The 10 Biggest Headaches of Dana White's Career

By (Featured Columnist) on February 20, 2012

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When something bothers Dana F. White, we all hear about it. The UFC President isn't shy about telling us his thoughts on the matter and will gladly tell whatever microphone is in front of him what he thinks.

It's one of the reasons people love him and, for some, one of the reasons people hate him. If he's annoyed with something, we get dragged into the mess.

Sometimes his headaches are comical for fans, while other times the drama sessions can get on our nerves. He's had quite the list of problems since taking over the UFC, but these are the things that kept him from getting a good night's sleep.

MMA Judging

noholdsbarredmma.com
noholdsbarredmma.com

When your boss tells you to "Not leave it in the hands of the judges," odds are you probably shouldn't do that. Dana White has been telling his fighters for years to avoid fighting to a decision, as there have been plenty of questionable calls.

White seems to have his own issues with MMA judges and routinely inserts his opinion on how smart (or dumb) judges are once the final scorecards have been read.

His issues with judges have gotten so bad at times that White has even offered to give fighters their winner's purse despite losing.

Frank Shamrock

mmaggregate.files.wordpress.com
mmaggregate.files.wordpress.com

Like that annoying fly that you can't seem to swat away, Frank Shamrock routinely feels the need to buzz in Dana White's ears.

Shamrock, who left the UFC on a high note after defeating Tito Ortiz, felt the UFC was going in the wrong direction with White and the Fertitta brothers at the helm. Their business differences aside, it seems the two men have a legitimate dislike for one another.

The history behind the two may be interesting, but watching the old men argue over the Internet resembles a scene between Jack Lemon and Walter Matthau.

The State of New York

fightertrends.com
fightertrends.com

The state of New York could be the "Las Vegas of the East" for the UFC if they can ever get MMA legalized in the state. Dana White and the UFC's continuous quest for the legalization of MMA in the state has turned into a long, drawn-out battle.

With arguments ranging from benefiting local youth to economics, the disagreements between politicians and the UFC seemingly have no end.

In a world where he is used to getting his way, the legalization of MMA in NY remains out of the grasp of White.

Jon Fitch

mmajunkie.com
mmajunkie.com

If there's one particular fighter in recent memory who's caused Dana White a lot of problems, it has to be Jon Fitch.

The relationship between White and Fitch became strained when Fitch refused to give up his likeness for the upcoming UFC Undisputed game. Fitch was actually released from the company, only to be rehired a day later.

Perhaps the biggest headache caused by Fitch was the fact he never would fight his teammates Mike Swick or Josh Koscheck. At one point all three men were considered top 10 welterweights, and it was creating a nightmare as to how to match the triumvirate with other fighters.

Even though Fitch likely earned his rematch with Georges St-Pierre, his less-than exciting fighting style did him no favors with UFC fans or White. White is probably hoping that Fitch will simply ride off into the sunset and never be in title contention again following his KO loss.

Pride FC

fighting-mma.com
fighting-mma.com

Pride wasn't necessarily a huge headache for Dana White because it was a financial challenge to the UFC but more-so for two specific reasons.

At one point in time, the UFC believed in outsourcing its fighters. When Chuck Liddell went overseas, it was with intention that White's golden child would show the world the UFC was the best.

After the failure of Liddell in Pride, White next attempted to put together a Wanderlei Silva vs. Liddell match-up. Pride would end up pulling a fast one on White, as they put Silva inside a UFC Octagon wearing a Pride t-shirt and pulled the plug on the dream bout.

The other reason Pride was a thorn in the side of White was due to the heavyweight division. Although there were plenty of other stars in Pride in the lower weight classes, there's no question that Pride FC had the best heavyweights in the world.

Not having a handful of stars is one thing, but losing to another company in an entire division was a huge problem for the UFC.

Loretta Hunt

When Loretta Hunt ran her article about backstage access, most assumed it would probably catch the ire of Dana White, but we had no idea what we were in store for.

White took to Youtube and posted a three-minute rant about his feelings about Hunt and her "anonymous source."

The rant itself was bad enough, but when gay rights activists got involved White must've known he created a bigger issue than what it needed to be. White apologized for his remarks and attempted to put the past behind him, or so it seemed.

At the first Zuffa-run Strikeforce event, a number of reporters who were on White's bad side were denied their media credentials. Of course, Hunt's name came up on the short list.

MMA Fans on the Internet

slatermedia.com
slatermedia.com

The common image of the "Internet tough guy" is a fixture for MMA fans who live and die with their daily dose of MMA news each day. If Dana White ever wants new fighters, there's a handful of 6'10" powerlifters who will smash anybody's head in.

The guys who act tough are the least of White's problems when dealing with fans on the Internet. It's the educated ones who get the best of the UFC President that are most troubling.

You can always tell when White is ready to end an argument with the online community when he stops with his usual tough-guy or wisecracks comebacks and simply says something along the lines of "Because I said so."

Like any 10-year-old child hearing the words from their parents it simply isn't enough that White said so, and the arguments usually continue on. White should prepare himself for a long ride with fans online, as they seem to be in disagreement about how the UFC and Fox relationship should be handled.

Tito Ortiz

fightlinker.com
fightlinker.com

Perhaps no fighter became the biggest problem for Dana White other than Tito Ortiz. It wasn't enough that Ortiz and White's professional relationship was strained, but it seemed like everything was so personal between the two.

The two even came close to fighting each other in a boxing match. Even though the two never officially came to blows, that didn't stop Ortiz from being a major pain in the a** for White throughout most of his career.

Recently, the two have made up and seem to be operating on the same page. Maybe it's Ortiz finally growing up, but regardless, White has to be happy that his biggest enemy in the UFC has turned into his friend.

Fighters Who Play It Safe

devotedmma.com
devotedmma.com

Dana White usually puts on a nice face when talking about fighters he dislikes, but there's a group of fighters that he holds no punches back when asked about them.

The fighters who go out and "play it safe" usually have short careers under the UFC banner. Look no further than Gerald Harris for evidence that White despises fighters who fight to win a decision instead of trying to win a fight.

It seems as long as you put on exciting bouts and have a personality, your job is safe no matter what. Just check out Dan Hardy, who's riding a four-fight losing streak and still has a Zuffa paycheck to collect.

M-1 Global

m-1global.com
m-1global.com

When Pride was bought out by the UFC, fans were drooling at the prospect of Fedor Emelianenko stepping foot inside the Octagon.

It was not to be, as Emelianenko's management and Dana White could never come to terms. Like an ugly break up, both sides had different accounts of how the story was playing out.

It's a shame that one of the best heavyweights in the history of the sport will never fight under the UFC's banner, but it seems White has taken enough Advil to get over the headache of missing out on the "Fedor sweepstakes."

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