New Dana Interview 9/20/07

[Bullock]

Michael Van Vliet reporting Live from the Honda Center in Anaheim California for BoxinginLasVegas.com

Thursday September 20, 2007 BoxinginLasVegas.com

Interview with UFC President Dana White

MV: The UFC has really grown, what do you contribute that to?

DW: Well I think that we have put a good plan in place to build this organization over the past 7 years. It is the most exciting sport in the world with the greatest athletes in the world, this along with a great marketing plan and staff. The exposure the UFC is getting with ESPN, Spike TV, and PPV the sport is blowing up.

MV: It appears that this sport is starting to overtake boxing as far as the fans base and popularity, what do you think?

DW: This sport has already overtaken boxing as we crushed boxing with our PPV numbers and that is with the big De La Hoya PPV. I still think that boxing is a great sport; however no one is doing anything to secure the future of boxing right now.

MV: You recently purchased Pride which was your only competition, what are your plans for pride?

DW: We are doing nothing with Pride right now except bringing in the Pride fighters to fight for the UFC and until we get a PPV or T.V. deal in Japan that is it. Pride is a powerful brand and a lot of people recognize the Pride name and fighters. Pride had a great run, however they had a lot of business problems. So if I can not get a T.V. and or PPV deal with a Japan network you will probably never see a Pride event again.

MV: The UFC paid over 3 million dollars for Pride or some crazy number like that. Are you trying to get a Spike TV, ESPN, or PPV in order to have another pride event?

DW: Like I said in your previous question, if I can not get a T.V. and or PPV deal with a Japan and here in the United States, without both you will probably never see a Pride event again.

MV: Are you still trying to get Fedor to fight for the UFC?

DW: I want Fedor to fight for the UFC, I have been working on signing Fedor for a long time. I want ALL the best fighters in the World fighting for the best organization in the world which is the UFC.

MV: You have had 5 complete seasons of the Ultimate Fighter show on Spike T.V. and your currently taping the sixth season, what do you contribute the success of the Ultimate Fighter show?

DW: I think the Ultimate fighter is the best realty T.V. show on T.V. today, I mean only one other realty show compare and that is American Idol. These are the only two realty T.V. shows that even matter, because with most realty shows you invest 13 weeks of your life with people you hardly know and after it is over they are not even around anymore. With this show you see the fighters fight again and you get to know and like them. Same with American Idol as you can follow them the rest of their careers.

MV: I think you have the best job in the world, what do you have to say about that?

DW: Sometimes I have the best job in the world and other times it is the worst job in the world. I mean trying to negotiate fights, dealing with fighters who test positive for this or that, answering to the media about these issues. It is just like any other job, it has its ups and downs. I will however admit that I have always wanted to do this from the time I started watching boxing and I could not imagine doing anything else, but it is not always great.

MV: Is the hardest part about your job negotiating with fighters on contracts and pay?

DW: Yes I would say the negotiating is a big part of the job that can be a pain in the ass. Everyone always laughs when I put it this way, however our product is human bodies and lots of crazy shit happens man. I can guarantee that every morning I wake up there is some crazy shit happening that I have to deal with and it is crazier then most companies. It is not like Microsoft when they go into a meeting they know what to expect, I have no idea what is going to happen day to day.

MV: What I personally like about you is you tell it like it is no matter who likes it or who does not like it.

DW: I appreciate that Mike. I think that honesty is a great thing and you're not ever going to make everyone happy. There is a lot of people who do not like me, on the other hand I have a lot of friends and Family who Love me. I think being honest with the media and the fans is very important, however even when your honest people will still doubt you and think your lying. Sometimes I am honest to a fault (Laughs) but what can I do this is just me, Love me or Hate me I will always be honest and tell you like it is!

MV: The Bisping / Hammill fight I have watched it several times and feel Hammill won the fight 29-28. What is your opinion of the fight?

DW: I thought Hammill won the fight, however I have not re-watched the fight yet. This is not the worst decision I have ever seen.

MV: Will we see a rematch?

DW: Yes, I am working out the details as we speak! It was just like the Tito Ken fight when everyone thought it was stopped early, so I gave them a rematch immediately because I thought the first fight was bullshit. I am the same guy that was sitting around thinking that was bullshit on the first Tito Ken fight just like I thought it was bullshit about the this fight. I hate when this happens and I do not ever want to see this kind of thing happen in the UFC. That is the great thing about the UFC, we can make a rematch happen immediately as a posed to boxing were the rematch would take months or even years to set up. The fans want a rematch and we will have it!

MV: Can we come up with a new scoring system? Can we have the Judges take classes and get certified in order to Judge a MMA fight?

DW: You have a great point and I think you are right, however that would be up to the Athletic Commissions and not up to the UFC. The UFC does not hire or regulate the Judges or the Judges scoring, this is up to the Athletic Commissions alone. What the UFC can do is help the Athletic Commission in making these changes and coming up with a Certification for Judges. We can also help to educate the Athletic Commission on the scoring system and on what they are what they are judging. It will be a long process that is long overdue.

MV: With the UFC hiring of Mark Ratner the former head of the Nevada State Athletic Commission it seem like you now can help the Athletic Commission, do you agree?

DW: It is a huge move for the UFC. Mark is the most respected man in the mixed martial arts world ever! If you look at this business I have several people who do not fucking like me and think I am an asshole, you look at Mark and he is respected by everyone and anyone who has anything to do with this sport. Mark is the ONLY man that I seen to be in the combat business as long as he has and be respected by everyone in the fucking business, everyone loves him! Life is like that, not everyone is going to like you and everyone seems to like Mark as he is an honest good hearted man period. Mark is in this sport for all the right reasons. Mark is probably one of the best hires with have ever had at the UFC.

MV: Several females have recently been fighting MMA, would you ever think of doing an Ultimate Fighter show with females? If not what about a bout every now and then on a UFC card?

DW: I do not think there are enough female MMA fighters to have an Ultimate Fighter for the females. Someday it is possible; we are still getting people used to seeing the guys fighting in the octagon.

MV: On behalf of BoxinginLasVegas.com, I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to do this interview.

DW: Thank you Mike and BoxinginLasVegas.com for the support, see you Saturday for some great fights!

Michael Van Vliet reporting Live from the Honda Center in Anaheim California for BoxinginLasVegas.com

[Submissionist]

The UFC paid over 3 million for Pride? I thought it was close to 65 million.

It would have been nice to see what Dana thinks of the Mirko situation.

[LookitsLance]

ehh no good questions imo..except fedor question but should have asked for elaboration on how close it was

[Mirko45]

Nothing earth shattering but good read. Nice to see he agrees with everyone about Bisping/Hamil

[LookitsLance]

Originally Posted by Mirko45

Nothing earth shattering but good read. Nice to see he agrees with everyone about Bisping/Hamil

thats true, i just wish he gave longer more elaborate answers to some of the questions

[Matt Boone]

There was some use of the word fuck in there that seemed oddly out of place, even for Dana White lol.

[Bullock]

Originally Posted by Matt Boone

There was some use of the word fuck in there that seemed oddly out of place, even for Dana White lol.

lol yeah that caught my eye too

[Diegonightmare]

Originally Posted by that interview

MV: The UFC has really grown, what do you contribute that to?

Contribute that to? WTF? Is he talking about Dana's favorite charities or what

[Maniac]

Originally Posted by insano1

The UFC paid over 3 million for Pride? I thought it was close to 65 million.

It would have been nice to see what Dana thinks of the Mirko situation.

Yeah...I thought it was a Typo. 3 Million for THAT catalog and for them to fold up shop seems ridiculously low. 60 sounded fair....but what do I know!

[Matt Boone]

Favorite realty shows is kind of pathetic too. Shows that sell homes? That and 1,000 other spelling mistakes. Our interviews aren't 100% perfect all the time - but they're 100 times longer and with very few, if any, mistakes and turned around always in under 24 hours. If you get someone big like Dana White, spend 2 minutes to edit the interview before you put it online lol