"You ever see the NFL?"- When Dana White confronted a bunch of UFC protesters and made an effort to reason through
UFC CEO Dana White has led the organization through a turbulent journey frequented by difficulties and setbacks for more than two decades.
Despite the initial hurdles, White's strategic vision and tenacity have propelled the MMA promotion to unprecedented success, witnessing a staggering revenue surge.
White was instrumental in influencing public impressions of the sport in the early stages of the UFC, fostering connections with media entities, and securing sponsorships and television agreements. His comprehensive efforts were instrumental in elevating MMA to the status of a mainstream sport.
The UFC top brass once encountered a group of protestors vehemently opposing the organization and, more broadly, MMA as a sport. These protestors contended that the UFC, by its very nature, fosters violence in society and inflicts severe harm on fighters.
White engaged with the protestors in a composed manner, initiating a debate to enlighten them about the intricacies of the sport. The 54-year-old native of Boston elucidated the stringent regulations governing MMA, drawing parallels with other sports to bolster his defense. White said:
"You know, most of these guys are college educated, they have families. It's regulated by athletic commission, basically regulated by the government. The government comes in and regulates it and lays down rules on what's safe and what's not."
In response, one of the protestors argued that boxing also operates under regulations but often leads to significant injuries for its participants. The then-president of the UFC countered:
"Oh yeah, have you ever see the NFL? This isn't to hurt people, either it's to win see who the best in the world is."
Check out Dana White's conversation with the protestors below:
When MMA initially became popular, it was met with great skepticism and criticism owing to its apparent brutality and lack of suitable regulations. The absence of a sanctioned governing entity fuelled negative publicity, fueling the assumption that MMA would never become a popular sport.
The UFC also grappled to secure mainstream media coverage, and faced concerns about fighter safety due to the absence of regulatory oversight. Despite these challenges, the UFC persevered, undergoing transformations to ultimately become a dominant force in the sports industry.
Dana White reveals UFC 300 matchups
Dana White has officially announced the inclusion of the first four matchups in the highly anticipated UFC 300 event. The MMA promotion's monumental pay-per-view card will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Apr. 13.
The UFC CEO recently included a lightweight division No.1 contender bout featuring former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan.
The matchup between Oliveira and Tsarukyan is now part of the UFC 300 lineup, alongside the three earlier confirmed fights: Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandar Rakic in the light heavyweight division, Calvin Kattar vs. Aljamain Sterling at featherweight, and Bo Nickal vs. Cody Brundage in a middleweight clash.
During an Instagram Live session on Tuesday night, White announced that the matchmaking meeting for UFC 300 is set for tomorrow. Following the meeting, he will unveil more fights for the event.