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Dana White: The Love/Hate Relationship with the UFC President

By Ben Bieker

Saying the name Dana White to any MMA fan will instantly garner a reaction. Now, what that reaction may be is a whole different story. The emotions that run along with that name can range from hate, love, fear, idolization, respect, or annoyance, but at the end of the day everyone knows that Dana is a hard worker. He is a self professed fan of MMA first, and I believe it shows. The one thing I have taken from his video blogs before fights is that he really loves the sport. Every time that someone gets knocked out, or pulls off a crazy submission he is always out of his seat with his face in the action. When talking to fighters backstage he is always complementing of their abilities and what they did in the cage.

Also, it is true that Dana is one of the hardest working people in the MMA world and he has done many things that have pushed the sport closer to being mainstream. He has helped, spent countless hours, and used a lot of money to get the sport sanctioned in many states, legal in quite a few countries, and watched in over a few million homes. That feat alone is worth our applause and praise as an MMA fan. He has put in his time and effort doing what people on many forums talk about. In his interview on Fighting Words with Mike Straka Dana said at one point he though he wasn’t able to do it anymore. He thought he would have to sell off the company because it was draining the Fertittas of money. He also stated that he was pushing 100 percent and it wasn’t good enough. Luckily, they didn’t sell off the company and Dana found it in him to push that much harder and make the UFC successful. It is a testament to Dana on all his hard work to see the sport, and his company, where it is today.

With all hard workers in the media they will have their detractors, and in most scenarios the detractors are right. In Dana’s case they always point to the way he talks, how personally he handles issues within his company, and the way he handles some situations. These are all things that Dana has done, the way Dana would do them. He rarely has regrets because he is always the same, but at the same time those ways may not always be the best.

Talking is a big thing when it comes to promotion, and public speaking in general is a big issue. When being nice people say that Dana talks candidly, and if they are trying to be mean they will say he cusses a lot. This speaking that he does comes from two places. It comes from his passion and just who he is. He only really cusses when he is heated up about an issue, or when he is talking about people that rub him the wrong way. For instance when he used to talk about the guys who ran EliteXC he would call them, “F*#king idiots,” a lot. Was it the best way to talk about them? Probably not. But was it Dana’s true feelings? Probably so. So, if it was Dana’s true feelings then that is how he said it because to be honest the way that Dana talks is the way that many people talk. It is not uncommon for me when running errands through the day, or when I am at work to hear 1 out of every 3 people drop the F bomb. It is just a common occurrence that I have become accustomed to. I am not saying it is right, because it isn’t, but it is the truth. People curse, so why should it matter if Dana does? It shouldn’t because I am sure Dana would tell you to F off if you questioned him about it.

The issue of how personally Dana handles his company is a none issues for me because his company is personal to him. As stated before he has poured his own sweat into making the UFC the MMA juggernaut it is, so if he gets a little tense when people come at him then he is in his own right. Like when Affliction left as a sponsor and tried to make a go at being their own MMA company, or when EliteXC said they rose up tot takedown the UFC. How would you feel if someone said they were going to take you out, or if one of your biggest supporters tried to cut into your market? You would be pissed, and rightfully so. These instances and many more show people who Dana is as a person, and I think that is one of his strongest qualities. He doesn’t hold back and comes right out and says what he wants. This is a good thing it shows more honest, unlike other people who run companies and put up fronts when if front of the press. To have someone where their heart on their sleeve when they address the people that make their company go around, the public, should only help to improve someone’s image and not damage it.

That is not to say that all the things he has taken personally have been played out well. The exodus of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Randy “The Natural” Couture were not good times in the UFC. Dana felt betrayed and he let those fighters know it. He said things that surely hampered his relationship with them, and that was not a good thing because at the end of the day you knew those fighters would return to the company. Which they did, and what Dana said made the rebuilding of those friendships that much harder? Given the way they treated the UFC and Dana was disrespectful because they left the company when they were off a stint of the Ultimate Fighter and scheduled for a big money grudge match, and Heavyweight champion respectfully. For them to walk away they did was a really stupid and inconsiderate thing considering they were only doing it because they were not getting what they wanted. So, while I do not agree the actions Dana took to counteract those fighters actions were appropriate, the actions those fighters took were just as wrong.

Generally, I do not understand the flack Dana catches for his persona, and I think that is the problem. People think that Dana White the promoter is some sort of persona, when in actuality it is just Dana. He is the person that runs his company, while at the same time is a father, husband, and friend. This might be the most opinionated piece, but I believe that I respect Dana more than most people because I for one know I could not have the drive and tenacity that he has to run his company.

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