Dana White was recently interviewed by CBS SportsLine.com correspondent, Sam Caplan about what UFC and MMA fans alike will expect in the months to come from this explosive and emerging sport around the globe.
A Quick point - Dana White confirmed that the Mirko Cro Cop headlining UFC 70: NATIONS COLLIDE will be televised for free in North America on Spike TV.
Here are a few of my favorite excerpts...
On the next opponent for Anderson Silva:
Q: Who is next in line for a shot at Anderson Silva's middleweight title?
DW: Anderson Silva will probably fight Nate Marquardt next.
Q: After the Georges St. Pierre vs. Matt Serra welterweight title fight at UFC 69, is Matt Hughes next in line for a title shot?
DW: I would have to say yes.
On Brandon Vera:
Q: Can you comment on the rumors that Brandon Vera recently turned down an offer that would have paid him a guaranteed $200,000 per fight?
DW: No, I don't think that is true.
Q: Has the final fight on Vera's contract been scheduled?
DW: No, I don't think we have. I like Brandon Vera. I like him. I like him, he's a nice kid. You know, he's young and he's cocky and he's talented. And I think there's a lot of things going on in his head right now, this is just typical stuff, it isn't anything unusual. Everybody wants more money. Everybody wants to make more money. Everybody wants to do this, everybody wants to do that. There's a time progression; when you're a young, up-and-coming fighter, it takes time. You know what I mean? We've proven over the last six years we know how to build stars. So, you know, you just got to get the kid's head on right and we'll get it worked out. Brandon Vera is a good kid and we like him. We'll figure it out.
Q: Do you think maybe he's just grandstanding, or is there a real fear that he might go somewhere else?
DW: I don't ever have a fear of anybody going anywhere else. Anybody who would walk away from the UFC machine is out of their minds. They'd be hurting themselves. They'd totally be hurting themselves. Let me tell you what, man, there's a lot of Internet rumors and bulls--- out there, we treat fighters very well and the guys that are with us do very well. So, any guy that would walk from the UFC right now, especially someone we like and we're really focused on, it would be career suicide.
On picking off Pride's prized fighters:
Q: There have been rumors that the Nogueira brothers' contracts with Pride are going to be up soon and that they might be going to the UFC. Has the UFC had any talks with them?
DW: (Laughs). If their contract is almost up, then I'm probably talking to them.
Q: Outside of Fedor, who is the one fighter not currently on the UFC roster that you'd like to have?
DW: From Pride? Or, from anywhere?
Q: Anywhere.
DW: I mean I'd love to have Wanderlei. I'd love to have Fedor (Emelianenko), Dan Henderson, all of them, I want them all.
On giving pay-per-view-purchasers what they paid for - 9 bouts!!!
Q: Are there any plans to televise preliminary bouts in the future and offer UFC fans all nine bouts on a fight card?
DW: The nine fights aren't for all -- we advertise, on our pay-per-view advertisement, exactly what fights are going to be on pay-per-view and what you're paying $39 for. If we have time, then yeah, we throw a couple of extra fights in there. But no, the prelim fights, and it's been that way forever, are for the people who come and buy tickets. If someone pays for tickets, anywhere from $100 to $750, you get to see nine fights. The people who pay $40 get to see the fights that we advertise on the pay-per-view. These people act like they're getting screwed out of fights; we never advertise that any of those fights would be on the pay-per-view.
On Dana White's upcoming Boxing match with Tito Ortiz:
Q: What's the latest on your boxing match with Tito?
DW: (Laughs.) I've been training hard every day and it's kicking the s--- out of me. This was the dumbest thing I've ever done. But yes, I'm following it through, and I'm giving it 100 percent.
Q: Will the match be televised?
DW: It will. It will definitely be televised, it won't be live.
Q: Is it going to be on Spike?
DW: There's going to be a show about the fight on Spike and then the actual fight itself will be on UFC.com.
On Tito Ortiz's opponent at UFC 71:
Q: Has an opponent for Tito at UFC 71 been decided?
DW: We are. We are talking about Rashad Evans right now.
On Quinton "Rampage" Jackson:
Q: It was reported that Quinton "Rampage" Jackson only signed a two-fight deal. What was the thinking behind signing him to only two fights, and are there any negotiations taking place in regards to an extension?
DW: We didn't sign him for a two-fight deal, we bought the WFA, and he was already under contract. We own his contract from the WFA.
Q: So how long is he under contract for?
DW: Off the top of my head, I don't know. I couldn't give you the exact specifics on it.
Q: So that was basically an erroneous report that he had only signed for two fights?
DW: Yeah, exactly. People like to talk like they know what they're talking about, but they have no idea.
Q: Will Rampage fight Chuck for the title in May?
DW: Most likely.
Q: How close is that to being a done deal?
DW: I don't know. I don't like announcing deals before they're done, so I can just say it's not a done deal but that's the fight I'd like to see happen.
On Travis Lutter's future with the UFC:
Q: Will Travis Lutter continue to fight for the UFC?
DW: That's a good question. I don't know. You know, I'm pretty mad at Travis. I'm pretty upset with him. It's very unprofessional and very irresponsible to come in the way that he came in. It's crazy.
On Forrest Griffin crying and running like a little bitch out of the arena at UFC 66:
Q: Forrest Griffin lost his composure after losing to Keith Jardine at UFC 66. Did Forrest's post-fight behavior hurt his stock with the UFC?
DW: No, not at all. Forrest Griffin, let me tell you what about Forrest Griffin, what I love about this kid, this kid works harder than anybody I've ever met before. He cares. He cares about winning and losing. I couldn't say enough good things about him. It would very hard for Forrest Griffin to hurt his stock with the UFC. I still to this day, and will to the day I die, credit him and Stephan Bonnar and their war at the end of The Ultimate Fighter season one for helping us get to where we are today. Those kids came out and let it all hang out, they're the kind of fighters that I admire, respect and would do anything for.
On Sean Sherk's return to the UFC:
Q: What's the latest on Sean Sherk's status?
DW: He's recovering well, and we should see him back soon.
Q: June or July, around that time?
DW: Yeah.
To read the full CBS Sportsline interview, click here
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Dana White Sounds Off Again
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Major Kudos to Dana for sticking up for Forrest. Griffin goes out 100% and was really (in mind) supposed to win that fight. You could have that fight nine more times and Forrest would have won all nine. He keeps on improving. But this is MMA, and credit Jardine for getting his licks in. I understand why Forrest got emotinonal, and would never call him a little bitch.
ReplyDeleteI never said Griffin was a little bitch, I said he ran out of the building 'like a little bitch'... and he did. "Run Forrest, RUN!"
ReplyDeleteHas Griffin evolved during his time in the UFC or has he basked in the spotlight of the cameras as the TUF poster boy?
The latter can make any fighter soft if they believe too much in their own hoopla such as Tito Ortiz.
I like Griffin's heart and hope he makes a valiant comeback after the loss suffered to Jardine. I love a fighter who throws bombs.
I just wish Griffin would stop blocking punches with his face though.
He states that the people who shell out the big bucks deserve to watch the prelim fights. Yet when you watch the vids a lot of the seats are empty. How about letting the fans who want to see those fights watch them.
ReplyDelete