When UFC President Dana White criticizes Fedor Emelianenko's decision to fight on M-1 Global and Strikeforce co-promoted cards instead of fighting in the UFC, he likes to say it's proof that Fedor doesn't want to fight the best on a consistent basis.
Specifically, White says:
-- "But don't call yourself the best heavyweight in the world unless you're willing to come in and fight three times a year against the best."
-- "My only beef with Fedor is that he's not fighting consistently right now, against top competition. I can't call someone the best in the world unless he's fighting against the best, and he's fighting three times a year, minimum."
-- "The best in the world, to me, are the guys who compete three times a year against the very best in the world!"
White is right: Fedor doesn't fight three times a year. He's fought twice this year, beating Andrei Arlovski in January and Brett Rogers in November.
But for White to suggest that the UFC's heavyweights fight more often than Fedor is incorrect. In my list of the Top 10 heavyweights in MMA, I have six fighters in the UFC. Here's a look at how many times the top UFC heavyweights have fought this year:
Brock Lesnar: 1 (beat Frank Mir in July)
Frank Mir: 1 (lost to Brock Lesnar in July, also has a fight scheduled for December vs. Cheick Kongo)
Shane Carwin: 1 (beat Gabriel Gonzaga in March)
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: 1 (beat Randy Couture in August)
Cain Velasquez: 3 (beat Denis Stojnic in February, beat Cheick Kongo in June, beat Ben Rothwell in October)
Junior dos Santos: 2 (beat Stefan Struve in February, beat Mirko Cro Cop in September)
So if White can't call someone the best in the world unless he's fighting the best and fighting three times a year, minimum, who does White think is the best? Velasquez is the only one of the top UFC heavyweights who has fought three times this year, and I hardly think you can call Stojnic, Kongo and Rothwell "fighting against the best." I don't know too many MMA observers who would consider beating those three more impressive than beating Arlovski and Rogers.
The bottom line, as my colleague Mike Chiappetta noted, is that it's really, really hard for professional MMA heavyweights to fight three times a year. Some get sick, some get injured, some have to cancel fights because their opponents drop out. It's silly for White to suggest that the UFC's top heavyweights fight more often than Fedor.
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Fedor fights by year:
2000 - 5
2001 - 5
2002 - 3
2003 - 5
2004 - 5
2005 - 3
2006 - 2
2007 - 2
2008 - 1 (had a fight in Dec 07' & Jan 09')
2009 - 2
Classic Dana looking like a moron as usual.
this article is pointless.
More than anything I think is just Fanhouse calling Dana out on his FUD and double standard. I agree it's not (the article) really necessary but I'm still glad to see certain outlets aren't afraid of challenging the UFC and Dana White on what they say.
why is it pointless...it proves once again that dana white is not smart...but you love ufc so your offended...
Ok. In the meantime he has a huge issue with his roster. Fighters leaving the UFC or being injured. As well as the quality of some of their shows. Way to go Dana.
Quality of their shows have been lacking. Sorry computer troubles.
I find it hard to understand why dana can say so many things that are so untrue and yet no one will ever call him out on them. and i say that as someone who likes dana and appreciates what he's done for mma
Great article. FINALLY! We need more of these around here!
good stuff. dana's a punk. this site calls it how it is, and ariel is right on with the interviews. and you don't have a hundred ufc branded sheepboys sticking by dana's worthless words and defending every lame thing he does. 9 months ago it seemed no one was calling dana out. now it's becoming more popular than not. we know what dana has turned into. a fraud.
Actually, Michael is simply shedding light on the double standard, that is Dana White's erratic and illogical brain.
The man loves to bash Fedor, simply because he can't sign him. That's typical of a promoter who wants the world to think his fighters are the best. Unfortunately, his aren't. Everyone knows the UFC's HW division is the weakest link in that entire organization. It's really the blind devotee's of the UFC that seem to think everyone outside the UFC is somehow...'ducking' great competition. Problem is, Fedor's been proving his worth, for years and years and years. I don't see Lesnar, or Valesquez, or attempting to jump ship and go after Fedor (other than Couture, who turned down the Bodog fight)...sort of like what Dana wants Fedor to do with the organization that Fedor owns a part of (M-1 Global).
And for someone who so vehemently dislikes Mr. Smith's articles, and feel they have no substance, you certainly spent allot of time responding. Way to actually make yourself the type of person you yourself, berated Mr Smith for attempting to draw in. Good Job.
This article is not about Fedor; it's about Dana and his present problem in the HW division. His best guys are all hurt or sick; Fedor is ready for his next fight LOL...
I said this article is pointless because I don't believe it is at all newsworthy. I'm a fan of Fedor but at the same time I realize that everything Dana says is just serving his own agenda. If you listen to Dana's mouth to get your MMA news or for an unbiased opinion then you need to go looking elsewhere. Just take his words for entertainment value if anything. Even he doesn't believe some of the crap that comes out of his mouth but he knows that it puts even more spotlight on the UFC when he says it.
We all know Dana's hype train is going full speed ahead and the brakes have been cut. I feel the only purpose that this article serves is to get another annoying and ridiculous debate going in regards to Fedor vs everyone else. It seems like it has done just that...
Dana, let the fighters grow in UFC and Strikeforce. This is why pride was huge cause there was no Bald Japanese manager dude saying fuck shit in every mma video. Dana is just a attention seeker. You realize it when he is in the middle of two fighters during their weigh ins...like he is about to fight, takin away from their thunder. Think about it, dana was a aerobics instructor who got his daddy ( to put some money in a bussiness- fertidas) Get out of every picture. Also why is he the last person in the credits in TUF, with his face all over it. Low classs. Let the fighters grow and be what they are its more intresting that way for us.
Look long story short, Dana is annoyed that the best in the world is not in the ufc and not fighting the best in the world. Realistically is there competition in strikeforce at the moment..ofcourse. Do i think that Fedor should come to the UFC to either retire as the best ever and clear out the ufc hw division or pass the torch to Brock..absolutely. Fedor has two more fights on his strikeforce contract that will probably be cleared by end of 2010. At that time, if Brock is still the champ, I think its time for Dana to muster up the pride to offer Fedor the one fight agreement to fight lesnar.
dana reminds me of samuel l jackson in the great white hype, its all about bussness but dana does look like a chump trying to put down one of the greatest fighters off all time. dana shut the f up man concentrate on your own fighters.
Hey tru2thegame- you sound ridiculous saying pride was huge because they didnt have a dana type of guy running his mouth. Wheres pride now? Oh yeah the UFC bought them. I dont think that knocking a company by comparing them to an organization that was bought out by them proves anything but that you dont know what you are talking about.