president Dana White isn't known as a man who suffers slings and arrows gladly, but Spike TV's recent slights against his organization are so brazen that even White has to smile with begrudging admiration when the topic comes up.
"I said last time I did an interview and we were talking about it, negotiating is never fun. ...And even though you're negotiating in good faith and doing all this stuff, you know, you're still giving some kicks to the balls here and there," White said with a wry smile.
For Spike, those kicks have come in the form of some not-so-subtle recent programming decisions.
"Countdown" show at the conspicuously unhelpful time of 1:12 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Spike seems to be firmly in the process of waving goodbye to the UFC and slamming the door shut behind it.
"I see Spike's side," White said when asked to comment on the network's recent moves. "That's what I would do too, and you guys know I would do that."
At the same time, White insisted that the UFC has no new TV deal as of yet, despite reports that it's looking to essentially have its own cable channel by purchasing an ownership stake in the G4 channel, and said that the UFC has not yet ruled out the possibility of staying with Spike in the end.
"Again, what The Wall Street Journal put out and what everyone is saying, none of that stuff is true. People are out there speculating about what's going on. We have no deal with anybody. We're out there talking to everybody. So I don't buy into that stuff, but when deals are done and everybody does what they're going to do, then we'll see what happens."
But a source at Spike, speaking on the condition of anonymity, indicated that the company has essentially abandoned any notion of a new deal with the UFC, since it believes the UFC is "very close to a deal with G4."
"They want their own channel, and this is an opportunity for their own channel," the source said.
As for the programming moves, it's "pretty obvious why we're doing what we're doing," the source said, but it hasn't resulted in any animosity between UFC and Spike employees.
, which currently airs on MTV2 and is thus, as the Spike source pointed out, already "in the Viacom family."
White downplayed those rumors in conversations with reporters this week, but it's no secret that the UFC president is known to go after competitors with a gusto. With Spike sending the UFC out on a sour note amid talk that it might partner with Bellator down the road, does that mean the cable channel has just picked a fight with the UFC?
"They might've," White shrugged. "We'll see. ...I owe you one, Spike."
UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Dominick Cruz talks to Joe Rogan after the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Dominick Cruz talks to Joe Rogan after the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
The Octagon Girls were on hand to cheer on the fighters at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Urijah Faber talks to Joe Rogan after the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Dominick Cruz stares down Urijah Faber at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Dominick Cruz stares down Urijah Faber at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Dominick Cruz makes weight at 134 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Urijah Faber makes weight at 135 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Urijah Faber makes weight at 135 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Wanderlei Silva stares down Chris Leben at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Wanderlei Silva stares down Chris Leben at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Wanderlei Silva makes weight at 186 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Wanderlei Silva makes weight at 186 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
The fans cheer the fighters at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Chris Leben makes weight at 185 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Tito Ortiz gets in the face of Ryan Bader at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Tito Ortiz gets in the face of Ryan Bader at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Tito Ortiz makes weight at 205 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Tito Ortiz shows off his latest t-shirt at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Ryan Bader makes weight at 205 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
A Tito Ortiz fan shows his displeasure with Ryan Bader at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Carlos Condit and Dong Hyun Kim face off at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Carlos Condit makes weight at 170 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Dong Hyun Kim makes weight at 171 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Dong Hyun Kim makes weight at 171 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Dennis Siver faces off with Matt Wiman at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Dennis Siver makes weight at 156 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Matt Wiman makes weight at 156 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Melvin Guillard faces off against Shane Roller at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Melvin Guillard faces off against Shane Roller at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Melvin Guillard makes weight at 155 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Melvin Guillard shows his excitment at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Shane Roller makes weight at 155 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
George Sotiropoulos (156) faces off with Rafael Dos Anjos (155) at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
George Sotiropoulos makes weight at 156 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Rafael Dos Anjos makes weight at 155 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Brian Bowles faces off with Takeya Mizugaki at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Brian Bowles makes weight at 135 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Takeya Mizugaki makes weight at 136 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Brad Tavares faces off with Aaron Simpson at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Brad Tavares makes weight at 186 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Anthony Njokuani faces off against Andre Winner at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Anthony Njokuani makes weight at 156 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Andre Winner makes weight at 155 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Donny Walker faces off with Jeff Hougland at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Donny Walker makes weight at 135 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Jeff Hougland makes weight at 135 pounds at the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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UFC 132 Weigh-In Photos
Travel channel celebrity Anthony Bourdain watches the UFC 132 weigh-ins on Friday, July 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.