UFC president Dana White recently did a three part interview series with Swedish MMA journalist Marcus Kowal, the first part of which we aired here several weeks ago.
However, it’s the final two installments that are the most quotable, giving insight into White’s views on his fighters being paid enough and why he thinks more guys should go into MMA than football.
Some highlights from Part 2:
– White talks about going to Sweden for the first time and how they’re planning to go back based on the quick sellout.
– He talks about the Brazil soccer stadium show being “one of biggest sporting events of the year” and that Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen II is something his entire fanbase across the world will want to see.
– His opinion on fighters not tapping out, specifically with Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey. This transitions into his thoughts on women’s MMA post-Rousey/Tate and how the two “changed his mind”.
But it’s Part 3 that is the most interesting. See the quotes and the video after the jump.
A few highlights from Part 3:
– White went into detail about how athletes can be “huge superstars” in MMA and make “tons of money”, adding that the the sport is safer, “way cooler” and there’s more longevity than in football. “Let’s be honest here. “Do you want to be a (expletive) football player throwing a football around or do you want to be the heavyweight champion of the (expletive) world? Seriously, is there any debate?,” he said.
– White talks about a discussion with Fox in which they asked about what fighters make and how they asked why he didn’t promote that more heavily. He brings up his reasons why, citing examples from Mike Tyson and baseball player Prince Fielder.
– White said over the next five years, money is going to get bigger for fighters. A quote. “They’re making plenty of (expletive) money.”
– He blames media and people “buzzing around” about all the talk about pay. He says that in 11 years and more than 1700 fights, he’s never seen a worse beating than Lorenzo Fertitta’s talk with “that guy from ESPN”. “If that doesn’t tell the story, nothing does,” he said.
– He goes into helping fighters out, what the yearly Fighter Summit is supposed to be about and his frustrations when people come to him after a fighter gets busted for steroids. “I have 375 guys under contract. I have this huge business to run. I told you what the next two years of my life were going to be like and I’m supposed to be babysitting these guys? They’re grown (expletive) men,” he said.
About the author
