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Fox Sports: "Zach Arnold's Fight Opinion site is one of the best spots on the Web for thought-provoking MMA pieces."

« | Home | »

Dana White: UFC can replace boxing in the Olympics

By Zach Arnold | April 6, 2007

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NBC Sports has a pretty remarkable interview with UFC President Dana White. He sounds an awful like Vince McMahon here. You must read the interview in full to get a flavor of what other MMA organizations are dealing with in UFC.

The major points from the interview:

  1. Dana predicts world domination for UFC within 5 years.
  2. He claims that Idaho is the next important battleground for MMA regulation — despite the fact that there have already been MMA events in Boise at Qwest Arena in 2006. (More here).
  3. UFC should replace boxing as a sport in the Olympics.
  4. He (Dana) is the smartest man in the fight game.

The interview struck a nerve with me and made me reflect on comments I made last week on FO Radio about how UFC views itself as not just the leading promotion in MMA but views itself as the whole sport. I’ll pose the question here that I posed to our radio show listeners – do you trust putting UFC in worldwide charge of developing the sport of MMA?

One personal comment about Dana’s claim of worldwide domination – it won’t happen for him for Japan.

Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 33 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |

33 Responses to “Dana White: UFC can replace boxing in the Olympics”

  1. I’ve been telling you the same thing for months.

    Dana is Vince McMahon, only with a bigger ego.

    I am very happy for the success of MMA, and the UFC is responsible for that success. But, I’d feel a lot more comfortable if the UFC had serious competition.

  2. Mr.Roadblock says:

    If the clowns who run the Olympics had any sense (and I don’t think they do) they’d put MMA in the modern games. Call it Pankration just as the Ancient Greeks did. It was immensely popular for nearly 1000 years as an Olympic sport.

  3. […] NBC Sports has a pretty remarkable interview with UFC President Dana White. He sounds an awful like Vince McMahon here. You must read the interview in full to get a flavor of what other MMA organizations are dealing with in UFC. … – More – […]

  4. clint says:

    Are you dense?

    He says:

    “The big one for us right now — although I might not have a fight in the state of Idaho, I want it sanctioned in the state of Idaho. It should be sanctioned in every state. Because somebody is putting on a fight over there. And that was our reason for bringing in [former Nevada state athletic commission executive director] Marc Ratner.”

    He knows there are events there. He wants it sanctioned so that someone doesn’t die in a unsanctioned event (like XFS or whatever it’s called at the Qwest arena) and ruin the name of mma. Nice try at bashing him…

  5. Yes…I hope the UFC does dominate the world of MMA and hats off to Dana and the Fertitas for taking a chance on the sport 6 years ago to make it what it is today.

    People should stop bitching. Had SEG still be in charge, I doubt there would be a UFC today.

  6. Rollo the Cat says:

    “do you trust putting UFC in worldwide charge of developing the sport of MMA?”

    What does this even mean? No one is in charge. Dana can’t tell me how how to run my MMA business, if I had one. Not here and certainly not in the rest of the world. The UFC is taking a leading role in expanding the sport. I have points of agreement and disagrement witht them, but they aren’t in charge of anything except their own employees.

    As long as there are people with money and sense who want in on the game, no one will ever have a monopoly. The reason we have one big org, Pride/UFC isn’t because of the UFC drivign everyone out of business, it is because Pride screwed up. We’ll see what Fishman, Ayres and others can pull together in the coming year or two.

  7. Kev says:

    My eye naturally goes to the shortest possible paragraph or block of text on any given web page. Usually, it’s the headline, although for some reason this was the first thing I saw.

    Q: It’s sexual?!
    A: That’s it. Chew it, chew it, baby. Faster. Chew it faster.

  8. D. Capitated says:

    Boxing is barely hanging on in terms of staying in the Olympics, and Women’s boxing gets like no votes from the committee, and he anticipates full blown MMA getting a nod in the next few years? There’s not even a universal amateur organization or rules.

  9. Rollo the Cat says:

    As for Dana himself, I like him When he first came on the scene, I thought it was the end of the UFC and MMA in the US. I hated him. He proved himself to me. He has been 90% good for the sport.

  10. Kev says:

    I think the greatest revelation in this article is that Dana White is easily distracted by goat cheese.

  11. Zach Arnold says:

    He knows there are events there. He wants it sanctioned so that someone doesn’t die in a unsanctioned event (like XFS or whatever it’s called at the Qwest arena) and ruin the name of mma. Nice try at bashing him…

    The notion that Idaho didn’t oversee the Boise events is false. When Mike Kyle was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission, we noticed that he was trying to fight in Idaho. Our site readers called up the Idaho commission and they made sure that his suspension was enforced.

    No, I’m not dense. I’m just not a mindless sheep willing to buy into everything said in the media.

    What does this even mean? No one is in charge. Dana can’t tell me how how to run my MMA business, if I had one. Not here and certainly not in the rest of the world. The UFC is taking a leading role in expanding the sport. I have points of agreement and disagrement witht them, but they aren’t in charge of anything except their own employees.

    The argument I make on the radio show (if you heard it) is that Dana’s essentially trying to make everyone think that UFC is the entire sport. That’s slick marketing on his part. He has the WEC as his feeder system and he may want to do the same thing with PRIDE. He already used the WEC to put it on The Versus Network, ensuring that no other competition would be on that channel. He’s talking about wanting UFC itself as an Olympic sport, not MMA. This is exactly what I mean when I ask whether or not you trust Dana running the whole sport and determining who gets pushed or not.

  12. Psygone says:

    One organization will never be able to accommodate all of the fighters available in the world. We already see bottle necking in some weight divisions while the sport is still growing.

  13. MMA Geek says:

    NBA = Basketball, NFL = Football, MLB = Baseball. So what’s the problem with UFC = Mix Martial Arts? One thing that the UFC/Dana-haters don’t get is that MMA fans watch UFC because they actually like it. Not because they are ignorant and don’t know that there’s any other promotions.

  14. clint says:

    Lol @ mindless sheep. Do you enjoy anything ? You are about as whiny as Eddie Goldman.

  15. clint says:

    Also lol @ “who gets pushed.” Yeah, I’m sure Anderson Silva was on high on zuffa’s list of “pushable” stars. Tim Sylvia too.

  16. Drew says:

    You’ll never see MMA at its current form in the Olympics, especially since there is a movement within the Olympic committee to get rid of boxing from the summer olympics.

    As far as the UFC dominating the world within 5 year, I doubt it. Dana has burned too many bridges when he should have been working with other promoters. DSE PRIDE was innovative in the fact that they were working with other smaller promotion like Cage Rage, KOTC and Shooto, and were able to bring fresh talent into their promotion.

    Now K-1 has taken over its place and is working with many more promotions than PRIDE did. Now the UFC has to face FEG through bidding wars and a consortium united in stopping the UFC (K-1, Cage Rage, Strikeforce, Bodog, Pro Elite).

    If anything, the promotion that ends up working with other promotions will be the one who leads the global fight game within 5 years.

  17. MMA Geek says:

    Zach, I read Fight Opinion every day and really appreciate the level of thought and discourse that goes into the site. However, after reading the NBC interview, I was stunned by your response and I seriously have to question your journalistic integrity.

    1) Dana White never says the words “world domination.” The interviewer said “domination” and White said “Global.” You can say that it means the same thing, but not if you consider how Dana is constantly harassed by you and other writers for sounding crude and unprofessional.

    2) Dana never says that there aren’t fights in Idaho. He’s only talking about getting sanctioning there so let’s not try to make this sound like the Zuffa-myth part 2.

    3) The boxing comment is really taken out of context and you make it sound as though Dana is full of bravado. First of all, once again, the interviewer brings up the Olympic topic and Dana is speaking very casually about it and calls its a “long-term dream.”

    4) As for the “smartest man in the fight game” comment, once again is SERIOUSLY taken out of context. Dana mentions twice that he is not that smart, but says “MIGHT” be the smartest guy in the fight game. The way its written on this site, you would think Dana White is walking around with a t-shirt that says “I’m the smartest man on the planet.” You’re grossly mischaracterizing him to the point of defamation.

    I really hate that I sound like some Dana White/UFC-nuthugger, but its usually writing surrounding Dana where the “MMA media” rears its worst side. I’m not trying to defend him as much as I would like to see the MMA media mature beyond these kinds of personal attacks and grade-school level journalism.

  18. Rollo the Cat says:

    “He’s talking about wanting UFC itself as an Olympic sport, not MMA.”

    The Olympic committee isn’t going to be fooled by that. Maybe Dana, like so many other
    people, is just not being careful in his choice of words. UFC is a catchier and easier to say name than MMA. I always hated the term MMA anyway and I wonder if those three letters weren’t chosen as the generic name in order to encourage people to use the nicer sounding brand name.

    “Now the UFC has to face FEG through bidding wars and a consortium united in stopping the UFC (K-1, Cage Rage, Strikeforce, Bodog, Pro Elite).”

    Truthfully, that won’t last long. Cooperation isn’t the key to success. It is a sign of weakness. But someone strong will come along and provide competition. But the someone has to have a sense of the market, the way Dana does.

  19. Royal B. says:

    Anyone who uses the “MMA will be an olympic sport” statement is either high or mental. There’s not enough countries to cover the sport and there won’t be enough in five years.

    Hell, France considers their fighters outlaws. Finland is having a hard time getting kickboxing matches through. What makes you think they’ll support them in the olympics?

    Stop drinking the kool-aid clint.

  20. Zach Arnold says:

    He’s asked in the interview by Abrahamnson about world domination in 5 years. Dana says his product is already global and seen in 160 countries on TV, but that in 5 years he expects to get house shows going all over the place. He didn’t dispute his product being the global, worldwide dominant leader.

    Re: Idaho… as I discussed in an earlier reply, the state athletic commission did oversee who fought and who didn’t on the Qwest Arena events.

    Dana’s comment about UFC replacing boxing in the mainstream sports landscape is a long-time theme of his in interviews. That’s something he has always been consistent about.

  21. Psygone says:

    “I always hated the term MMA anyway and I wonder if those three letters weren’t chosen as the generic name in order to encourage people to use the nicer sounding brand name.”

    ‘MMA’ was a nice alternative to the misnomer ‘NHB’

  22. MMA Geek says:

    Dana’s comment about UFC replacing boxing in the mainstream sports landscape is a long-time theme of his in interviews. That’s something he has always been consistent about.

    Consistent themes? You mean like how you consistently compare Dana White to Vince McMahon in nearly every story? 😉

  23. Every time MMA is compared to wresting, a washed up wrestler ODs in a hotel room

  24. Psygone says:

    I think (at the expensive of answering for Zach) people here sometimes confuse the difference between narrative and interpretation. Zach isn’t regurgitating the news back into your mouth for you, he is only highlighting the talking points contained within.

  25. Tomer Chen says:

    NBA = Basketball, NFL = Football, MLB = Baseball. So what’s the problem with UFC = Mix Martial Arts?

    Where’s the fighter’s union? Otherwise, the analogy is quite faulty given that all the aforementioned have unions instituted to prevent owners from basically tossing the players out on their heads when they get too shot or even if the owner gets pissy at them.

  26. Armen says:

    He sounds a lot like Vince McMahon here? Are you kidding Zach? The guy comes off more reasonable and humble here than in almost any other of his interviews.

    Say what you will about Dana when he is in character and playing things up for the sell, but the guy understands what he is doing. He is talking with NBC Sports and he is not going to act a fool. And he doesn’t. He is not overdramatic and he uses the words “might”, “maybe”, and “dream” when he talks about MMA becoming an Olympic sport.

    How you go from that to Vince McMahon is beyond me.

  27. I’ll bet that the UFC is the league that actually helps create the first MMA fighter’s union. Sometimes people forget the company has just recently pulled out of the red, and god only knows they need a war chest in case this whole mainstream thing is just a fad.

    Wrestling fans see parallels in MMA to wrestling because that’s what they know. But honestly trying to make an analogy of Dana White as any wrestling owner is just … well, a bad analogy.

  28. D. Capitated says:

    The problem with comparing the UFC to any team sport is obvious. This is fighting. Without a set of rankings and by being able to not only control the titles but to promote *all* of the fights, it opens up the ability for Dana to grossly misuse his power. The NFL commissioner has little or no power over who starts on defense for the Carolina Panthers. Dana White can lowball a fighter he doesn\’t want in his organization and basically blackball him.

    Anyone who believes that someone enters fight promotion because they\’re a good guy is nuts. Dana was a dude who was basically driven out of boxing, and the Vegas gym story is that he wasn\’t paying dudes and got some threats afterwards. The possibility that he\’ll be as corrupt as Don King given more power isn\’t just likely, it is inevitable.

  29. 45 Huddle says:

    I actually do have a lost of trust and faith in The Fertitta’s & White. When they first bought the company, I was extremely skeptical. But their track record speaks volumes.

    I was at UFC 30, which was the first Zuffa run UFC. Back then, one loss in the UFC could kill a fighters career. The roster size was tiny. They didn’t even hold 10 events a year. Fast Foward to the year 2007…

    1. Fighters actually have careers. The big named stars are getting PPV % Contracts. A select few are making over a million a fight. A guy like Joe Stevenson, with 3 wins this year, will make close to 6-figures. Include sponsors, and he is making a fantastic living for a fighter moving up the ranks of an organization. Plus, if a fighter loses, the UFC still takes the time and gives them the chance to build back their career and get another title shot. This never happened back in the old days.

    2. The titles mean something. Back then, the titles were almost meaningless. Fighters would hold the belt for an event, and then leave the organization. Now, being a UFC Champion is a big deal. A fighter has to earn their shot at the title. Carlos Newton got a title shot at UFC 31, despite losing his last fight before that. Now, fighters need to win 4 to 6 times in the UFC before getting there. Not only are they making money the entire time, but there is a certain path they can obtain.

    3. Coverage. This is so understated it isn’t even funny. The hardcore fans could barely get results before Zuffa took over. Now we have great coverage on SpikeTV. I see these new fans complaining about stupid things all the time. They don’t know how good they have it.

    Before the UFC/Pride merger, I have always been a fan of one organization ruling the sport with a fighters union. I think that system is 10 times better then the boxing promoters system. It emulates what individual sports like tennis and golf have. And I think we have honestly found the company to lead our favorite sport. Nobody is perfect, but The Fertitta’s & White are sure close to it. They pay the fighters right. A guy like Jason Lambert got close to $70,000 for beating Babalu after bonuses that Zuffa willing gave out. They willingly paid Mauricio Rua double his current Pride pay once they took over the company. They could have tried to low ball him. But they didn’t. They respect the sport enough to pay the fighters what they deserve (as long as they are making the money to do so).

    I hope the union comes. I hope it isn’t too strong. just enough to regulate. I think it would actually HELP the sport in the long run.

  30. Jason Bennett says:

    The discussions within this site never fail be to best any forum out there.

    45 Huddle – I couldn’t agree more. Perfectly stated and well presented. Most fans are too fickle when they should keep their eyes on the ball. As for me, I love MMA more than any other pasttime. I get excited to see any event possible; even the local amateur shows are great fun. Once a union is in place, and it will happen – it just may take a while, the UFC will be THE name for mma. Personally, I could care less if it’s the UFC, Bodog, or IFL carrying the sport’s banner as long as it’s done well and we get quality matchups.

    Regardless of anyone’s opinion of Dana White and Zuffa, they’ve produced results – massive results. Ask nearly any fighter if they are financially and professionally better off since Zuffa’s plan unfolded over the last few years and you’ll find a vast majority agree. And I believe their continued support of mma will include a healthy union as well (within 2-3 years). They’ll embrace it rather than face some sort of rebellion against them. You can’t forget how good of businessmen they are.

  31. Armen says:

    I don’t think it is even a question of my faith in Dana and the Fertitas really. I don’t have any faith in them because I don’t know these people personally. What I do have is logic and their track record. I can’t even say if Zuffa will heartily embrace a fighter’s union, or when one will even become necessary.

    What is obvious is, like 45 and Jason say, are the results they have produced. They are kicking everyone else’s ass as far as running an MMA promotion goes. Don’t stop there. They are kicking everyone else’s ass as far as running a combat sport promotion goes. As much as I dislike the announcing team’s amateurish exaggeration, the overcommercialization of their shows on Spike, Dana’s sometimes dick-ish attitude, the fact that they push the whole “how much do you really hate this guy you’re fighting” angle a bit too much, etc., there is simply no arguing that while they’re clearly not perfect, they are outperforming everyone else out there.

    Honestly PRIDE has/had a superior show, fighters, and production. What they clearly didn’t have was superior management. It is a sad day for us fans if the quality of the PRIDE shows significantly goes down after this purchase. But who’s to say it will? And who’s to say that maybe the UFC won’t be the better for it with the influx of better talent? That’s a wait and see but, who else has proven themselves in this market that you would even *consider* putting your money on to succeed? I see nobody but Zuffa unfortunately.

  32. Lynchman says:

    I am a little curious as to what Dana did to Jeff?

    Ever since I first saw his blog, he has been after Dana and co, calling them on things that he gave Pride a free ride on.

    Dana has a bigger ego than Vince?

    It is funny to see that statement at a time when Dana has made amends with almost every fighter he had issues with.

    Vince bought a company and then buried the entire roster because he did not see them as being part of his group.

    Vince spends money to hire folks just to humiliate them.

    Dana has patched up things between himself and several fighters, putting the business first.

    C’mon Jeff, at least try to pretend to be objective.

  33. […] Dana White: UFC can replace boxing in the OlympicsNBC Sports has a pretty remarkable interview with UFC President Dana White. He sounds an awful like Vince McMahon here. You must read the interview in full to get a flavor of what other MMA organizations are dealing with in UFC. … […]

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