Up Yours- Dana White

Ahh yes, your favorite installment of Wally'z World is finally back. Once again, I'm not holding back in this edition as I call out UFC big wig Dana White on a recent decision he made that's long overdue.

Before I begin the onslaught, allow me to throw some praise the way of Dana. 

Since 2001, one can make the argument that White has equaled, if not topped, Vince McMahon in the entrepreneur department. MMA is widely considered one of the world's top grossing sports and continues to grow. Count much of that to the job White has done with the sport's top "league"- Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC). They've gone out and marketed their product like nobody's business. TV Shows, apparel- you name it, UFC will brand it and make it successful. The same goes for their fighters. Chuck Liddell, washed up or not, remains a household name. Rich Franklin is all over the television marketing pull up bars and making talk show appearances. And Rampage Jackson is a beast who's antics provide chatter all over blog-o-spheres.

Let's just put this in perspective for a second to truly show you how successful UFC has become. Over the last year alone, reports indicate that the UFC has surpassed the NHL in money making and is nearing the Top 4 in sports worldwide. In one of their worst PPV's in recent memory back in April, where Anderson Silva and Thales Leites basically played with each other, White confirmed that the event still grossed close to $5,000,000. One can only imagine what the heralded UFC 100 will net come July.

(As a side note I always like to write large dollar amounts using zero's. I dunno, it adds flare or something. I mean honestly, what pops out in a story- $5 million or $5,000,000. There's a reason Cuba Gooding said, "Show me the money". Ok, back to the story.)

Now all that money and success- it's gravy. But the fact of the matter still remains: Dana White is the dufus sopping it all up.

For all the criticism he dishes out to former friend and UFC star Tito Ortiz, White is just as thirsty for the limelight as anyone. He has his own vlog on YouTube that's been a real smash with fans and enemies alike. This video alone, which was rescinded by UFC and forced White to issue a public apology statement, shows the true character of the fighting league's head hancho and top prick.

Class act huh? It seems White holds back from nobody and will tell you it's "just the Boston in him". That's right the same Boston that White deserted with his tail between his legs all because he opened his mouth to a local mob and got up to his ears in trouble. But who's laughing now? Well it shouldn't be Dana. 

Sure he's the top dog in a sport which I've already described as having unlimited potential and success. However that's not to say it's truly his baby/brainchild. While he's called the shots for a while, he wouldn't have even been here had he not made friends with some rich brothers in Las Vegas who graciously fronted the money for Dana and themselves to purchase the rights to UFC, not once but twice. The latter of which even involved White coaxing the Fertitta's to write a check on a business that was already $40,000,000 in the hole. The drive of a good business man? I think not.

No, a good business man would have had video games out many moons ago. A good business man would not stoop to lows of cussing out reporters on, of all things, a YouTube video. A good business man would have also apologized to that reporter in the issued statement released shortly after. A good business man wouldn't make fun of his company's own fan's when they ask questions at press conferences. And a good business man wouldn't throw good fighters, serious or not, under the bus.

Which brings me to the point that erupted this entire piece in the first place. In a report released by ESPN earlier today, White has finally come to his senses and decided to market the unlimited potential that is Kimbo Slice. Slice will be one of the contestants on the upcoming season of "The Ultimate Fighter". 

Now here's the beef i have with this whole situation. Dana White loves the money and Dana White loves his sport. He says he doesn't want to jeopardize the UFC by allowing a "non-athlete, street fighter" into the ring to face real professionals. How on earth does this make sense?

Whether Slice gets KO'd in the 1st round or whether he proves White wrong, how is this NOT a win-win situation for both the UFC and its boss?

Kimbo Slice has been and will be, at least before a few more knockouts, the biggest promotional tool in White's bag of tricks. It disgusts me to think after all the things he's publicly said about Slice as a fighter and person, that Dana would all of a sudden see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's what we call a hypocrite Mr. White.

What's even more discouraging is that I believe this whole thing started out of jealousy, not disrespect. White wasn't upset that people were calling Slice a fighter. White was upset that Slice was drawing attention away from UFC and essentially taking his money. To this day, the largest crowd I've ever seen at Tubby's, the local bar here at K-State that shows all the MMA fights, was not for a UFC fight, but instead the Elite XC knockout of Kimbo. And so, what's better publicity to draw back attention to your own corner, than to call out XC's top draw? It's selfish, greedy, and stupid. And now that he's gone behind his word, whether it was a business ploy or not, he just looks like an idiot.

I applaud you for finally becoming the business man you believe you are and making an executive decision that should have been made a long time ago. But hey, what's new?

Up Yours Dana White!