In Dana White’s dream scenario, he would like for “MMA media” to stop scrutinizing his moves. If you do, you are against him. Worse than that, you are against the UFC fans.
White has found it hard to place his crown jewel fight, Tony Ferguson versus Khabib Nurmogomedov, in a venue due to a global pandemic. Despite the fact that metropolises have shuttered its business save for essential services, the show must go on.
Unfortunately for MMA fans, Tony-Khabib is not essential. Defiant as always, White challenged the notion that UFC 249, originally set for Brooklyn, New York on April 18th, will not happen. “Do you want to bet against me?” A rhetorical question posed by White to TSN during an interview earlier this week. The inference was that White would get the job done by placing the much-anticipated fight somewhere in the world.
But with most of the world closed due to an “abundance of caution” and the
reality that the Coronavirus is something that can spread and knows no
boundaries, the challenge is becoming bleak as the days of quarantine do not
have an expiration date.
Yet, White persists with a relentless spirit that has made him this successful. Regardless of health concerns and the potential of spreading the virus among his contracted fighters, fight camps and unknowing staff that will be in attendance he thumbs his nose at the people that say that his mission is impossible.
Seems a bit selfish, no?
Then again, White’s guidance came from the Vice President and President which originally told him prior to UFC Brasilia that he should not panic and live his life. Of course, the Administration has backpedaled on this realizing the foolishness of their statements during an election year which may kill off their followers.
Still, White is moving forward regardless.
In an Instagram Live chat he shot back and naysayers that believe that the UFC will postpone events like the rest of the major sporting leagues. Lauding the fact that they have their own arena, White took a swing at online MMA media that has been critical of the UFC moves. In line with the Administration, instead of criticizing their argument, he takes aim at “them” personally. He noted that, “The weakest, wimpiest people on earth cover the biggest, baddest sport on earth. What do you expect them to say? What do you think they’re gonna say?”
He then uses the argument that the media is taking food out of the mouths of the fighters he pays. If you follow that logic, this would also impact the media that covers these fights. Think about it this way. As we are finding out, what is the utility of a MMA media, if there is no MMA to cover? Wouldn’t it be best to suffocate these insolent keyboard warriors by not having events so that they can willow into the basements of their parents? I mean, that would make sense to harm these wimps as much as you can.
Obviously, White directs his animus to the same folks that once in a long while boosted his promotion to where it is now. But, the “us versus them” mentality is an easy way to rally his fan base. By making a villain out of someone in this situation it is an easy way to place blame when things don’t go your way. While most people that cover MMA are fans themselves, White is putting the black hat on the groups that either are contrarians, doomsday seekers, negative or realists that write about the sport.
In doing so, it shifts focus…and more importantly culpability on a group of people that he has severed from his need list. The “trolls” of MMA (let’s face it, White believes MMA media are trolls) are probably the worst subsect of social media. The fact that White cares to engage or even read the comments from these people seems to infer that he gives a damn about them. White equates the MMA media as annoyances that point out fissures in his system.
He doesn’t like the fact that MMA writers take shots at him or criticize the way he runs his business. That’s a fair point. No one likes being called out. Certainly, White has been criticized when he shouldn’t. But, that’s a part of the business. He should know this being in the fight game. He’s also been praised when its due, and even when its not.
So…the question is whether he’s this sensitive? The fact that he takes an unprofessional shot at someone that writes for a living because he feels attacked doesn’t seem like a leader but a follower disguised as a leader.
The interesting part about the UFC is that it is the greatest promotion in the sport of MMA and you can correctly argue that it is MMA. MMA media writers that White targets were the base that once propped up the promotion and still follows it that the UFC now finds is no longer essential to its sustainability. ESPN and Endeavor are now the UFC’s overlords and it has blossomed into a revenue and content generator. Dissenting opinions about its moves made by “media” are no longer considered.
There was once a time when the UFC needed the media to cover it regardless of the coverage. Now the UFC has the capability to pick and choose what it needs. And, it doesn’t need “them.”
The UFC has made partnerships with certain media outlets to ensure that it gets its message out correctly. So, White doesn’t have to listen to “internet trolls.” But he stills does.
White has always been a forward-thinking leader of the UFC. He’s been a genius at times, at times he’s made mistakes. Once again, using the old “straw man” argument of a non-descript media person opposing White’s viewpoint, he rallies his base of undying fans that they should not believe those that say anything contra to his opinion.
What may be more of a concern is the health and safety of the people he is putting in peril instead in order to prove people wrong.
If White finds a way to hold Khabib-Tony, one would hope it done at a time when the safety of the people involved are secure. Remember, tests are not failsafe. Even if there are no tests to protect the combatants and the event is allowed to go forward, White will be revered as a hero and praised for his bulldog efforts to find a home for the fight.
And the wimps will write about it.
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