(Exclusive): "Slobberknocker" - UFC Hall of Famer Dan Severn on what bouts Dana White wants to see
UFC Hall of Famer Dan Severn recently opened up about what type of fights excite Dana White and interest him most.
During an exclusive with Sportskeeda MMA, 'The Beast' shared his thoughts about what he believes the UFC CEO wants to see at pay-per-views events. The former UFC Superfight champion mentioned that White is interested in high-adrenaline slugfests rather than tactical grappling-heavy bouts:
"He [Dana White] really likes to see a slobberknocker. He would rather see, you know, people just punching away at each other cause of the boxing background but again, I understand where he's coming from because this is a pay-per-view, they're looking for the kind of highly anticipated [bouts]." [22:42 - 22:57]
Dan Severn then continued by bringing up that he didn't have a flashy fighting style as he relied on his superior wrestling background, so it likely wouldn't be something that the UFC CEO would necessarily enjoy. Some of the most memorable fights in the promotion's history were slugfests that fans still talk about today.
Dana White's preference could also be seen through the Fight Wing of the UFC Hall of Fame as bouts such as Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar and Clay Guida vs. Diego Sanchez does fit Dan Severn's description of a slobberknocker.
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Dana White predicted Impa Kasanganay's success on the Contender Series
Dana White's Contender Series has quickly become a show known for producing MMA champions, and the most recent success story happened in the PFL.
During the 2023 PFL World Championships event, light heavyweight Impa Kasanganay earned a decisive unanimous decision win over Josh Silveira to win the PFL light heavyweight championship and $1 million prize. What made the win more impressive was that the UFC CEO made a bold prediction about Kasanganay's success when he provided his reasoning for not awarding him a contract following his win on the Contender Series in 2019:
"I just think that tonight's pressure and experience was really big for this kid and he needs more experience...I'm telling you right now, whatever organization out there signs this kids, this kid is the future. I believe that this kid is gonna be top five and possibly world champ someday."