UFC President Dana White said on Saturday that he was infuriated by the performance of his middleweight champion, Anderson Silva, who spent 25 minutes in the Octagon toying with opponent Demian Maia at UFC 112.
"I don't think I've ever been more embarrassed in the 10 years of being in this business," White said. "It was the most horrible thing I have ever seen."
White has long proclaimed Silva the best fighter in all of mixed martial arts, but on Saturday White became enraged when Silva taunted, laughed at and mocked Maia in the Octagon. Silva was obviously a vastly superior fighter to Maia, and he won an easy unanimous decision, but he didn't try to knock Maia out even though Maia, a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt, simply had no answer for Silva's onslaught.
"It's the first time that I've ever walked out of the main event and given the belt to the guy's manager and told him to put it on him," White said.
Through his translator and manager, the Brazilian Silva apologized to fans after the fight for the way he had acted. But he said in his post-fight press conference that he meant no offense, and that if anything it was Maia who had offended him.
"The way I feel is my mission is completed. I came in and dominated the fight and did what I had to do that's how I feel," Silva said.
Apparently referring to comments that Maia made about having superior Brazilian jiu jitsu skills, Silva said he felt going into the fight that Maia wasn't showing him the respect he deserved as a champion.
"I came here well-trained, but Demian disrespected me," Silva said. "Not as a person, but disrespected me as a fighter, and I take that very seriously. I came here to do my job and that was to beat him up and punish him and that's exactly what I did. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out, and everyone wasn't pleased, but that's what I came here to do was punish him. ... I'm a black belt, and I've never stepped into the ring and disrespected anyone verbally before the fight and said things that he said."
But White thought it was Silva who disrespected Maia, the UFC and its fans. White noted that the event was the UFC's first in Abu Dhabi, and that many fans left the arena booing the main event.
"This was a historic event for us," White said. "The arena tonight was incredible. The energy was amazing and to end it the way that we did is an embarrassment for me, [UFC co-owners] the Fertittas, the UFC and the sport in general. I apologize and I will, I don't know how yet, but I will make this up to the fans who bought this [expletive] tonight.
White said he thinks Silva needs to fight an opponent he'll be motivated to knock out. Although there had been talk before Saturday that Silva might move down a weight class and challenge welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, White didn't seem interested in that fight late Saturday. It now seems more likely that Silva will move up in weight class and fight bigger opponents.
"I think this guy is incredibly talented," White said of Silva. "In the first couple of rounds, he was showboating and doing whatever he was doing and that's not what I'm into. I don't like it. If you are that talented, be Mike Tyson and go finish it in two minutes."
Now White's job is to put Silva in the Octagon against an opponent who will bring out a Mike Tyson-type of performance.
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"I don't think I've ever been more embarrassed in the 10 years of being in this business," White said. "It was the most horrible thing I have ever seen."
White has long proclaimed Silva the best fighter in all of mixed martial arts, but on Saturday White became enraged when Silva taunted, laughed at and mocked Maia in the Octagon. Silva was obviously a vastly superior fighter to Maia, and he won an easy unanimous decision, but he didn't try to knock Maia out even though Maia, a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt, simply had no answer for Silva's onslaught.
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"It's the first time that I've ever walked out of the main event and given the belt to the guy's manager and told him to put it on him," White said.
Through his translator and manager, the Brazilian Silva apologized to fans after the fight for the way he had acted. But he said in his post-fight press conference that he meant no offense, and that if anything it was Maia who had offended him.
"The way I feel is my mission is completed. I came in and dominated the fight and did what I had to do that's how I feel," Silva said.
Apparently referring to comments that Maia made about having superior Brazilian jiu jitsu skills, Silva said he felt going into the fight that Maia wasn't showing him the respect he deserved as a champion.
"I came here well-trained, but Demian disrespected me," Silva said. "Not as a person, but disrespected me as a fighter, and I take that very seriously. I came here to do my job and that was to beat him up and punish him and that's exactly what I did. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out, and everyone wasn't pleased, but that's what I came here to do was punish him. ... I'm a black belt, and I've never stepped into the ring and disrespected anyone verbally before the fight and said things that he said."
More Coverage: UFC 112 Results | Full UFC 112 Coverage
But White thought it was Silva who disrespected Maia, the UFC and its fans. White noted that the event was the UFC's first in Abu Dhabi, and that many fans left the arena booing the main event.
"This was a historic event for us," White said. "The arena tonight was incredible. The energy was amazing and to end it the way that we did is an embarrassment for me, [UFC co-owners] the Fertittas, the UFC and the sport in general. I apologize and I will, I don't know how yet, but I will make this up to the fans who bought this [expletive] tonight.
White said he thinks Silva needs to fight an opponent he'll be motivated to knock out. Although there had been talk before Saturday that Silva might move down a weight class and challenge welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, White didn't seem interested in that fight late Saturday. It now seems more likely that Silva will move up in weight class and fight bigger opponents.
"I think this guy is incredibly talented," White said of Silva. "In the first couple of rounds, he was showboating and doing whatever he was doing and that's not what I'm into. I don't like it. If you are that talented, be Mike Tyson and go finish it in two minutes."
Now White's job is to put Silva in the Octagon against an opponent who will bring out a Mike Tyson-type of performance.
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