The Ultimate Fighting Championship has a number of big name personalities under its banner. Many of the world’s best fighters compete for this organization for the opportunity to hold on of its championship belts. However, the UFC’s biggest personality may be an individual who has never and will never step foot in the cage. Considered one of the most powerful individuals in MMA, Dana White carries a lot of weight for the sport as a whole. His actions and words speak volumes when it comes to the perception of the sport. Yet, that same power comes with a price that may damage the overall product.
White will be the first to tell you that he is a fan of MMA and that more than anyone else he wants to see the best fights. In doing so he has created some of the best fights in MMA history. His leadership has helped create some of the biggest names in the sport such as Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, and Georges St. Pierre.
But what about those individuals who seem to have gotten on the bad side of President White? The outspoken nature of White does not allow him to sugar coat how he feels about the action going on in the cage or the fighters in it. When he speaks out against certain fighters, I believe the ramifications are felt in more ways than just another sound bite.
For example, Dana White spoke out against the decision of UFC 127’s main event, stating that he believed BJ Penn won the fight. His observation goes against what many of the industry experts have said that this fight was either a draw or a victory for Fitch. One has to wonder, how much the fall out that Fitch and other American Kickboxing Academy fighters had with the UFC in 2008 factors into White’s opinion. Another factor may be the way the mainstream MMA fan responds to Fitch’s style of fighting.
I personally believe that the same attitude toward the highly successful fighter affects the way fans view his performance. Not even two minutes had passed in the opening round of this weekend’s main event before some fans in attendance began to boo in disapproval. Call his style boring if you will, but Fitch does what is needed to win fights. The same way that current welterweight champion St. Pierre performs. Yet, in my opinion, White’s defense of his champion is different than his perception of the number one contender.
As stated, Dana White is a mixed martial arts fan, above all else. In an effort to be “The People’s Promoter” he says what he believes everyone wants to hear or is saying about the fights. However, being so honest may in fact continue to hurt the public perception of his top fighters. That damage may in turn affect the bottom line when fans do not show interest in said fighters. His passion for the success of the UFC and MMA as a whole causes Dana White to say exactly what is on his mind. But, that slippery slope may hold more consequences than we are just beginning to see.
