Does Dana White Need a Vacation?

[Diegonightmare]

Does Dana White need a vacation?
March 09, 2008 By: Sam Caplan Category: Dana White

There’s no doubt that Dana White has the weight of the world on his shoulders. He’s the most prominent power broker in one of the world’s fastest growing sports. White is under constant pressure because every five minutes some new company is popping up trying to knock the UFC off its lofty perch that is located high above its peers.

So yeah, I get it, being the president of the UFC is a high-pressure job that carries a lot of stress. However, Dana himself talks about how in the last eight years a bunch of promotions have started up and failed in their quest to take out number one. You’d think by now he’d take a lot of the startups with a grain of salt?

After all, the UFC is not only number one in the industry, it is number one with a bullet. The UFC is the only MMA promotion ever to be a legitimate success on PPV and it clearly has the deepest talent roster in all of MMA. Yet Dana White can’t seem to relax.

Instead of just brushing off questions about Fedor and the EliteXC and CBS deal, it seems like he just explodes at the mere mention of them. Instead of just responding by saying, “Yeah, that’s great for EliteXC, but we just got Anheuser-Busch” and focusing on the UFC, he’s been launching into angst-filled tirades. First, there was the post-UFC 82 press conference. Then, there was the recent interview with Carlos Arias in the Orange County Register. And now, there’s a new interview in the Boston Herald in which Dana sounds off.

The expletives were in full effect when Dana started discussing the competition:

“The next company that was going to take me out has been coming for the last eight years,” White told the Herald last week. “Every time somebody puts something new together, it’s been ’Oh, these guys are gonna kick Dana’s (expletive) and put his ego in check.’ There ain’t anybody kicking our (expletive). It isn’t going to happen this year with CBS and Elite XC or any year.”

But when Dana was asked to address some recent comments from a Yahoo! interview in which EliteXC President Gary Shaw claimed White’s ego got in the way of a possible deal with CBS, Dana really let it rip:

“We’ll see who’s around in five years, me or Gary Shaw. There’s some ego for you,” White said. “The reality is I know what the (expletive) I’m doing and Gary Shaw doesn’t. If you go and search Gary Shaw and mixed martial arts (on the Internet), this guy was saying five years ago that mixed martial arts was a joke. (He said) it’s not a real sport, these guys are barroom brawlers. Now that fat, bloated (expletive) is running around acting like he loves mixed martial arts.”

In reading Dana’s comments in recent interviews, it just seems like he’s a little stressed out. I don’t know; does Dana need a vacation or a hug? The UFC has achieved so much success under his guidance but I just wonder if the guy has the ability to enjoy any of it? Sometimes I wonder if there might be a point where White gets on the verge of burning out?

I hope it never gets to that point because the sport has grown so much with Dana at the forefront but I wonder if anything is being accomplished when he goes off on these angry tirades?

Source: Five Ounces of Pain | Does Dana White need a vacation?

Sam actually took the words right out of my mouth. I have never, ever been among those that bashed endlessly on Dana for this or that (see Commandment #11 in the recent Commandments thread, LOL) but recently - the last month or two especially - he seems really more stressed out and irritable than usual.

It's readily understandable why - with Randy leaving, Cro Cop a flop, losing Mickeys, EXC getting the CBS deal, losing all the $$ in the PRIDE deal, failing to get Fedor, etc etc....I'm not saying it's not even understandable, I'm just saying it's become really clear, that Dana is super stressed and even much bitchier and more disrespectful than normal.

I also agree with Sam that the sport has really grown with Dana at the forefront, and I believe will continue to, but for that reason hope Dana can find some way to just chill out, dial it back a few notches.

Anyone else noticed this?

[Ramma]

Lol, I said Dana needed a vacation about 2 or so months ago when he had that week of saying tons and tons of stupid shit.


Remember that week where there were like 20 "Dana said..." threads? lol

[lottie-12]

Wait i missed something when did they lose Mickeys and why.

[POINDEXTER]

Yes, he needs a vacation, but he seems like the kind of guy that needs the stress to keep movin'.

[SnakeD]

They didn't lose Mickey's, they went with Bud. Mickey's is a Miller product. No possibility of them promoting the same show.

[cpac77]

Originally Posted by Diegonightmare

Source: Five Ounces of Pain | Does Dana White need a vacation?

Sam actually took the words right out of my mouth. I have never, ever been among those that bashed endlessly on Dana for this or that (see Commandment #11 in the recent Commandments thread, LOL) but recently - the last month or two especially - he seems really more stressed out and irritable than usual.

It's readily understandable why - with Randy leaving, Cro Cop a flop, losing Mickeys, EXC getting the CBS deal, losing all the $$ in the PRIDE deal, failing to get Fedor, etc etc....I'm not saying it's not even understandable, I'm just saying it's become really clear, that Dana is super stressed and even much bitchier and more disrespectful than normal.

I also agree with Sam that the sport has really grown with Dana at the forefront, and I believe will continue to, but for that reason hope Dana can find some way to just chill out, dial it back a few notches.

Anyone else noticed this?

Did they lose Mickeys or did they just dump Mickeys in favor of Busch. By the way, Mickey's is the most disgusting garbage in the beer aisle.

[Dork8503]

Originally Posted by SnakeD

They didn't lose Mickey's, they went with Bud. Mickey's is a Miller product. No possibility of them promoting the same show.

MUCH MUCH rather be sponsored by Bud then Mickeys.

[The Sundance Kid]

Yea, Bud > Mickys


Also, Dana White is one of the smartest businessmen in MMA today probably the smartest (Outside of the Fertita's). I'm sure Dana takes Vacation's all the time, I mean hell, he can't have that many places he has to be.

[SnakeD]

Originally Posted by Dork8503

MUCH MUCH rather be sponsored by Bud then Mickeys.

I can't wait for the first round of UFC themed commercials. Bud's ad people are top of the heap.

This cooperation will really help out the UFC.

[POINDEXTER]

I wouldn't mind being sponsored by a beer manufacturer myself.