On Saturday, Spike counter-programmed the UFC's show on Versus with a replay of Fight Night 22 (that Nate Marquardt headlined that card is an extra "screw you"), and pulled in better ratings. Then the network aired the Countdown to UFC 132. On Tuesday. At 1:12 in the afternoon.
What did Dana White think of Spike's tactics?
"That's exactly what I would do," White told MMA Fighting. "I would do the same thing. Listen, negotiations aren't fun. You get kicked in the balls sometimes in negotiations, and Spike kicked me in the balls. I owe them one."
Leave it to Dana White to refer to the nature of his business in terms of strikes to the groin. (Perhaps he should employ Cheick Kongo as chief negotiator.)
White insists that the latest round of warfare hasn't affected his opinion of the network that fostered his company's growth, but he just got humbled Iron Sheik style. At this point, the only thing nearly as interesting as the UFC jumping to a new network would be watching the reconciliation process should they stay aboard Spike.