Dana White. There is no one like him in all of sports. He pulls no punches, he could care less about popular opinion, and may in fact be the most entertaining character in all of social media – without even trying. He can garner hundreds of retweets with a single word. “Egg.”
White can come off like a regular guy, but he’s no dummy. He knows that love him or hate him, people are going to talk about him. When people talk about Dana White, they’re talking about the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which is good business. I’ve never met White personally, but you have to think he applies the same philosophies with the fighters he brings in.
Sage Northcutt, a virtual unknown until Dana White’s YouTube sensation ‘Looking for a Fight’. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you’re probably looking for the Curling sports page. Here’s a link: Dana White: Looking for a Fight – Pilot – YouTube. Northcutt is a 19-year-old genetic freak. He is on an upcoming pay per view after only two fights in the promotion. Love it or hate it, you’re talking about it, just like you’ll talk about Dana White. You’re probably going to tune in, whether you want to see him win or not. It’s win/win at this point for the UFC. Either you want to see him get beat, or you want to see him win, but you’re going to pay to see it either way.
Before Northcutt, there was a little known fighter called Conor McGregor that burst on the scene. Dana White had heard rumblings of him during a visit to Ireland in 2013, and consequently he was offered a contract soon after. He took the Chael Sonnen model and ran with it, with one exception. McGregor has backed up his trash talk – repeatedly. Before signing with the UFC, McGregor was a Featherweight and Lightweight Champion for Cage Warriors, a feat he is trying to repeat when he headlines UFC 197. I am taking nothing away from McGregor. He is the probably the hardest working MMA athlete both in and out of the cage. The amount of press he does, the daunting weight cut to 145…. Let’s face it, he looked like his 125 pound teammate Paddy Holohan during the weigh ins before the Jose Aldo fight.
Fans often scoff of things like fighter pay and broken promises for title shots (poor Frankie Edgar). The fighters with the most success these days are the ones that aren’t afraid to put themselves out there. Chael Sonnen knew it, and McGregor certainly knows it now. Dana White understands the business as a whole. He makes the tough decisions, decisions you or I couldn’t make. White will either crush your dreams, or make them come true.
Dana White’s weakness? Easy. He has a soft spot for the fighters that put it all out there. The Dan Hardy’s, the Carlos Condit’s, the Nick Diaz’s. The fighters that talk the talk and go out there and put it all out there. Why else would Nick Diaz, who hasn’t won a welterweight fight since beating an undersized B.J. Penn in 2011, be considered as the next challenger to Robbie Lawler’s belt? I’ll tell you why. It will put asses in seats and could sell 1 million PPV’s. Dana White knows that, and more importantly White genuinely wants to see that fight. I know I certainly would.
Do I agree with all things White? Probably not. I also don’t know what goes on behind the scenes, beyond the discretionary bonuses, beyond what is published on the interweb. I’d be more than happy to listen to anyone that would like to share their experiences.
Main Photo: CALGARY, CANADA – JULY 19: UFC President Dana White attends the UFC 149 press conference at the Flames Central Sports Club on July 19, 2012 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
