Dana White claims that MMA fans are more forgiving than boxing fans because of this primary reason
UFC President Dana White has helped grow the promotion into one of the biggest brands in the sports industry. White recently shared that he believes the willingness of mixed martial arts fans to accept a loss has helped the sport.
During a recent appearance on the Bussin' With The Boys podcast, the UFC President stated:
"When you think about our sport, our fanbase accepts losing more than other sports do because there's so many different ways to win and so many different ways to lose in this sport. Our fighters are looked at on more of an Arturo Gatti type level."
He continued:
"Arturo Gatti was losing these fights, but kept signing these big HBO deals because everybody loved the way he fought and that he was such a dog and would go out and give it everything he had. You lose four or five in a row in boxing, you're f**king done. You ain't making any more big money fights, but here, the fanbase forgives losing."
While boxers generally lose some of their appeal once they no longer remain undefeated, mixed martial artists are able to suffer multiple losses and remain a draw as very few retire undefeated. Furthermore, as White pointed out, unlike boxing, mixed martial arts is not one-dimensional, and fans of the sport understand that styles make fights.
Watch Dana White's comments below (starting at the 51:04 mark):
UFC President Dana White discusses the appeal of the promotion
Mixed martial arts is a rapidly growing sport that has gained immense popularity in recent years, with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) serving as a major catalyst for its rise During his appearance on Bussin' With The Boys, UFC President Dana White discussed the appeal of the sport, stating:
"Every Saturday night, I have to convince you guys to not go out, not go to dinner with your girl, not go to a movie, not do this, not do that, stay home and watch fights. When you do, you better have some holy s**t moments or you're going to turn off your TV and be pissed off... When you tune in to UFC, from the first fight of the night to the main event, these f**king kids go."
White compared the sport to boxing, claiming that it has gotten watered down due to boxers' unwillingness to fight one another. He added that the UFC has entertaining fights throughout the event, while people only tune into boxing cards for the main event.
Watch Dana White discuss the UFC's appeal below (starting at the 52:07 mark):