Finally, someone in the national media said it! What I’ve been silently saying for years is beginning to become for others as well. Dana White is a clown of epic proportions – and it’s not even funny.
This week, CBSSports.com columnist Gregg Doyle bashed White for his mishandling of the now-cancelled UFC 51 card. The main event for the card, originally scheduled for Sept. 1, was supposed to pit popular light-heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones versus MMA legend and number one contender “Dangerous” Dan Henderson (also known as “Hendo”). However, when Henderson went down with a knee injury, White was forced to scramble to find a credible opponent for his champion to fight on short notice.
In combat sports such as MMA and boxing, last-minute injuries are not uncommon due to the sports’ brutal and physically taxing nature. Generally, a lesser opponent found for the headliner or a compelling undercard bout is promoted to if the top bout cannot be salvaged. The problem in this instance is that the rest of the card was severely watered down and full of fights nobody really cared about. So the whole show hinged on Jones.
After middleweight Chael Sonnen agreed to move up a weight class to fill in for Henderson on just eight days notice, White presumed his crummy card was saved. However, the champion was less than satisfied with the backup selection. After all, he’d been training to fight Henderson for months, developing strategy, watching tapes and perfecting his craft. Though Sonnen is a smaller fighter with a similar fighting style, Jones’ trainer Greg Jackson suggested his fighter exercise his option to turn down the fight.
White, whom Doyle affably calls “King Meathead,” was infuriated by the rejection. Without his superstar, the entire fight card was scrapped for the first time in UFC history. The hot-tempered czar, known for his rants, publicly lashed out, calling Jones’ decision “selfish” and “disgusting.” He also took a potshot at the trainer for his unpopular advice to his student.
“Greg Jackson should never be interviewed by anybody ever again, except a psychiatrist,” White said.
My, how very presidential of you, Mr. White.
Of course, this isn’t the first time Dana Dane has publicly feuded with a fighter. He once got into a such a vicious war of words with former UFC star Tito Ortiz that the two agreed to a boxing match to settle their differences (the fight was ultimately cancelled).
While White almost single-handedly turned the UFC from a fringe and controversial combat sport into a multi-billion dollar business, his whining ways have earned him detractors along the way. The UFC earned its position as the top-notch MMA organization by stacking its PPV cards full of high-quality bouts and ensuring that, unlike boxing, top fighters always face each other. “Ducking” fighters is virtually non-existent in the UFC.
But turning down a last-minute opponent change is hardly ducking. If offered the Sonnen bout with a full training camp, Jones would’ve likely licked his chops at the opportunity to make easy work of his smaller, less-talented opponent. But without a proper camp, especially in a sport such as the UFC, anything can happen.
Plus, the organization’s propensity for cutting fighters after consecutive losses makes it understandable that Jones would want to ensure he’s at the top of his game when stepping into the ring.
Of course, White and other fighters easily forget the UFC’s ridiculously low wages for non-superstars and its cut-throat stance in dealing with fighters after losses. White shamelessly tried to blame Jones for the fact that fighters on the undercard would not be paid for the lost bouts. A few fighters even took to Twitter to call out the newly-minted traitor, saying his decision would affect their ability to pay family bills.
This is because non-elite fighters are often paid as low as $8,000 (with incentives to increase their pay with impressive victories) to perform on pay-per-view undercards. Contrast that with the “dying” sport of boxing, where fighters on televised PPV undercard bouts often clear six-figure purses, or at least mid-level, five-figure checks.
Furthermore, despite his newly found compassion for fighters, it’s interesting that combatants such as Thiago Tavarez found out about the cancellation via Twitter or email instead of a personal phone call or meeting with UFC officials.
To compound his series of mistakes, White announced a UFC 52 matchup between Jones and former opponent Lyoto Machida (and even hinted he would strip the champ if he refused this time) before speaking with the latter. Turns out, Machida did not want a title shot without a full six-week training camp. White’s flubbed announcement was just four weeks before the rescheduled bout, meaning he was forced to find a new opponent again.
Instead of running his mouth so recklessly, White should focus on giving his fans solid fight cards from top to bottom. That way, regardless of injuries or circumstances beyond his control, UFC events can continue and the fans will continue to shell out an absurd $50 – $60 each month to watch their favorite fighters in action – instead of listening to White’s tired tirades for free.
