Dana White Disses Mayweather-Marquez
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9/10/2009 7:25 AM ET By Ariel Helwani
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- Ariel Helwani
- Ariel Helwani is a Video Reporter and Writer for FanHouse
Dana White hasn't cooled off on HBO boxing's decision to air the Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez boxing match on Sept. 19 -- the same night as UFC 103.
In a new video released by the UFC on Wednesday, which contains some obscene language, White took a few more jabs at his pay-per-view counterparts.
"Boxing is doing it to you again," White said. "They're giving you the fight that you don't want. Nobody asked for this fight with Mayweather and ... what's his name? What's his name? Nobody even knows. Nobody in this room even knows who Floyd's fighting.
" ... On that same night, on that UFC card, you guys can all tune in and you can watch not one fight, you guys can watch five great fights that night for ten dollars less than what Floyd wants you to pay to see him run around in circles, and lay on the ropes, and move around and not fight."
However, Mark Taffet, the senior vice president of HBO pay-per-view, told FanHouse at a sports business forum in New York City on Wednesday, that they didn't try to intentionally counterprogram UFC 103.
"It's definitely not something that happens intentionally, and it's something that you would want to have happen as infrequently as possible because the distribution pipelines prefer to be clean and singularly focused," Taffet said. "When it does occur, we're confident from a consumer perspective of there being very little overlap and the events will all thrive. But it's clearly something that on a going forward basis that will happen as infrequently as possible."
Regardless, Taffet doesn't believe either show will generate less pay-per-view buys as a result of airing on the same night.
"There's very little overlap in the fan bases between the sports. We believe that there's not more than 5% overlap in the fan bases. Each sport has its unique fans, it's passionate fans, and its loyal fans. We think that our fans are going to find Mayweather-Marquez that night -- we're very confident about that -- and it's a world in which multiple sports are thriving in the pay-per-view industry and the pay-per-view distributors the beneficiaries."
The UFC and HBO boxing will also go head-to-head on Nov. 14 when the Manny Pacquaio vs. Miguel Cotto fight will air against Spike's tape delayed telecast of UFC 105.
It's clear that all parties involved on the boxing side have no interest in talking about competing against the UFC. When FanHouse asked Mayweather about White recently saying he wasn't a superstar, Mayweather quickly brushed it off.
"I'm not worried about what Dana White said," Mayweather said. "I mean, Dana White says what he says -- it don't matter. I'm not thinking about Dana White."
Perhaps Golden Boy and HBO don't want to give the public a reason to pay attention to UFC 103, or maybe they just don't consider the UFC competition. But White is taking a much different approach. He seems to have no issue addressing the Mayweather-Marquez fight in the crucial days leading up to Sept. 19. Conventional wisdom says a promoter should never address the competition, but if you thought White would do that in this case, you haven't been paying much attention.
Only time will tell if either show will suffer from going up against each other. But one thing is for certain: it looks like the war between the UFC and boxing is only getting started.
Read More: MMA Videos UFC dana+white, DanaWhite, floyd+mayweather, FloydMayweather, juan+manuel+marquez, JuanManuelMarquez, mark+taffet, MarkTaffet, ufc+103, Ufc103
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Comments (Page 1 of 2)
If Dana White had a clue about boxing, then he would know who Marquez is. Anyone who knows boxing knows Marquez and how good he is. Shows how much he knows! I would love to see Dana White fight someone n get his ass kicked.
This is why I'm starting to really hate Dana White. The guy is a CEO of a high profile company and acts like a two year old throwing temper tantrums.
I've said this before the UFC needs to find a new front man if it really wants to be a credible organization, Dana White's antics are a turn off for most normal people.
Furthermore Dana White is a huge hypocrite, he constantly counter programs other fight organizations to the point that Strikeforce has been keeping its Fedor debut a secret until the last minute to avoid just that.
How can you even look at yourself in the mirror when you go out of your way to put your thumb on competition and then get mad when they do it right back to you?
Hey dana hes the guy who drinks his own piss on HBO
Dana White is certainly very blunt, and has no problem with speaking his mind when he doesn't like someone or something. He's just trying to bring extra attention to the UFC, which he's doing. In time, UFC matches may overtake boxing in popularity due to the rawness of the fights, but until they do, Dana has to create a stir. Mayweather-Marquez should still be a good fight, though.
Dana White does have a point. Mayweather should be fighting pacqiano. I dont see a reason for marquez fighting him other then for mayweather to have a tune up fight before taking on pacqiano
I'm no UFC fan but he was dead on about Mayweather being a boring fighter.
I agree Mayweather is a boring fighter all he do is run,not stick and move I mean run!
Did Dana say he was upset that HBO put the Mayweather fight on the same night?? NO! He is simply promoting his organization.
I agree with some of you that talk crap about Dana, but one thing is for sure - the growth of the UFC is largely due to him and his antics. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
The UFC is an exciting show and a great product, and when being compared to boxing it's a landslide victory for MMA.
actually i think you can credit the growth of mma to Spike running TUF, which i believe white was against being for free.
white is just the moving target to keep the heat off the 90% majority owners.
I hope people realize that DANA WAS AGAINST TUF ON SPIKE TV. If you don't believe me, go google it, it is on video. Ironic that that decision alone was what made the UFC what it is today, and Dana was against it.
There is no better drama than 2 good boxers,who want to fight, going 12 rounds. The UFC has a good card that night but not enough to get my money. There is too much intrigue in the Marquez-Mayweather fight to pass-up. P.S. Dana, stop paying your fighters the equivalence of slave labor. Your organization is a cash machine, your main event fighters should be paid much more. Do not pretend that you do not know Marquez name, if he was in MMA that would be the type of fighter you would have headlining your cards. The man brings it every fight.
You know Dana White keeps making the same argument when trying to bash this upcoming Mayweather PPV saying nobody asked for this fight they won't give you the fight you want.
Well to be honest a lot of MMA fans aren't going to get the fights they want like Machida/Anderson Silva and a Fedor/Lesnar fight so it's a really bad weak argument he uses and why no one in these press conferences calls him out on it when he's babbling on and on is a little disturbing really.
Are people at these UFC press conferences too afraid of getting their press credentials yanked that they refrain from asking a legitimate question that this wind bag doesn't want to hear?
I hear you and agree with you somewhat RJ, but how are either of those examples Dana's fault?
Dana would love to get Machida and Anderson in the Cage ... it's the fighters who are insisting they won't compete against eachother.
In the case of Fedor, I'm certain that the UFC did everything they could to get Fedor. Co-promoting events with M-1 would'vd been a step down for the UFC and a stupid business move. For M-1 to insist on co-promotion shows they never had any intention of signing Fedor to the UFC.
Eric, if the ufc is the best promotion and fedor is the best HW, why not...
the ufc is only interrested in being the best promoter.
Machida also drinks his own pee pee. I used to be a dana white fan but he is becoming too overexposed. He seems like a big baby.
Even boxers hate boxing...Ask Paulie Malignaggi. padded records, corruption, hopkins, king, mayweather. Boxing is dead, next!
Dana rips on boxing all of the time. It's just a way to get his company more business. I think he's threatened by boxing. It sounds like that in his talking. He's childish though. "I'm a big boxing guy, but I don't know who Mayweather is fighting". Are you serious? If you don't know Marquez you are not a "big boxing guy". Dana White, go choke on some more tubesteak.
Oh and by the way, "real boxing guys" know that Marquez beat Pacquiao. Which is one of the reasons Mayweather picked him.
Dana talks about how boring boxing is???? Have you watched an UFC match? It's not mixed martial arts. It's a glamorized tough guy match. They wrestle on the ground and (thank God) the ref breaks it up because the fighters lay there catching their breath because the slobs aren't in shape to go 12 rounds. They kick like a girl and maybe once or twice a round. The point is...UFC is just another...ummm...boxing match. The fighters are FAR from being Bruce Lee. They are more like Kathy Lee. I'll be watching Mayweather! Dana is a poor man's Don King.
I realize that you're just MMA hating, but seriously ... even you can't believe that crap you just wrote.
I can't wait to see mayweather and marquez go at it. Marquez is a great fighter and it's going to be worth it. This Dana dude is an idiot.
go boxing!!! mayweather vs marquez!! mma?? no way ......... boringgggggggggggggg