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An honest question: How can Dana White get away with being so unprofessional? (self.MMA)

submitted ago by Saltydawgg

Honestly. I always see him calling fans pussies and whatnot on twitter. That's one thing. Then, when everyone was saying that the first UFC on Fox event was weak, he literally told everyone to "shut up". Now, when concerned customers are raising good points about loss of security due to the hack, he merely says "don't buy the cards online."

Ok, so Dana wants the sport to grow, yet he sits there and makes a buffoon of himself on twitter and in interviews. These are people that are making the sport grow, and I couldn't believe my eyes how little concern he showed to the very people that used their credit card to buy his fights.

I would honestly have canned his ass long ago.

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[–]wrestler145 75 points76 points ago

It's for 3 reasons -

  1. The UFC is a privately owned company.
  2. He answers only to his friends and long-time business partners the Fertitta Bros.
  3. He gets results.

[–]m_le 19 points20 points ago

You forgot that he is also a Promotor and he has to keep the hype up.

[–]buibui 3 points4 points ago*

numbah 4. He is a very large part of the marketing and branding of the UFC. He is the very definition of how the UFC wants to brand MMA: raw, crass, unfiltered, and to the point. And this also reflects their target demographic.

Has his personality been developed by his marketing team or has he always been that way? I'm going to guess it's a mix of both while having a huge nudge in the right direction from the marketing team. He's been made into one of the 'guys.'

[–]Tovora 7 points8 points ago

Dana White has changed massively. His accent, his voice, his physique, his confidence... Everything. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh-P0cPWqfA

[–]MongoAbides 0 points1 point ago

Well the guy used to run a boxing gym. Being part of a major company probably frees up some time to actually work out, and maybe even afford some PEDs, since he's not exactly competing. That said the difference in accent might be time spent away from the east coast, and he was visibly nervous with the cameras. At this point he's obviously very comfortable with cameras.

[–]BaronMazza 2 points3 points ago

To me, he still looked a little bit nervous appearing on the first UFC on Fox event.

[–]MongoAbides 0 points1 point ago

I'm sure, he probably felt pressure and had to think about everything he said, knowing that he can typically say ANYTHING and have no consequences, now he had to be family friendly.

[–]1norcal415 1 point2 points ago

Mostly number 2 though, tbh.

[–]Nefilim777 0 points1 point ago

Couldn't have put it better myself.

[–]kakeman987 1 point2 points ago

Also, he hasn't fucked up to severely yet.

[–]ChipChase 0 points1 point ago

There is another reason. Jusy like the WWE with Vince McMahon, you need a heel as 'the boss' because the average blue collar fans really relate to that in their everyday lives.

[–]isopropophlex -2 points-1 points ago

The results he gets aren't always in the fans' interests though.

[–]ChipChase 0 points1 point ago

He doesn't give a fuck about three fans. Private companies exist to make money for their shareholders. They don't exist to make you happy.

[–]untouchable0789 10 points11 points ago

I agree on most all of these accounts - he doesn't really report to anyone but the Fertitta brothers, his personality generally sort of matches that of the key demographic, and I personally appreciate his honesty and bluntness most of the time.

That said, the UFC is reaching a point where some of these antics needs to stop. He can keep his bluntness and general cockiness, but he claims to want the UFC to reach a new level of professional sport...that isn't going to happen with him basically telling people to go f*ck themselves if someone steals their credit card info.

[–]SweaterCollection 3 points4 points ago

I've been sort of worrying about this too. I mean, the same thing can be said about Joe Rogan. You have the UFC banning gun/ammo sellers as sponsors because of the backlash that might occur from it in mainstream US and international broadcasts. You have the UFC 'firing' people for offensive twitter remarks.

Then, in the same breath you have Dana White going on profanity laden rants online, calling Loretta Hunt a fucking moron. You have Joe Rogan smoking weed live on ustream and calling a reporter 'cunty'.

How long can this go on? I know Joe has said on several occasions that the UFC never tells him what to say in his comedy act or what he can talk about outside of a UFC broadcast, but can it really continue like that if the sport continues to grow?

[–]saturnia 3 points4 points ago

This criticism against Joe Rogan I believe is unfounded. The man simply stands up for his belief that no entity, government or social norms or otherwise should have any say in him experimenting with his own consciousness. With regards to his comedy, that should most definitely not be a contributing factor to whether he is qualified to work as a commentator, although I agree if he would go on stage as a comic talking only about how cool it would be to rape other people or be truly racist in an unfunny manner then his appropriateness could be questioned (but even then, those jokes should be subjected to peer review by other comedians since rape and racially stereotypical humour can be great fun if not the funniest subjects).

It should come down to whether or not he can perform his job despite his personal life and he does. Just to make it clear, I have no agenda defending Joe. I regard him as a great commentator but I also loved Bas Rutten when he commentated in Pride. Talk about funny. He would usually do the Portuguese - English translations himself on air saying how the brazilian fighters were saying that Bas was the best looking guy on the planet and so forth. It humanized the sport in my opinion. If anything Joe should do more stuff like that. Hell he should incorporate his act into the UFC format period

[–]MongoAbides 1 point2 points ago

This criticism against Joe Rogan I believe is unfounded. The man simply stands up for his belief that no entity, government or social norms or otherwise should have any say in him experimenting with his own consciousness.

Right but as a frontman for a multi-million dollar business...they can be understandably nervous about what he promotes.

His personal life is public when he's pod-casting it. If they said "Hey maybe cool it on the drugs thing, ya know, when you're basically promoting the sport" He doesn't need to stop DOING them, but I think his bosses might enjoy him being a little more presentable.

[–]randomsum1 0 points1 point ago

The UFC got big off the fights and quality of their show.

Joe Rogan does a great job commentating so whatever he does outside shouldn't be a problem if it hasn't been already. You never hear about commentators from other sports personal lives and they would never bring down the whole sport. He's already a big enough celeb with fear factor and all and you never hear any negative news about him cause he knows how to be professional when it counts .As long a Rogan keeps the business and personal parts of his life seperate he'll be fine

[–]MongoAbides 1 point2 points ago

It's certainly not a threat to the whole sport but most of our eggs are in the UFC basket, so if it takes any heavy blows it can have serious consequences. You have to remember how fucking asinine the news cycle can be, how much useless shit people talk about and how much everyone cares about everyone else's lives, ESPECIALLY the famous people they'll never meet. Most sports commentators tend to not be headliners but as the sport grows, Rogan's position as a TV Show host, comedian and commentator will draw him some attention.

We know more about Rogan than most people because his life, in relation to MMA, is more relevant to us. I don't expect that I see the forest for the trees. It's not absurd to expect that there may come a time when Rogan says something that gets some media flack, it can happen. If it happens the UFC will have to respond. Rogan isn't immune to public scrutiny and the public is largely naive to begin with.

It may and probably will never be an issue but I can understand which a cautious executive might take exception to some of Rogan's other stuff.

[–]xkross -1 points0 points ago

Bingo fuckin bango

[–]turkeypants 18 points19 points ago

Much like his fighters, he's a draw. He's part of the entertainment and the crowd likes a villain. And like Robert the Bruce's poxy old dad said, "Uncompromising men are easy to admire."

[–]UnderAboveAverage 0 points1 point ago

And assholes are easy to dislike. Just because you're uncompromising doesn't mean you have to be an emotional, reactionary prick.

The brashness is something that is not helping his image. I'd agree, like others are saying, that his behavior is not hurting the UFC at this point. However, sooner or later (perhaps sooner than we think with the UFC on Fox) he's going to get real national attention for his behavior as a figurehead of a major sport. That's when you'll see his attitude change.

[–]neggbird 22 points23 points ago

He answers to no one is the answer. And the UFC demographic for the most part don't care if he calls someone a pussy on twitter or a reporter a bitch or whatever.

[–]Saltydawgg[S] 3 points4 points ago

He doesn't even answer to the Fertitta Brothers? Or are they so dis-involved that they don't care, or don't even know? You're totally right about the demographic, though.

[–]ophanim 20 points21 points ago

Frankly, they probably assume it attracts customers. It's a brand image. This sport is a no non-sense, working man, blue collar deal. The fighters work hard and come from common backgrounds. They key demographic is the beer drinking American male who acts the same way Dana does.

Plus, look around here -- we're probably in the top 10% of MMA fans in knowledge and intelligence, but the majority will still defend his actions and attitude. Clearly it's not as big an issue at the moment as some of us think it is. Other sports have similar figures, either presently or in the past. Apparently it's just not a big deal.

[–]ghostofmybrain 6 points7 points ago

Plus, look around here -- we're probably in the top 10% of MMA fans in knowledge and intelligence

And yet most of the posts on this subreddit are "Look how dana told off this rude customer!" and "Look at this girl's hot booty!" Why expect dana to act differently when this is his fan base?

[–]afungi 0 points1 point ago

Intelligence is doesn't mean maturity.

[–]ghostofmybrain 0 points1 point ago

Yeah, that's a good point. Though it seems like a base level of intelligence would at least make people realize their hypocrisy, it does often also require a level of maturity to actually do something about it.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points ago

Plus, look around here -- we're probably in the top 10% of MMA fans in knowledge and intelligence

Yeah. Of course we are.

Please don't blow smoke up reddit's arse.

[–]ophanim 2 points3 points ago

Have you been to Sherdog or watched MMA at a bar? The average fan wouldn't even know Miller except maybe that he does Bully Beatdown.

[–]MongoAbides 1 point2 points ago

I'm sure we can all agree that we're not a big bunch of geniuses (genii? (that's a joke(so is this))) but we are possibly the most knowledgeable fans. This is not a fast moving subreddit and yet we see every fucking piece of news in the sport. This user-base is, generally speaking, incredibly well informed on MMA. The vast majority of people paying for these events are simply not this well updated. I've talked to friends who thought about going to see a UFC event local to them and they still ask me about MMA news, they're redditors and they ask me for stuff they must know I heard from reddit.

We are the fucking nerds.

Are we high-brow gentleman? No. But we know a thing or two about a thing or two and that's pretty good.

[–]incredulitor 1 point2 points ago

It's true, the average UFC fan would not think to nest parentheses.

[–]CodenameDeadpool 5 points6 points ago

The Fertittas are his long-time buddies. He got them into this business. They don't give a shit.

[–]oneangryrobot 1 point2 points ago

I think to say the Fertittas don't give a shit is an exaggeration. I don't know too much about Frank, but it seems to me like Lorenzo actually cares about growing the sport and putting out a quality product for the fans. You don't create a billion dollar company from relatively nothing if you don't give a shit about what you're creating.

[–]CodenameDeadpool 0 points1 point ago

I didn't mean they don't give a shit about the company, I meant they don't give a shit what Dana says(with obvious exceptions to the rule).

[–]oneangryrobot 1 point2 points ago

Gotcha. Sorry, I misunderstood your original sentiment which as it turns out I agree with. Cheers.

[–]xkross 1 point2 points ago

The thing that upsets me is how it makes the sport look. I love UFC but like most of us here am not a affliction wearing cocky dbag. Maybe if the sport marketed to not only beer drinking blue collar it would get some respect.

[–]lizard_king_rebirth 0 points1 point ago

Well, he's made the Fertitta's millions and millions of dollars and the UFC train doesn't seem to be slowing down, so I imagine that they kind of just let him do what he wants.

[–]OKU30 1 point2 points ago

You do realize Lorenzo Fertitta is the brains of the operation, right? Dana is just the mouth that draws people in.

[–]SneekyMAN 1 point2 points ago

Fertitta is, of course, a huge part of the company. However, to call Dana just the mouth is to disregard a lot of what he does. He may be the face and mouth of the UFC, but you can guarantee he is behind closed doors doing business as well.

[–]PuddleOfCrud 5 points6 points ago

Not really. There's a reason Lorenzo left Station Casino's in 2008 to focus solely on UFC and its because UFC was struggling to get on network TV since all Dana had done is talk shit about the networks and how 'the UFC doesn't need them'.

Dana completely turned off the 'old boys club' that is network television and there's no doubt in my mind that Lorenzo handles the real business (Dana said he wasn't involved in the Showtime deal for instance). Think of DW as a 'promoter', spokesperson and also talent relations (hiring/firing of fighters).

[–]MongoAbides 0 points1 point ago

Let's think about the business that they handle though. Merchandising which includes toys, fitness gear, DVDs, Clothing and so on. They have advertising, their own and the people who advertise through them. They produce a TV show, they need to manage the money and pay for the ARMY of people involved in getting these huge PPV events to happen. What about the tours they do? All the press conferences?

Ultimately there's a fuckload of accounting and managing going on here.

I am under the impression that Dana deals with fighters. I'm sure Lorenzo gets involved with big name contracts but I imagine fighter management is left in the hands of Dana and Joe Silva. With Dana doing so much promotion and being everywhere, I bet a lot of that still goes to Joe. I'm willing to be they do a lot of work all the same.

[–]OKU30 0 points1 point ago

Let's be honest tho. Dana White is definitely the biggest marketing asset the UFC has. He announces all breaking news, new fights, etc. but do you really think he's back there doing contract negotiations, creating new promo/advertisement videos, looking at accounting numbers? Granted he might have a final say on things like contracts, match-ups, and promotional material/advertisements but he's strength is definitely being the outspoken, attention grabbing "hype man" if you will.

[–]SneekyMAN 0 points1 point ago

Yes, I really do think he is behind the scenes doing things we don't see. That's why it's so easy to label him as just a mouth, because there are definitely things he does that goes unnoticed.

[–]afungi 0 points1 point ago

My thoughts exactly. UFC fans are by and large young males, most young males talk just like that and think it's awesome that the head of a giant organization talks like we do. My brother and I constantly quote Dana's famous video where he calls someone a "pussy and a fucking faggot".

[–]vaustin89 10 points11 points ago

At least we get to see the fights we want, unlike boxing were we could never get to see the fights we want.

[–]snubdeity 9 points10 points ago

What? Boxing totally isn't missing some huge fight between the obvious two best boxers that everyone has wanted to see for years now...

[–]vaustin89 3 points4 points ago

that is the case it takes too much time and hype for a fight to take place before it actually happens, and it affects some careers of up and coming boxers since they get "robbed" of the attention of the public. I know there are some fights in MMA that took years in the making but only a few, in boxing, promoters are really killing boxing silently.

[–]KingEllis 0 points1 point ago

Not sure if sarcasm or missing a question mark.

[–]snubdeity 0 points1 point ago

Sarcasm... a Mayweather vs Pacman fight has the potential to single-handedly bring boxing back as a sport, the world has been asking for them to fight for ages now.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points ago

Please don't pretend you ever really followed boxing.

Mayweather-Pac only holds such massive importance to the most casual of boxing "fans".

I really could not care less. I get to see plenty of boxing fights that are more interesting to me by far on a regular basis.

[–]sittingonahillside 2 points3 points ago

this.

a super fight does not make the sport. In fact, super fights are pretty much a hindrance as they do nothing but create buzz which never lives up to the hype.

There's a lot a good stuff going on that isn't being force fed down your through via media.

[–]mkay0 0 points1 point ago

Hardcore fans don't need it, but its still important to have superfights. That's where you generate interest from people who would not normally watch.

[–]sittingonahillside 0 points1 point ago

that's the problem.

they turn into the hype, and it doesn't deliver. Most people buying aren't new fans anyway, just people who only buy the heavily promoted stuff as the numbers always fall in the same ball park.

There was plenty of whine about the JDS - Cain fight, over too quick, pushed and hyped too hard, no live undercard and then it took seconds for people to jump all over Dana about it. Many were flabbergasted and wondered what all the fuss and hype was about.

[–]CanadianNinja 5 points6 points ago

I suspect it basically comes down to branding. The UFC has given itself a very specific and deliberate public image, and Dana is a part of that.

I'm with you, not a fan of his public image. It's not the way I want my sport portrayed.

That said, I have to give him credit for his level of personal involvement. He's the president of a huge corporation and still responds and interacts with fans. We assume anyways, he might have people who's job is to "play" him online when he is not doing it.

That said, if I had concerns about the UFC website and security about ordering he is not the guy I would contact. I highly doubt he had any involvement in the backend programming of the site and probably knows less then I do about online security.

[–]StoneBrewing 27 points28 points ago

People don't always have to be politically correct. It's refreshing to hear someone say what they truly think, rather than come off sounding like a politician. You're perfectly entitled to think he's a baffoon but we all say stupid shit sometimes.. and I seriously doubt he wouldn't care about paying customers. I think he's just pissed at getting hacked.

[–]PuddleOfCrud 5 points6 points ago

and I seriously doubt he wouldn't care about paying customers. I think he's just pissed at getting hacked.

Why take it out on your paying customers, then?

Dana's problem is he has created a Soprano-like character for himself that resonates with a number of fans. If he suddenly changed character and displayed a level of maturity normally associated with a President of a multi-million dollar company it would kinda ruin that image.

[–]DrTicklebum 1 point2 points ago

I'm no expert, but everything UFC does (to the tee) is calculated. There's a reason Dana does it: We're talking about him now... and he's laughing. Call it the Dana Vortex.

[–]PuddleOfCrud 0 points1 point ago

Oh come on, there was nothing calculated about the firing of Torres other than the fact DW was embarrassed on TV about it, add in 'UFC on Fox' where for some reason he buried both Cain and JDS for what is essentially UFC's mistake.

Whether you think DW is the greatest thing since sliced bread or not he's not infallible and he certainly isn't 'Christopher Nolan's Joker'.

[–]MongoAbides 1 point2 points ago

Why take it out on your paying customers, then?

In all fairness what is he taking out on them? They're complaining about possible identity fraud, that's fine...What should Dana do about it? He can't go back in time and undo it. I'm certain they're going to improve their security for their own benefit but they can't do anything. EVERYONE knows that ID theft is the cost of using digital credit, it happened. He's not being nice about it, but that's the reality.

[–]PuddleOfCrud 0 points1 point ago

It wouldn't have killed him to say something along the lines of 'we're looking into it, don't worry'. Even if its bullshit at least it gives the impression that he actually gives a shit about his customers.

[–]MongoAbides 0 points1 point ago

I wont argue that, but it's plainly not the way he reacts.

[–]2WAR 4 points5 points ago

Well I dont give a shit, I wish David Stern, Roger Goddel & Bud Selig would tell the fans to eat a dick once in a while.

[–]Fap_Left_Surf_Right 0 points1 point ago

People should just stop tweeting emotionally. Tweeting in the heat of the moment creates an ass of everyone. Stop tweeting. Tell a buddy your opinion. Tell your spouse. Tell that one person directly. DO NOT tell the entire freaking internet.

[–]realninja 5 points6 points ago

Dana is a straight up kind of guy and he literally made the sport what it is today, if you dont like him you can fuck off..

[–]mackmack 23 points24 points ago

Nice try Dana White

[–]Saltydawgg[S] 0 points1 point ago

Ha!

[–]That_Damn_Sasquatch 0 points1 point ago

I laughed, have an upvote.

[–]thedude108 2 points3 points ago

Dana is actually extremely professional when he needs to be. He's professional enough to do everything he needs to do to ensure the success of the UFC.

And then he shows his personality, and that's helped him become the face of the organization. How many massive companies have a face as recognizable as his? There are a few, and those are the most successful companies (Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, etc...).

His antics are great for exposure and building brand recognition.

[–]swampskater 2 points3 points ago

How is it professional to tell you're fans to shut up because they disagree with you? How is it professional to call a journalist who disagreed with you a faggot? Dana White is the least professional motherfucker on this planet.

[–]thedude108 0 points1 point ago

I wrote he's professional when he needs to be. Like in making deals with Fox and whatnot. He does his job and does it well.

Other than that he's like Donald Trump. How many other real estate moguls can you name? Do you think Trump would have had his own reality show if he wasn't such a character?

Dana's a character. He does whatever the fuck he wants. He's a polarizing character, and that's better than being boring. Love him or hate him, as long as he evokes a reaction -- any reaction -- he's doing a good job.

[–]swampskater 3 points4 points ago

I can name someone who people consider a real estate mogul but the only reason isn't living on the street is that he owes the bank a considerable amount of money. I can name someone who probably holds the record for most bankruptcies. I can name someone who's an asshole just so people pay him to put his name on buildings. I can name someone who inherited most of his money from his dad, who was a true real estate mogul. I'll give you an initial. They're D.T.

MMA is still a growing sport. The biggest non fighter name in it is spewing all this hateful shit and saying "Fuck you, you're stupid" if you disagree with him. That doesn't look good to the outside looking in. Then you have a bunch of sheeple worshiping this guy and from the outside looking in it looks like we're a bunch of rowdy blood thirsty rednecks. Everytime the sport takes two steps forward, he takes us one back.

[–]Wigglezwow 0 points1 point ago

"Everytime the sport takes two steps forward, he takes us one back.", until it is evident that the UFC is taking a significant downturn because of that behavior then I'm content with putting up with Dana's usual asshole antics for the sport

[–]thedude108 0 points1 point ago

I don't know. He can be a dick but he can also be fair when it comes to business. It's not like he's a Don King or anything.

I don't see him taking the sport any steps back. He's taken it so much forward. And he's mostly just a dick to people on twitter. It's just twitter. Who cares? Not me.

Also, most of the people he's calling idiots are idiots.

[–]centerfix 2 points3 points ago

Because fuck you, that's why.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points ago

He's been unprofessional and assholish. I believe 98% of the shit his mom says about him.

[–]swampskater 2 points3 points ago

People are in denial about what an asshole he is. Let the downvotes commence.

[–]MongoAbides 0 points1 point ago

Do people really need to keep asking for downvotes? You'll get em, don't worry. You didn't need to tell us.

[–]swampskater -1 points0 points ago

This is the first post I've ever put this in. I put it in there as a preresponse to all the people that think he's God.

[–]MongoAbides -1 points0 points ago

Well your account indicates you might be newish to reddit so as a forewarning...don't pre-respond to downvotes. For one, you don't know you're gettin em until you got em, and two WHO GIVES A FLYING FUCK? The community either votes that it wants to see your comment or not, if they don't want to see it, OH WELL. Even people who agree probably don't care.

I'm probably not alone in downvoting everyone who asks for downvotes. It's a waste of space and contributes nothing.

[–]swampskater 1 point2 points ago

i apologize. My goal wasn't to get downvotes. It was more of a rebuke to the people that usually occupy MMA messageboards. I am new to reddit and particularly the MMA section.

[–]MongoAbides -1 points0 points ago

I guess it's not so much an MMA thing as it is reddit as a whole. The account I'm on isn't as old as my time on reddit but I can say that there's some behavior that comes naturally, which gets very old very fast. People take their up and down votes really personally and even though most people don't seem to remember reddiquette, some times it's a nice reminder.

I don't mean to make you feel as though you've BROKEN SOME SACRED TRUST OF THE PEOPLE, it's just that it's a bit annoying and I decided to lash out.

[–]Saltydawgg[S] -2 points-1 points ago

I concur. I pretty much got flamed hard in this thread.

[–]pretty_motherfucker 0 points1 point ago

who is in denial about him being an asshole? pretty much every single post here is saying "he gets away with being an asshole because _____"

[–]djangoman2k 0 points1 point ago

There are a few possibilities.

1) Most people don't care. Only a vocal minority actually get offended enough at what he says that they stop engaging the product in any meaningful way.

OR

2) Lots of people care, but not enough to keep them from watching the fights. They gripe about Dana, but in the end, not a dollar is lost.

At the end of the day, the UFC is growing under Dana's guidance. Something he is doing is working, so why mess with a proven formula.

[–]cerealbh 0 points1 point ago

$$ it rules the world

[–]ThaConway 0 points1 point ago

It is all about approach. If you are a real fan of MMA you would know how to approach Dana White, he wouldn't be inappropriate whatsoever. Instead he will be friendly and insightful. However, Twitter is bullshit. So many people troll him on twitter that he has to look at their posts to see if they even follow MMA(if they don't, he will be a douche; if they do, he will answer appropriately). Nothing would bother me more than hearing misinformed people bitching about something they don't even follow.

[–]edenite 0 points1 point ago

I'd say more businesses and corporations could use people like Dana steering the helm.

[–]amplice 1 point2 points ago

With Dana, it's because he's not beholden to anyone but the Fertittas.

The thing with Dana is, the good comes with the bad. He personally talks, takes pictures with, and interacts with the fans. He calls fighters out publicly and is generally honest with his opinions about things going on in the sport (competitors not withstanding). He's candid with his employees, with the fans, and sometimes that means he says and does dumb things.

As far as I'm concerned, I'd rather have Dana White than David Stern.

[–]kizzzzurt 1 point2 points ago

You also have to understand that his fan base isn't exactly the ideal image in terms of professionalism.

[–]TheWhistler1967 0 points1 point ago

Dana is a cut throat, take no shit, straight up businessman which is a perfect combination for a controversial sport that cannot afford to show weakness, and firing him like you say you would be the biggest mistake they could make.

Remember this, the only piece of information that is relevant to your question:

Around the year 2000, the Fertitta brothers bought the UFC brand for $2 million, today, with Dana at the helm, it is worth well over $1 billion.

[–]fruitcellar 0 points1 point ago

Maybe the thousands of requests from fans on twitter and at press conferences for free tickets drove him to become this way, lol

[–]schnauzerz 0 points1 point ago

Whenever I'm linked to a post here that ends up on his twitter, I always find him trading insults with some random idiot.

And I think, what is the point? What does it achieve?

[–]hullkogan 0 points1 point ago

His attitude and behavior are a part of the marketing of the brand. It's a very aggressive, in your face, strong brand that they've built. It sets them apart.

How would the UFC be perceived if Scott Coker, Don King, David Stern, or Gary Bettman ran the show?

You must realize that he is the promoter, hype man, and commissioner all in one for a sport that is targeted specifically toward younger males. As such and in growing the sport through Fox, he is softening his behavior to appeal to a more mainstream audience.

[–]adriens 0 points1 point ago

It's the UFC not Goldman Sachs.

[–]mkay0 0 points1 point ago

Assuming his antics bother the Fratita brothers (I don't think they do), how could you replace him? Who could step in and do that job? Obviously, someone would eventually figure it out, but it would be brutal in the short term. Every year for the last 10 years has been the UFC's biggest year, why mess with it?

Also, does anyone really have a story where someone who might watch MMA give up on it due to Dana's antics? I have never heard of that.

[–]blackjeeep 0 points1 point ago

It is going to catch up with him at some point. Bigger microscope now with the FOX deal.

[–]xKrazExMNUx 0 points1 point ago

Hes like the Gordon Ramsey of fight promoting.

[–]LeCount 0 points1 point ago

Is this the thread where everyone on reddit stands up to support censorship?

We need to fire successful people for stuff they say. Sign me up.

[–]newmansg -1 points0 points ago

White power

[–]LittleMinotaur 0 points1 point ago

It's refreshing. Every other president is so fuckin' clean cut and formal and they all ''play by the rules''. I like Dana White. He's a real dude.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point ago

The same way Vince McMahon can. They play the same role. Not all people are aware of what Dana white is, the way they are with Vince.

[–]PuddleOfCrud -1 points0 points ago

Exactly, compare 'pre-TUF, trying to co-promote with Pride' Dana with 'post-TUF' Dana. Dana today is an on-screen persona much like Vince... but it works and the cult of personality marks are convinced its genuine.

[–]Splortched 1 point2 points ago

Money gets to talk. Canned his ass? Ha. He's an integral part of the UFC machine. And, he's entertaining...

[–]SurgeHard 0 points1 point ago

i for some reason welcome his unprofessionalism and his highschool education and hotel bellman work experience. He seems sincere. As un articulate and "joe-blow-ish" he comes off, hes also a fresh breath of air to watch and listen to. Im an MMA fan who absolutely despises the perversions, hypocrisy and fabrications of the corporate world and Dana White (makes me feel) far far away from all those cancerous corporations

[–]FatStupidAmerican 1 point2 points ago

Cause professionalism is pretty much bull shit.

[–]TheMeatball 1 point2 points ago

Exactly. I think it's awesome that a part-owner and president can act natural and isn't scared to say naughty words or say what he wants. I really wish more companies didn't project a fake squeaky-clean image.

If the UFC wasn't run that way, Joe Rogan would be long-gone, for example.

[–]fatal_STD 0 points1 point ago

imo hes just being real and 100% honest

[–]ladt420 2 points3 points ago

Except for all those times he outright lies

[–]AmadeusExcello 0 points1 point ago

Saltydawgg, I'm more disappointed in you for expecting more from an individual who'd allow himself to be recorded unleashing an unnecessarily profane diatribe about one of his critics than I am with Dana White being, well, Dana White.

Kidding aside, Dana White should no longer be in a position to where he is considered by many the "face" of the UFC's promotion.

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[–]illskillz 0 points1 point ago

9% actually

[–]AmadeusExcello 1 point2 points ago

I believe you're right.

Dana used to own 10% but sold one-percent to an investor in Abu Dhabi a year or two ago, correct?

[–]swampskater 0 points1 point ago

Nah, they sold 10% to them. Smart business decision. How many fights have been anywhere near there since 112?

[–]illskillz 1 point2 points ago

Dana kind of got screwed in terms of control when the Flash Entertainment came on board. It used to be 45/45/10 between the fertitas and dana. Flash ended up getting 10%. This reduced The fertita's stake to 40.5% each and Dana's to 9%. So if there is a dispute between these investors, Dana's 9% will never make the difference. Dana + one Fertita has 49.5% stake. If the other fertita was the lone holdout, Dana's 9% wouldn't make a difference b/c 40.5% + 10% is 50.5%.

[–]thedude108 -2 points-1 points ago

Donald Trump.

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