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UFC media round-up
By Zach Arnold | September 15, 2006
The Houston Chronicle has an interesting post about Dana White’s reaction to Silva vs. Mirko in the PRIDE ring. Yes, Mr. White apparently is paying close attention to PRIDE these days. Definitely a must-read link.
Also, Dave Doyle has two good articles (here and here), detailing some quotes he did in an interview with Georges St. Pierre.
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, PRIDE, UFC, Zach Arnold | 11 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
White claims that the Liddell-Silva fight is off specifically because of Silva’s loss to Cro Cop. In fact, it was off for several weeks before that (even before UFC 62), and was reported as such on the event page for UFC 65 on MMAWeekly. I suppose it’s more convenient to pretend that it’s off specifically because Silva lost, but in fact it was off before Liddell even fought Babalu. The results of those two fights had no bearing on the fact that it was off. If the outcomes had been the opposite, or if both Liddell and Silva had won their fights (or lost their fights), none of that would have changed the fact that it was off.
Ivan – Dana himself was quoted by the Canadian Press (first picked up by the Calgary Sun) a few weeks ago saying that Silva vs. Liddell wasn’t going to happen due to issues with PRIDE’s office. He’s now saying the fight won’t happen again because of Silva being KO’d in Saitama?
The only way I could legitimize this new reasoning is if PRIDE continues to push the prospects of Silva vs. Liddell happening (to the Japanese media).
I don’t think the two things are mutually exclusive. It’s possible for Dana White to be completely dishonest to the American media about the Silva-Liddell deal (if he says or implies that Silva’s loss had absolutely anything to do with it) AND for Dream Stage to be completely dishonest to the Japanese media about the Silva-Liddell deal (if they try to act like it’s still on even though it has been off for weeks and weeks).
Bottom line Dana is just using the Silva KO to make him look like HE didnt drop the ball. The “mastermind” of MMA jumped the gun when the Tito/Shamrock fight blew and decided to announce the fight without confirming itwould actually happen. BIG MISTAKE. Didnt he learn anything in marketing….NEVER promise something u cant deliver. So now instead of blaming his own incompetence he blames PRIDE for dropping the ball and NOW he blames the SIlva KO as the reason why the fight cant happen….. I will stand by UFC but Dana is the next Vince McMahon right now IMO.
Ivan, did you read the quote from the article? Dana White said: “It kind of defeats the purpose now. The guy just got, literally, destroyed.” He’s saying that whether or not the fight was going to happen, its now pointless because why would the UFC put their top guy against a guy who got mauled and he states that the commision would never allow him.
First of all, its a snippet of a quote. Who knows what was said before and after that actual quote. Second, the reading of the small quote does not tip Dana’s position one way or the other. He’s not back tracking (or at least you can’t tell from the information provided). Its a fair reaction to a new development to the drama.
For everyone who complains about the Dana White, you need to take off your own bias glasses and not spin something that’s not there.
Then Ommabudsman explain why we have Leben continuing to grace our presence after being slaughtere by Anderson Silva? Or why we ar having a Tito/Shamrock III….I mean isnt it “pointless because why would the UFC put their top guy agaomnst a guy who got mailred?”
JOSH, the two situations are in no way, shape or form comparable.
Leben is not going from getting destroyed to fighting Franklin in a PPV main event, huge $$$ title match. He is going back to undercarding where he belongs at the moment. He will either build himself back up, or bounce himself out.
Putting someone who was just destroyed in a main event title match is only acceptable if it is Justin Eilers. Otherwise, it makes no sense 🙂
Regardless of the fact that Silva a MW (or LHW) was figthing one of the top HWs? I mean what if Franklin got slaightered by Shamrock (instead of vice versa?) should he not still be considerd one of the best MW in the UFC? Or what if Hughes got schooled by Gracie? Would his star have been dropped? No Im sorry Silva is still one of the best fighters int eh world who lost to an equally strong opponent who outweighed him at least 30 lbs. Silva/Liddell would still be a money making fight REGARDLESS of the lost (which MOSt people wont even know/care about anyway). But hey if the lies Dana tells u satisfy ur needs than all the power to u.
Josh, my point was that Ivan was making it sound as though Dana White, for the first time, said the fight was cancelled due to the KO. That’s not what he said in the quote. Its a horrible misreading and a obvious spin job to once again make Dana White look dishonest. I’m all for objective reporting and criticism, but it seems like keyboard warriors have an automatic negative response to anything Dana White says whether its the truth or not.
As to analyzing what Dana said, the reality is that North American MMA fans have very little knowledge of Wanderlei and being that he was beaten to a pulp in his last fight makes it an even tougher sell. UFC had a hard time selling Liddell vs. Sorbrel and that was a guy who had a stellar UFC record! I don’t think Dana was disrespecting Wanderlei as a whole, but he won’t be able to sell the fight given the lost and logistically, it make be impossible due to Nevada regulations. Of course I’m taking Dana’s words at face value.
I kinda understand what ur saying Omma BUT i think its flawed reasoning. Granted sure maybe Dana isnt saying the reason the Silva/Liddell fight is off BECAUSE of the Silva loss BUT he sure makes it seem its a good reason NOW not to have it. Yet I THINK what Ivan was pointing out is that why is Dana even pointing out the Silva loss when the fight isnt happening ANYWAY? And dont go saying oh its not OFFICIALLY cancelled…its NOT going to happen. What gets me is how Dana would have the gaul to point out ther Silva loss and go “well now its a pointless match” when moments ago he was probably BEGGING PRIDE for the fight. Like I said before Dana is just happy that now the egg on his face can be thrown at PRIDE.
Personallty I have no problem with Dana, I just think that alot of what he says is BS and he’s egotistical in the way he acts (dont get me started on the whole “Fighters come to us…so we dont need to pay them shit” mentality.)
As for the whole Silva popularity thing…well if people dont know Silva then how are they going to know he lost? I agree, the reaction to Silva at the Ortiz/Shamrock II match was HORRIBLE. BUt the people who do care (and that would be us internet marks) would still LOVE to see Silva/Lidell despite the lost to MIrko. I mean c’mon can YOU perosnally tell me u wouldnt pay money to STILL see Silva/Liddell regardless of the lost? So that reasoning is flawed. And as for the lack of intrst in the Babalu fight it sitll had the 3rd highest gate total in UFC history…so I dont see where the lack of intest is there…….
Here’s an interesting interview with Eddie Goldman.
http://media.putfile.com/OMA-and-Goldman-on-Carson
Good stuff….
Those puff pieces in the papers billowing out of dana’s skirt are not examples of credible reporting.