Dana White: Friend Or Foe to MMA Fighters and Fans Alike

When I first started watching MMA, I was torn between the pioneer days of The Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pride Fighting Championships.

The matches were few and far between.  The fighters were relative unknowns in my world.  Of course over time and after watching a few matches and events, the names and styles of certain fighters started to jump out at me. 

The kings amongst kings, Royce Gracie, Don Frye, Wanderlei Silva, Fedor Emeliananko.  These names were bore by such intriguing and fearless fighters.  I was hooked for life. 

Over time I realized, paying $60 a pop was not a great idea considering the local video store would share their copy a few months after an event for a few bucks.  

Over time for some reason I lost interest.  The edge wasn't there, they were fun to watch but over time the luster wore off.

A family and a career has a way of pulling you away from the things you love, because you love some things more than others.  I have no real excuse for turning my back on MMA.  It just sort of happened. 

I guess when I realized Royce Gracie wasn't indestructible, I felt cheated of the glory of bragging about him to people who had no clue about a Brazilian man who could stop a giant by twisting his toe.

Years passed.

A friend of mine, who I just so spent many hours talking MMA with about old fights we happened to have shared at one point or another, brought to me a VHS tape of a fight I had to see.  He assure me I had never seen anything like it.  I laughed, I've seen a lot. 

He was right. 

Stephan Bonner-Forrest Griffin.

We popped it in, he told me not to blink, I could not believe my eyes.  The sport had changed.  It really was a sport now.  The heart I saw in that fight wrapped me up and made me submit quicker than I could even think "UNCLE"!

I have not missed an event since.  I started buying every PPV I could get, Pride and UFC both.  I re-acquainted myself with the talent roaming the sport and was pleasantly surprised to find some I knew before were still going, Wandy in particular.  There were others, Don Frye, who obviously had the toll taken on them by the sport.

The point here is this; I understand there are a million and one reasons to dislike Dana White, choose one, pick two I don't care.  He has earned it—I understand. 

You must admit though.  The sport has been revolutionised by White, the Ferttitas, and Zuffa.  In some ways for the worst.  Many ways for the better. 

Joe L. will tell you the time limits and gloves prohibit a more pure fight game.  I tend to agree.  Many limitations placed on the sport are not conducive to fluid combat sports.  The true essence of MMA.  They are necessary though, to appease the athletic commissions.

There are alternate aspects of a positive nature.  With the mainstream and widespread nature of the sport today, we are getting access to some of the best talent the game has ever seen. 

The TUF show is a groundbreaking concept to showcase up and coming talent and also weed out pretenders.  All the while entertaining and reeling in the masses. 

It can only get better from here on out as training methods and techniques meld and combine to create fighters like the great champion GSP.

I for one like Danas' in your face style, his candid demeanor.  I told Stoker, one of the things I like best is the no holds barred attitude, the straight from the hip type of approach he brings.  He can be right or wrong but he shoots you straight.  You always know where you stand with Dana. 

Many people would rather let their true intentions and feelings elude you, even themselves at time.  

Seriously, the guy offered to fight one of his employees to appease him.  I have to tell you, that is a great boss, even if he does short me come review time. 

It's business as always, but to fight my boss, hey I would take a pay cut some days for that opportunity.  If the board would allow it, I am more than sure he would take a crack at me too. 

I don't want to give the impression that I defend Dana or agree with his approach.  Especially when it comes to undervaluing his fighters.  He needs them every bit as much as they need him.  Some more than others but the fact remains.

I only want to say, thank you to Dana for bringing the sport back home for me.  It lost me some time ago and this new approach has me intrigued again, much to my content. 

I do miss Pride.  The Japanese really bleed MMA, and they make it so exciting.  I was trained for many years of my youth by my Sensei, Thomas Mino from Okinawa.  He taught me an abundant amount of knowledge he had of the idea of martial arts, and its practices.  Particularly discipline of self.  I understand the history and respect given to martial arts in that culture.  I have the utmost respect for it.

That being said, the UFC has emerged as the pinnacle of the sport.  Sure if you asked us all, there are many things we would or could change.

Ask yourself this though.  Would you rather be watching boxing? 

The UFC was almost a memory.  Now it is the king of the mountain.  I picture the old fighter symbol with its hand on its hips as the brand of the UFC from the early days.  That is how I picture the organization now, standing over the sport, dominant.  What if we lost the UFC, what if Dana and the brothers hadn't bought it?

Would MMA have prevailed, would I be talking about Dream and Pride instead of Dana and the UFC?  Maybe.  One of my favorite statements is, "it is what it is".  Dana made it that way, we may not like it but we all enjoy it for the most part. 

Lets give a little credit where it's due, even if it is a hard pill to swallow.  Hopefully in time, Dana will give more credit where it is due also and pay more respect to his fighters and the game overall. 

He can't babysit my, kids but I think as far as the UFC, it couldn't be in better hands.  The sport has never seen such peaks when you consider the valleys it has climbed out of.