09 00:59:58

The_Mexicutioner – Once Mark Cuban starts out-salarying the competition (i.e. UFC), his fighters will start making demands.

Bottom Line:
Mark Cuban must offer something other than a higher salary to pull fighters away from the UFC and keep them.

Look what Fedor just did. M-1 offered him the sky. And he walked away.

 
Comment by Diesel_Power
2008-03-09 01:12:05

I really like what Dana is dong for the sport. But he really needs to stop swearing and talk a little more professional when being interviewed.

 
Comment by JB
2008-03-09 01:20:50

[quote post="5256"]I don’t dispute your numbers, but fighters have other places to go now. They have more options than they did even just a year ago, and things are changing fast. I don’t claim to know about market value, but not every promotion will remain apart of the “feeder system’. [/quote]

That’s just it. They don’t have other places to go yet. MMA organizations come and go. Who cares if you leave the UFC to join “Big Time Fight League” or whatever only to have your brand new six figure contract mean nothing when BTFG declares bankruptcy after you win their title? Catch my point? EliteXC just feels too much like a flash-in-the-pan for me right now. (They paid Kimbo way too much in my opinion)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Fighting_Alliance

I don’t know. You can leave your established company to join the upstart for a couple thousand more…but there is risk.

 
Comment by RAIDERFAN
2008-03-09 03:31:04

Dana White cusses more than Richard Pryor

 
Comment by yoububg
2008-03-09 07:24:13

[quote comment="353296"]totally off topic but, MANIA I just saw a video of BJ Penn in Tijuana, mexico and he is interviewed and he says that Wandy was talking shit that he wanted to come over and make easy money by fighting him and BJ calls Wandy out saying that he wants him to come over and see how easy it is to fight him. he also said that “Rude boy” Mandoloniz and Kendall Grove where fighting there thats why he was in Tijuana so
I know it must of been a while ago but have you ever hear of this and can you imagine BJ vs Wandy OMG that would be crazy shit[/quote]

Sounds fishy, not to mention they are all under contract so Rude Boy and Kendall wouldn’t be fighting. As for Bj and Wanderlie did’nt think there was any bad blood, chances are it’s a rumor.

 
Comment by Bane
2008-03-09 09:34:52

[quote comment="352421"]Meanwhile 8 out of the top 10 lightweights are in non-Zuffa organizations. They can only get a legitimate 1 vs 2 in the world in 2 weight classes. 3 if you actually counted dan henderson #2, when we all know Filho, Kang, Lawler or Lindland are really in that spot.
Dana I dont know what your smoking, but you should share some.[/quote]

Filho is contracted to Zuffa, he and Silva just won’t fight because they don’t want to as they are long time friends. Just like Wanderlei and Shogun.

 
Comment by Mr C
2008-03-09 10:38:15

totally off topic but, MANIA I just saw a video of BJ Penn in Tijuana, mexico and he is interviewed and he says that Wandy was talking shit that he wanted to come over and make easy money by fighting him and BJ calls Wandy out saying that he wants him to come over and see how easy it is to fight him. he also said that “Rude boy” Mandoloniz and Kendall Grove where fighting there thats why he was in Tijuana so
I know it must of been a while ago but have you ever hear of this and can you imagine BJ vs Wandy OMG that would be crazy shit

Sounds fishy, not to mention they are all under contract so Rude Boy and Kendall wouldn’t be fighting. As for Bj and Wanderlie did’nt think there was any bad blood, chances are it’s a rumor.

I seen that video a while back. It was from April ‘05. it was before Rude Boy and Kendall were fighting in the UFc & it was a Total Combat event in Tijuana, Mexico. Never heard any more about it after that but I would love to if anybody heard a follow up to it.

 
Comment by Mr C
2008-03-09 10:39:14

Sorry, i just figured out how to quote something now.

 
Comment by duece 4
2008-03-09 11:48:21

[quote comment="352435"]Was Dana White raised in a trailer park?[/quote]

the UFC couldnt’ hold NASCAR’s jock when it comes to ticket sales and fanfare nationwide

 
Comment by hector
2008-03-09 12:36:38

[quote comment="353987"][quote comment="353296"]totally off topic but, MANIA I just saw a video of BJ Penn in Tijuana, mexico and he is interviewed and he says that Wandy was talking shit that he wanted to come over and make easy money by fighting him and BJ calls Wandy out saying that he wants him to come over and see how easy it is to fight him. he also said that “Rude boy” Mandoloniz and Kendall Grove where fighting there thats why he was in Tijuana so
I know it must of been a while ago but have you ever hear of this and can you imagine BJ vs Wandy OMG that would be crazy shit[/quote]

Sounds fishy, not to mention they are all under contract so Rude Boy and Kendall wouldn’t be fighting. As for Bj and Wanderlie did’nt think there was any bad blood, chances are it’s a rumor.[/quote]
its not fishy BJ hymself is in the interview and hes the one that calls out Wandy but I did think it was an old clip specially since Kendal was fighting in mexico

 
Comment by Ny
2008-03-09 12:45:08

Dana is correct but……..what if Elite XC signs Miller Lite?

Competition is the American way and sadly for Dana his audience is niche. Growing the sport (and his business) will be by appealing to the masses that may not respect the “art” of the fighters.

So Elite XC has an excellent shot at taking large revenues from Dana and the UFC.

It is quite possible that the Kimbo Slice show will be huge for them whetehr Kimbo ever get’s to elite level or not.

Fan’s boo at UFC fights even when the fighters are proven mixed martial artists with a track record of spirited performances. What does that tell you?

Just was at a party last week of 50 people and the inevitable comments of “man love” when Hendo was hammer fisting the spider were thrown about.

I mean come on? Hendo get’s the Spider down and is hitting him 20 times in a row? How exciting those 90 seconds were for a true fan of MMA?

It’s not about what is happening, it is what could happen. A knee, an elbow. a punch, a kick, a throw, a cut, a slip…….it’s the unknown. The human fight spirit that could propel a less skilled. The heart of a fighter that can be outclassed and win late.

Sorry promoters. You got less than 1 million fans.

Sorry great fighters…….the big money, the masses really don’t care about you or you’re skill.

The want Butter bean and Kimbo Slice. (Big props to Kimbo for becoming Kevin Ferguson…he seems to want to be a true athlete)

 
Comment by RAIDERFAN
2008-03-09 18:17:22

Elite XC > UFC

 
Comment by Muscle Dolphin
2008-03-09 18:23:16

So Elite XC has an excellent shot at taking large revenues from Dana and the UFC.

It is quite possible that the Kimbo Slice show will be huge for them whetehr Kimbo ever get’s to elite level or no

The want Butter bean and Kimbo Slice. (Big props to Kimbo for becoming Kevin Ferguson…he seems to want to be a true athlete)[/quote]

Couldn’t disagree more with these statements. EliteXC has no chance of eating into the UFC’s profits and Kimbo Slice has not (and never will be) a big draw. EliteXC will be out of business in six months.

 
Comment by Stagger-Lee
2008-03-10 06:10:52

[quote comment="353332"]I (expletive) love this guy… i dont care what other people think but i reckon the fertitas are lucky to have a guy like dana running the show…[/quote]

I am also not a “Dana Hater”…He has done sooo much for this sport…I have followed MMa for about the last 8 or 9 years, and I have never seen anyone promote it like Dana White….

If I could think of one word to describe Dana it would be “Smart”..He has done such a great job, and of coarse no one is perfect, and he(Dana) has made his mistakes,BUT that doesn’t cancel out all the good things he has done…
……….ARE YOU PERFECT??………

..Think about it?? Dana White is responsible for saving the UFC, Putting the UFC and MMa on the map, and “of coarse” THE FIGHTS…All the amazing fights we as fans have got to see over the years…

I myself cant HATE a guy who has provided me with sooo much entertainment…..and ya ya” I know he has made some bad decisions, But the good decisions out-weigh the bad ones.
And ya ya” He swears all the time, But who really gives a shit??(I Dont)..But thats my opinion,Right??
Some people do care Dana says Fuck all the time…But some people agree 100% with what Dana says…And some people Dont….ect..ect…

Bottom line is’
I would have never seen all the amazing fight I have, if it wasn’t for Mr.Dana White…..thanks Dana….

Sorry Getting a little long.

 
Comment by john godzik
2008-06-20 21:22:58

dana: I was watching what you did to taylor for kicking out a window in a limo.. I put the blame squarley on your soulders, if u let the fighters destroy the home that they live in on national tv, something is very wrong;;;; Imagine what seeing this, can do to a teenager..Not good. So after enjoying the ufc fights, I now will never watch another fight. count me out
John

 
Comment by Eric Leader
2008-08-16 22:06:42

Hey Dana, lets get Brock and Kimbo in a match. We need to see a good heavyweight battle.

 
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