Dana White Slams ESPN

[No More Sorrow]

Sports giant ESPN seems to be sending a message to the UFC with its latest exposè that the gloves are coming off, and UFC president Dana White has responded in kind.

"Can't stand the lying 2 faced media [expletive]!! So glad we did this one right cause ESPN can NOT be trusted," White tweeted earlier today in response to ESPN's recent actions.

What actions could be so heinous as to elicit such a response?

First, ESPN released a video in which it was suggested that the UFC had a monopoly over the MMA business.

The video wasn't egregiously offensive as it was more or less unbiased.

However, what recently earned White's ire was an editorial (that hits harder than an Anderson Silva front kick to the face) by ESPN reporter and longtime Dana White/Zuffa nemesis Josh Gross.

The article—which won't be summarized at length—harshly criticized what the UFC pays its fighters and suggested that Zuffa brass sleep on mattresses made of money whilst low to mid level UFC fighters struggle to make ends meet.

Does this mean that the gloves are coming off between ESPN and the UFC?

After all, the UFC and ESPN aren't strangers in terms of controversy. Back in August 2011, ESPN canceled an interview with Dana White after the UFC's deal with FOX was announced.

White blasted them with a tweet then, too.
These recent developments show that the UFC and ESPN will likely never be friends. So don't expect to see more UFC footage on Sports Center or any other ESPN show in 2012.

A full-blown confrontation between the two may not come to pass but as long as Josh Gross writes for ESPN and as long as ESPN is owned by FOX rival ABC (which is owned by Disney), the UFC will always be treated as minor in terms of coverage on ESPN.

You'll see more of the world series of poker and championship bowling than you'll see UFC highlights.

Does this constitute "open war" between the UFC and ESPN?

Only Dana White and the Fertita brothers can answer that.

ESPN may keep the UFC from entering the top echelon of sports organizations or, on the flip side, the UFC may rise up and ESPN may look inept for not covering the next big thing.

All that is known for sure is that relations between the two jilted parties are not on the mend and may never be.

MMAJunkie.com

 

[Slim]

Well... not sure what to make out of this. This is... hmmm... well they normally only showed highlights here and there. Wonder if they'll still show stuff on the scrollbar or not.

 

[PHX]

They never covered UFC and MMA period as much as you'd assume they would so in a way this doesn't surprise me. On the other it kind of does that ESPN was so outright about dissing UFC.

 

[No More Sorrow]

They do an MMA Weekly show on at like 2am I think that's the main coverage they do for UFC in the United States atleast.

But the video that was mentioned is one of those Out Side The Line video's they do where they go behind the scenes of things and what not, it's supposed to air this Sunday i do know that Ken Shamrock was interviewed for the video, not sure what other fighters were included for it.

 

[Troy]

I think that they have a fair point about how much UFC pay the fighters. The lowest fighters only get $8k a fight and that is after they have been training for three months. It isn't worth it at all and considering UFC would make tens of millions each PPV it isn't really a fair split of revenue.

 

[Slim]

I usually catch ESPN the next day after a PPV or later that night to see what it says on the scrollbar to see what is happening... thats how I saw the Brock Lesnar retirement. But yeah... the UFC/ESPN relationship has always sucked and now it looks like it is completely over.

 

[No More Sorrow]

Here's a Dana White video response, and bits and pieces of the uncut footage that wasn't aired on ESPN.

[video=youtube;O7neKshmjzI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7neKshmjzI[/video]

 

[Dale]

I actually didn't mind that piece in all honesty, even if they were trying to run somewhat of a negative story. There's also the 40minute uncut interview online aswell but I can't be bothered watching it all tbh.

 

[Deezy]

Maybe ESPN should look into the NFL having a monopoly over Football, or the NBA for their monopoly over basketball. Fucking dumb imo, plus the payrate is low bacause the fighters are bad negotiators.

Get a name and maybe you'll make the big bucks. Boxing is almost dead and buried because the fighter pay is far more than livegates and buyrates could afford. Sooooo whats the big deal?