Dana White and Khloé Kardashian discuss the universality of combat sports, UFC CEO references Mike Tyson to explain aura of professional fighters
In a move few could have foreseen, Dana White recently appeared on reality TV star and ultra-popular socialite Khloé Kardashian's Khloé in Wonder Land podcast. During their chat, the pair discussed the widespread appeal of combat sports.
White has always claimed that MMA is the world's greatest sport, which he attributes to fighting being a concept understood by all humans. So, when asked by Kardashian for his views on why fighting seems to draw everyone's attention, White provided a layered answer, stating:
"That's a great question. It's just something inside us as human beings. We get fighting and we like it, and we are fascinated by who the toughest person in the world is. We are all drawn to it, and I mean, if you think of [Mike] Tyson in his peak, when that guy would walk into a room, the whole place would go, 'Holy sh*t, there's Mike Tyson.' No other sport has that."
While the UFC CEO acknowledged that athletes from other sports also enjoy high levels of popularity, he ultimately feels that nothing compares to the universal interest in fighting.
"You know, you'd be excited, 'Oh, there's Michael Jordan or whoever.' But when one of those guys walks into the room and they're looked at as the baddest human being on the planet, men, women, everybody is just drawn to it."
Check out Dana White and Khloé Kardashian discussing combat sports (22:01):
White certainly has a point. While MMA remains a niche sport in many ways, and athletes from other sports like association football/soccer, basketball, and American football tend to eclipse MMA fighters and even boxers in terms of popularity, the overall fascination is different with combat sports athletes.
Mike Tyson was a phenomenon unlike any other in his heyday, as was former UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, who became a cultural icon.
Dana White is expanding his reach across combat sports
While Dana White is best known for being the public face of the UFC, he has now set his sights on conquering the world of boxing. White has long been a critic of boxing, but is now ready to venture into the sport with the backing of the Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia, Turki Alalshikh.
His boxing venture, though, is currently facing several challenges that the UFC has not had to deal with in MMA, with the Muhammad Ali Reform Act and the separation of rankings and titles from promotions being a few.