From an interview with Dana (in Bold)
Mixed martial arts notebook Well-traveled UFC president has big plans for the sport
Friday, June 22, 2007
BRAD McCRAY
The Oregonian Staff
It's quite possible that Dana White is the hardest working man in sports. The president of the UFC has been living at the center of a four-year whirlwind of press conferences, television appearances, negotiations with innumerable fighters, sponsors and partners and, oh, yeah, mixed martial arts fights. Catching up with White via phone on Thursday was a feat unto itself.
"I'm busier than I ever was," he said. "I never want to sit back. I want to turn it up a notch every year."
Last week, White flew from Las Vegas to Bangor, Maine, to speak at a high school commencement and then back to Vegas. On Tuesday, he flew from Vegas to Florida for Ultimate Fight Night. On Wednesday, he was in Denver for meetings and then to New York. He slept in New York, attended meetings and then arrived in Ireland on Friday for the UFC 72 weigh-in. Saturday, he was ringside for the fights and then flew back to Vegas.
"I spend more time in a plane than I do at my house," he said, yawning occasionally.
Despite raising the UFC from an almost unknown promotion in 2005 to the cover of Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine in May, White has no plans to slow down. He has destroyed or bought most legitimate challengers and the mainstream press is lining up to embrace MMA, but White continues to focus only on subjugating unconquered frontiers.
"I am working on deals that will blow everybody's mind," he said and then, characteristically, declined to elaborate. "I am taking this (expletive) global. This will be the biggest sport in the world.
"We're already beating the NBA, Major League Baseball and NASCAR. The only think that is bigger in the (demographic) is the NFL. Everybody in America, even if they haven't watched a game all year, will watch the Super Bowl. But in England and Europe they don't care because they don't understand the rules. It would be like us trying to understand cricket. This product (MMA) crosses all language barriers and cultural boundaries."
White says the UFC is headed for Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Australia and Asia. He also said it will eventually come to Portland.
"Absolutely," White said. "We've talked about it a lot. It will happen. The only question is when."
"The Ultimate Fighter" finale: On Saturday, Spike TV will air "The Ultimate Fighter 5" finale from Las Vegas. Ostensibly created to allow cast members from the reality television show to win a UFC contract, most interest surrounds the main event: a rematch between TUF5 coaches B.J. Penn and Jens Pulver. Pulver (21-7-1) beat Penn (10-4-1) in 2002, but Penn may be the most electrifying mixed martial artist in the world.
"If you look at it on paper, B.J. goes through (Pulver) like a buzzsaw," White said. "BJ is undoubtedly one of the most talented kids to ever grace this sport."
So what's the hook? The fighters have a genuine dislike of each other, and Pulver has traditionally risen to the level of his opponent. Also, Penn has a tendency to rely on talent alone and is not known for his work ethic.
"Jens gets into B.J.'s head," White said. "He thinks Jen is beneath him and can't stand to lose to him in anything."
Lightweights Nick Diaz and Manny Gamburyan will be fighting for a UFC contract. The fight features contrasting styles and body types. The lanky Diaz entered the season as a favorite and is a submission specialist. Gamburyan is a pit bull who looks to push the action and overpower Diaz on the ground.
Add UFC news: White recently signed Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, who current UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson called the best fighter he'd ever faced. Rua (16-2) will make his UFC debut Sept. 22.
"He's signed and ready to roll," White said. "You couldn't meet a classier guy in your whole life. He will be so marketable."
White also said he is moving close to signing a contract that would bring Pride heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko (26-1), widely considered the best fighter in the world, to the UFC.
Elite XC and ProElite.com: Showtime's MMA promotion and its related Internet arm, ProElite.com, will show fights from Elite XC-Strikeforce "Shamrock vs. Baroni" on Friday. ProElite.com will webcast five bouts from San Jose's HP Pavilion for free and then the card will switch to pay-per-view.
In the main event, Frank Shamrock a former UFC champion and King of Pancrase, will fight veteran Phil Baroni. The fight has been promoted in a long and sometimes awkward campaign that included guest appearances on late-night talk shows and enough macho one-liners to fill any 1980s action film. On the surface, it appears to be a one-sided contest, but Shamrock and Baroni know how to sell a fight. Shamrock declared himself the best middleweight in the world. Baroni, who plays up his New York street angle to a cartoonish degree, would be at home in pro wrestling.
As part of an e-mail advertising campaign, ProElite.com sent out e-mails supposedly written by each fighter. Baroni's e-mail was a two-line profanity-laced tirade that is unprintable here.
"If they both fight like they both talk," promoter Gary Shaw said in a news conference, "It will be the fight of the century."
Also of note on the card: Murilo "Ninja" Rua (13-7-1) will fight Joey Villasenor (23-5). Rumors have swirled around the event in recent weeks. Baroni and Rua were granted last-minute clearances by the California State Athletic Commission. One of the undercard fighters, Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett is currently in jail. Shaw said he is attempting to "spring" him before the fight.
White vs. Shaw: White had once approached Shaw, a long-time boxing promoter for Showtime, about placing the UFC on the premium cable channel, but was rebuked. As interest in boxing continued to wane, Shaw moved to embrace MMA. Now he and BoDog founder Calvin Ayres are the closest thing the UFC has to a legitimate rival.
"He is not doing this because he is passionate about MMA," White said. "He got chased out of boxing and now he sees and opportunity. That's all it is."
Shaw recently took a shot at the UFC, calling it the "We fight cheap league." The usual derogatory acronym used by some fighters is "U Fight for Cheap", but Shaw's meaning was clear. Comparatively low payouts have been a common criticism of the UFC.
"Fighters can make more money here or there, but the UFC is the place to create your legacy," White said. "Fifty years from now, people are going to ask who was the best ever and the UFC has the best fighters."
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I'm stoked as the card will also feature the return of Evan Tanner. Here's to Shogun hopefully getting a shot at redemption against Babalu
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