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Dana White’s $2,000 media challenge
By Zach Arnold | October 14, 2012
ARIEL HELWANI: “Big Nog picks up another big win here in his hometown. How much more would you like to see out of him?”
DANA WHITE: “HE’S A WAR HORSE. You know how I’m always honest about this stuff, I should shut my face, but I’m always honest… I honestly thought that Herman was probably going to knock him out. You know, Big Nog, when you see Big Nog lumbering around and he comes in and he’s getting undressed you should see when he’s taking his clothes off at the weigh-in you’ll see he was holding onto my shoulders, you know what I mean, to take his clothes off… and then the guy comes into the Octagon, I told him after the fight… you’re amazing, you’re unbelievable, I bow down to you, man. He’s just… he’s so awesome and he’s such a good guy, such a good human being, and like he said… he had screws in his arm! However many months ago and tonight he’s in there, you know, going to battle again. He’s an absolute warrior. He’s a legend. It’s an honor, it’s an honor to even be in this guy’s presence.”
ARIEL HELWANI: “You have been critical of Jon Fitch in the past. What do you think of what he did out there (against Erick Silva)?”
DANA WHITE: “I mean, this whole thing about me and Jon Fitch is a little… it’s a bit of a myth and it’s a little overplayed over the whole video game rights thing. Half the crap I see on the Internet is bullshit, OK? And… it’s, it’s uh, it’s not true. Um, you know, do people think that Jon Fitch isn’t the most exciting fighter in the world? Absolutely, um… but he was tonight. You know, Erick Silva is an up-and-coming talented kid and, uh, Fitch went in there and went to war with him and, you know, because both guys are… I think Erick Silva’s incredibly talented, you know, I like this kid and this might be his, uh… this loss to him might be what, you know, when GSP lost to Matt Hughes that first time. This is that fight that might push this kid to the next level. Um… but Fitch looked awesome, he fought a hard-fought battle against a very tough kid and, uh, I got nothing negative to say about Jon Fitch.”
Interview from MMAFighting.com.
Dana White offered the media $2,000 if any of them could name one hit show on Spike since the UFC has left. Last week, I noted the show Bar Rescue with Jon Taffer. Perhaps he should check Bar Rescue’s ratings (1.3M viewers), which are better than The Ultimate Fighter on FX. Feel free to cough up the $2,000 and use this link to send the donation.
Pay up or else I’ll label you a deadbeat like the Association of Boxing Commissions has labeled the California State Athletic Commission deadbeats.
Regarding Showtime’s future: “Call Showtime! If they’re not talking about it, I’m not talking about it.”
“No fighter that has ever fought here has ever gotten screwed. … I’m not involved in that bullshit. … Call Lorenzo (Fertitta). Give him a buzz.”
Having Alistair Overeem fight the winner of Cain Velasquez/Junior dos Santos: “Yeah, that’s what we’re thinking. We’ll see how this thing plays out and what happens. Again, nothing is done, nothing is etched in stone but yeah, that’s what I’d like to see happen.”
Topics: Brazil, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 3 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Technically, Bar Rescue debuted before the UFC left, so there’s the loophole.
Most people can’t name one hit show on basic cable, period.
Jon Fitch’s performance is exactly what he should have been doing his entire career…. Taking at least some sort of chances. That performance last night was a perfect example of Fitch still staying within his core abilities…. but also branching out enough to take risks during the fight to try and end it.
During the press conference, his face still didn’t have much of a scratch on it even after his change in strategy.
After Hendrick/Kampmann get their title shot, I would say Fitch, Maia, Penn/MacDonald, & Marquardt (if they fold SF) should be on the short list of fighters to be in line for a title shot.