Join Tony “The Tornado” Penecale, “Rabble Rousin'” Rich Bergeron and “Psychic” Tom Padgett as we analyze UFC 202, discuss the budding Pro Fighters Association and go over the weekly combat sports schedule.
Tag Archives: Rich Bergeron
The FNU Combat Sports Show: Is McGregor Retirement Threat Proof UFC Brass is Out of Touch With Their Most Popular Stars?
An Open FU to UFC President Dana “Effing” White!
By: Rich Bergeron
Those who know me personally would all say I am a mellow individual, until you seriously cross me, like, for instance, if you become the subject of an investigative report I’m working on, or sue me for $25 million. Sometimes I may take things like that as a sign you might not want me to really find out who you are and what you do behind closed doors to screw hard working people over.
This week, a certain individual who won’t even let me follow him in Twitter (https://twitter.com/danawhite) pissed me off to the point where I could only think of one thing to do. Because I’m officially blacklisted in every possible way by the UFC brass, and have even had restraining orders placed against my directly contacting the Fertittas and ANY UFC fighter, my best option is to publish a drastic diatribe here I am just going to call my “OPEN FU” to Dana “Effing” White.
I’m sure Mr. White will not take my calls or subject himself to a one on one interview with me. So, I will have to settle for a written FU…and a multi-tiered and multi-purpose FU.
FU, Dana “Effing” White… for many, many reasons…too many for one small blog post to do justice, but let’s just say Most of all FU….
For what you THINK you know about Holly Holm…
Hey, Dana, you wanna talk about your “effing” reality show “Looking For a Fight????” I was actually looking for a fight when I watched that old reality “shit show” when you were supposed to box Tito Ortiz, but HE magically backed out at the last minute.
Now, you, DANA “EFFING” WHITE, are telling Holly Holm about a decision YOU think she didn’t think through enough??? And now you act like someone pissed in your Wheaties because you have two upset wins at UFC 196 to work around and figure out how to make sense of somehow.
Boo “effing” hoo, buddy.
Welcome to how things don’t go as planned sometimes in the fight business, you ungrateful prick.
Do you wanna be an “effing” Promoter, Dana “effing” White???
Holly Holm Was the Bantamweight Champion of the UFC when she allowed HER Manager (not Dana “effing” White) to negotiate the Tate fight on her behalf, and she knew (and her long-time manager knew, too) what she was doing and what she wanted. And guess “effing” what, Dana? She wanted to fight.
Sorry, Dana “Effing” White, but Holly didn’t want to sit on an “effing” sideline waiting for Ronda Rousey to finish her “effing” ROADHOUSE REMAKE!
Holly wanted to go to work… but unfortunately she has to work for a boss who has no idea what it’s like to step into HER office and handle HER daily workload with such tenacity, class, dignity and grace.
And I think maybe she looks back a bit differently than you do, Dana, with no “effing” regrets whatsoever for putting her absolute all into that fight and just plain getting caught in her one area of weakness in a battle where she likely would have won a three-round fight. Maybe if YOU were a fighter, Dana, you might get that whole concept. Maybe losing in this case only makes her better, stronger, and more durable as a career mixed martial artist. Who gives a damn if it makes her less marketable in your eyes? What do you really know, anyway?
UNLIKE YOU, Dana “Effing” White, Holly actually respects Miesha Tate and thought it would be a challenge to fight her. Yeah, she lost, but damn, she was absolutely correct about it being a challenge. I think the fight will go down as one of the greatest battles in female MMA history.
Now, why don’t you open your “effing” eyes, Dana, watch the fight again, and quit bitching about what should have happened in that cage you never fought in yourself.
Be grateful you have a champion you just paid $92,000 in fight pay (before bonuses) to take your organization’s belt from the girl you WANTED TO WIN (and paid $500,000 just to be there). It may not be what you expected, but the anxiety you feel about it is what you DESERVE to feel for being such a douchebag to the fighters who built the UFC.
My biggest questions on this subject for Dana are: Why are you such a biased, crooked asshole who can’t bother to give Miesha the time of day FOR ALL HER HARD WORK? Why can’t you give credit where it is due…on both sides of that fight? Why can’t you shut the “eff” up about what you think Holly or her management should have or could have waited for?
It’s not your place to look back with 20/20 hindsight and act like Holly and her manager should have gone all Nostradamus on this fight when you obviously didn’t see this shit coming, either, you dome-headed dimwit.
Fighters “effing” fight, Dana. That’s what they “effing” do, which you should know, since I am pretty sure you used to be an “effing” manager of MMA fighters yourself. Yes, that was many moons ago, but how could you forget?
Fighters don’t sit on their asses on corporate jets and stand at podiums in front of the press all day to earn the “effing” paltry paychecks your organization pays out to most of them. Most fighters simply cannot afford to wait around for shit to happen or for someone “worthy” enough in your eyes to step up and fight them.
Some fighters need to feed their kids. All of them need to pay their bills and for everything else involved with training camps, daily living expenses, travel and whatever costs medical insurance doesn’t cover when they have to address nagging injuries. Your shitty Reebok deal made it virtually impossible to get any other outside sponsors to help pay for anything like that stuff for many fighters, Dana.
Welcome to selling out and forgetting where you came from, Dana. You used to care more about fighters. Now you act like fighting in a cage is just like doing any other 9-5 job. It’s not. It’s “effing” hard work.
So, yeah, Holly chose to fight instead of waiting for Rousey to be ready for the rematch. And you think she needs your opinion now that everything didn’t work out as planned for you both?
FU, Dana.
She hurts a lot worse than you, and I can guaran-effing-tee that.
Oh…and…by the way…fighters are way more responsible for the growth and success of the UFC/Zuffa organization than you ever have been. And that’s real talk, you rich bitch with a stick up your ass because you were never good enough in your life to ever have your own official fight.
So, get over the God complex and learn to respect ALL of your fighters, not just the ones you want to see win because you might think you can work with them better or you think they will move the organization in a better direction. Respect the effort, the sacrifice and the pain ALL your fighters go through each and every day to get where they get. That belt you put on Miesha’s waist was EARNED, and don’t you ever think it is “effing” cool to call the fact that Holly Holm had the guts to face Miesha Tate “a mistake.”
It rings hollow, especially when I would consider that handing you a microphone to talk about MMA at all was THE greatest mistake the sport ever made, period! Anyone who would try to knock a former champion down a peg that way in his own organization does not deserve to be recognized as that organization’s president.
You have no clue what it’s really like to fight, and your criticism of Holly Holm tells me you can never possibly understand the mindset that led her to take the Tate fight and not wait an idle year for Ronda “effing” Rousey to be ready to appear at one of your precious shows.
So, FU Dana White for treating your former champ like she’s an idiot who doesn’t know how to control her own career without you butting your stupid, bald head into it. Holly’s fine without your advice, and she trusts her manager, which might be something you’re not familiar with, but for other people it is actually a reality of doing business with legitimate people.
FU, Dana for being a piss-poor ambassador for the sport, disrespecting fighters who bleed (and sometimes suffer lifelong injuries) for you and the sport, and totally underestimating and failing to grasp what it really takes to actually be a professional fighter who actually competes against other fighters…
Do you remember the days when you had to settle for being a lowly boxercise instructor because your boxing trainer Boston slapped you too hard in the ear once? You never had a single competitive fight in your life, Dana “effing” White, and that’s a DOCUMENTED FACT!
Do you ever even look back at those days before the silver-spoon-fed Fertittas helped you claw your greedy, selfish, egotistical ass into the position of OFFICIAL UFC MOUTHPIECE?
Do you remember those “hairy” days when you blew through $40 million of Fertitta funds to perpetrate the “Zuffa Myth” while claiming credit for the UFC brass singlehandedly legitimizing the sport and getting it regulated all by your “effing” selves? As if not a single FIGHTER nor any other industry professional who pioneered MMA before you dipped your greedy little paws into it had anything to do with it?
Your Mom remembers those “coulda been a contender” days, Dana..when you thought you might be able to have an actual fight with another human being. Your own mother remembers even though you and one of your sleazy friends tried to silence her, BASH HER ONLINE, and even blacklist her BOOK, too.
Do you remember the days when even Floyd Mayweather, Jr. thought you were cool, back when your daily driver was an “effing” Honda, Dana? Floyd Remembers. He knew you long before you could afford to blow a normal person’s yearly pay on a single hand of poker.
You’re in a different place now, Dana “effing” White, and it’s a delusional place. Like on the distant planet you live on, people actually believe YOU really, honestly, truly “effing” know what it’s ACTUALLY like to be an “effing” fighter? Do you actually believe YOU somehow could ever REALLY know that feeling?
REALLY?
You know what A FIGHTER is, don’t you, Dana? A fighter is a man or woman who has the courage to willingly step into unarmed combat against another actual man or woman instead of just criticizing up and down the guys and girls who do have the guts to actually stand across from another human being while knowing and internalizing that the accepted goal is to physically destroy each other.
A fighter, in more simple terms, is “one who fights.” And let’s be clear about one “effing” thing, Dana “effing” White, I know fighters, and YOU are no fighter.
You are nothing like a fighter, Dana “effing” White, and you never “effing” will be. You are too weak, both physically and mentally. Until we see you go through a six-week training camp and then get into the cage against someone and kick his ass, we shouldn’t have to listen to one damn “coulda,” “shoulda,” or “woulda” out of your cornfed mouth about what you think of any particular fighter’s performance or decision making process. Those people have the guts to do what you will NEVER do yourself, and you ought to respect that.
FU Dana White…For not recognizing Real Fighters Like Miesha Tate and Nate Diaz who keep at it no matter what and NEVER seem to earn your ULTIMATE RESPECT….
Nate Diaz stepped up to fight Conor McGregor for a reason. He had nothing to lose, and he wasn’t intimidated one bit. He famoulsy went on television with Fox Sports 1 on a split screen with Conor before that welterweight fight and quipped that his nemesis had already been choked out before, “by two lames.” Diaz also had the perfect instinct to add humourously that McGregor’s choke losses happened, “like a week ago.”
Diaz beat Conor in the shit-talk game long before he ever slapped him down and slipped that choke around his neck in the cage. The media created by that freakshow fight might have stopped the unchecked rise of your big, bold, six-headed dragon champion, but it created a new monster at the same time. And he’s a Reebok-hating, scowling, swearing, Stockton-slapping Mother-F$#king BEAST who doesn’t care what anyone else thinks about what he does or says.
You might think Diaz and his attitude are “bad for business,” but I think his victory was the best thing that could ever happen to all you smug punks running the UFC. It just proves once and for all that you do not control the MMA universe.
Nate Diaz went without respect and credit for being an MMA pioneer and a good UFC soldier for far too long. The bitterness brewed and boiled within him, and I loved every second of him letting it pour out in post-fight interviews after he choked the shit out of Conor until the Irish bloke tapped the “eff” out and left Dana White drooling in a stupor at the thought of having to congratulate a man who’s become more of a mortal enemy than a member of the big “team.”
More power to Nate and all the crazy, abrasive, in-your-face Diaz brother types out there in the UFC who will fight Dana “effing” White’s flamboyant fire with even more bravado and brash talk of their own. They can always say, “I learned it by watching you, Baldfather!”
As for Miesha Tate, she deserves true respect and admiration for being champ now after picking herself off the mat twice in the face of grueling losses to Rousey. Kudos to Tate for continuing her career and relentlessly focusing on getting by that Rousey armbar once and for all.
Though Miesha never did solve that Rousey submission dilemma, trying at all costs to get another crack at the belt paid dividends at UFC 196. Her never quit attitude led her to an opportunity of a lifetime, and she capitalized on it. Now, Dana, you actually have to pay this young lady what most of her fans would say she was worth a long time ago.
And now you simply have to treat Tate with a bit of reverence and appreciation for once in your ungrateful life, Dana “effing” White. I know it must pain you so much to give this young lady the credit she’s worked so incredibly hard for, because maybe she touched a nerve when she called you out in the past for being the true clueless and disrespectful prick you really are. She was right, and you were wrong about how great she really is at fighting. Then again, weren’t you also WRONG about women fighting in the cage, period?
So, you DON’T wanna be a fighter, Mr. White? Then step aside and let the people who DO wanna be fighters go to battle for you so you can ride around the world on your jet and act like you know what the “eff” you’re talking about when you stand in front of a microphone to describe the sport’s true athletes and what they do to make a living in mixed martial arts.
The line from Dana that most stands out to me as comblete BS in this whole debacle is this one:
“He’s an old boxing guy who thinks he’s smart and he isn’t,” White said of Fresquez [Holm’s Manager]. “I feel bad for Holly because I don’t know if she really knows what she lost.”
I have only two more “effing” questions for you Dana “effing” White…
1.) What makes you think you are really in any “effing” position to EVER know or understand what Holly Holm lost the other night? Aside from a few bad poker hands and tons of respect, the only thing you ever lost is your mind.
2.) Doesn’t your backhanded quote about Holm’s manager describe your own shitty character a whole lot better than that of Mr. Fresquez?
AND…just in case after reading all this anyone STILL needs yet another reason to have beef with the Baldfather:
Boxing For The Beginner; How To Get Started in The Sweet Science
By: Rich Bergeron
Boxing is a unique sport, to say the least. It’s often referred to as “The Sweet Science” with terms from the sport frequently invoked to describe intense rivalries and matchups in a myriad of other sports. Boxing is also often referenced in metaphors about politics. Though the popularity of boxing is not where it used to be these days, it is still one of the most challenging and daunting sporting activities a person can legally participate in all over the world.
If you are interested in either pursuing a career in boxing or just looking to learn the basics, the benefits of mastering the craft of pugilism can be very rewarding. At the same time, there is a big difference between “going through the motions” and devoting the time it would take to be a successful professional. Either way, if you work hard and maintain your dedication to learning, your training will surely result in both increased confidence and enhanced physical fitness.
If you plan to take your lessons to the level where you are ready to compete at some point, you will need a serious training regimen of at least two to three hours per day. You will also need to find a reputable boxing gym. Online searches should lead you to a facility in your area, but you can also seek out a competent trainer who might be able to work with you from home if there are no boxing gyms near you. Here is a detailed article on how to find the best gym for your needs.
If you simply want to know how to move around, throw punches and defend yourself, there are specific facilities that specialize in the basics that can accommodate your needs. One of the most well-known and nationwide operations for basic boxing and kickboxing lessons is Title Boxing Club. They offer comprehensive workout sessions and group classes overseen by professional trainers that promise “to help you feel more confident, burn more calories and lose weight.” It is important to remember that facilities like Title Boxing Club are not really designed for competitive boxing training, as their offerings are primarily geared toward teaching boxing for self-defense, exercise, weight loss and stress release purposes.
It does not take much devotion or sacrifice to take up boxing purely for the fitness benefits. It is actually a part of the sport that is becoming wildly popular due to the fact that the training workouts provide benefits to nearly all the muscles in your body. Hollywood stars, models, and even reality television stars swear by boxing workouts as a way to maintain their attractive figures and their youthful appearances.
Time Magazine published a story in May, 2015 that described boxing as one of the hottest fitness trends of the year.
Still, boxing training for non-competitive purposes can be intense and agonizing for someone who never put on a pair of boxing gloves before. In addition to punching, footwork and defensive drills, there will be sit-ups, push-ups, jump-roping and most likely a great deal of running that will benefit your training and workout routine. You may not need the same kind of time commitment if you are not competing, but many of the workouts will be very similar to what pro boxers do in the gym each day when they are not sparring.
Sparring and fighting another boxer in competition brings your training to a whole new level. Boxing is a very high-risk activity, though headgear, mouthpieces and organized rules and regulations make it much safer today than it was when the first gloved boxing contest took place. People do still die in boxing matches, and some end up facing lifelong complications from single matches or long careers of taking too many punches.
For these reasons, the decision to box competitively should not be impulsive or taken lightly. You have to be willing to accept the risks of serious injury if you would like to make boxing a career. You have to be well versed in defensive techniques and be aware of the signs of a concussion or brain injury. Full contact sparring sessions should take place only under the supervision of trained professionals, and both fighters should be instructed to use about half as much power in their punches as they would in a real competition. Still, if you plan to box as an amateur or a professional, some type of injury is almost inevitable. At some point you will suffer a split lip, bloody nose, black eye and/or a nasty cut. So, if you do really want to be a competitive boxer, be sure to have adequate health insurance in the event you need medical attention stemming from your participation in the sport.
More so than the risks you face, it is extremely important that you know going into training that boxing is one of the most difficult sports on the planet. There is no team to carry you in competition if you have a bad day at the office. There are just two competitors in each match: you and your opponent. Anyone with courage and tenacity can step into a boxing ring and fight, but it takes a special kind of devotion and willingness to put in the time and work to win trophies, medals and/or money through your exploits in the ring.
Most boxers go through years of amateur boxing before their first professional match. It is not mandatory for a boxer to fight in the amateurs before going pro, but it is certainly recommended. Some boxers may never go into the professional ranks, even if they do excel in the amateurs. There is even a “Masters” division for folks 35 and older.
Yet, even amateur boxing involves a great deal of hard work. The main differences between amateur and pro matches are that most amateur matches are shorter in duration than pro fights and feature competitors wearing headgear that offers protection to the side of the head and some areas of the face. Still, the punches that land on that headgear can be just as hard to take as hits that connect on your bare skull.
Whether you plan to take your talents to the professional ranks or not, amateur boxing can be an excellent starting point. Here are a couple great articles that describe how to pursue amateur boxing opportunities:
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/11/18/amateur-boxing-for-beginners-a-how-to-guide-part-i/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/420913-how-to-get-started-in-amateur-boxing/
Some colleges also offer boxing, with the US military academies fielding the most dominant teams over the years. Though it is not offered at nearly as many colleges as traditional sports like football and baseball, the competition can be just as fierce as it is in those other sports, if not much more so.
No matter how you choose to start out your foray into boxing for fitness or competition, sticking to it will require a strong will and a healthy supply of both mental and physical toughness. Truly mastering the sport can take years, if not decades. Whether you box for money or for glory, it can be well worth the risks you take to participate. You will always remember that first time you had your hand raised at the end of a fight. Becoming a world champion may not be in the cards for you, but just stepping in the ring to fight an opponent will put you in a class of people that you will always be proud to be associated with.
FNU COMBAT SPORTS SHOW FEATURING AUTHOR JEFF DANIELS
Our latest interview with a true class act. Jeff Daniels took to the task of telling his older brother Terry Daniels’ amazing story with a passion for posterity and a supreme sense of attention to detail. Despite having no book-writing experience, Daniels created what he considered to be as classic as a Beatles album when he finished crafting his masterpiece about a bygone era in the sport of boxing and his brother’s battles with some of the biggest names in the heavyweight division. You can buy the book here: http://amzn.to/1WQMNFO, access Jeff’s site here: http://jeffdanielscompany.com/index.php/about-the-author and watch a short YouTube video promoting the book here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PDH_Laa6lY. Jeff shares some insights into the writing process during our interview here and takes us back in time in this amazing episode.
The FNU Combat Sports Show With MMA Referee Kevin MacDonald
Kevin MacDonald is one of the most knowledgeable and professional referees in Mixed Martial Arts. Just last Sunday he was the third man in the cage for three fights on the UFC Fight Night 81: Dillashaw vs. Cruz card. Our interview covers a wide range of topics, from rule and weight class changes on the horizon to a few behind-the-scenes glimpses into the UFC’s operations. Psychic Tom Padgett and Rabble Rousin’ Rich Bergeron also recap the past week’s combat sports events (including Szpilka vs. Wilder and Cruz vs. Dillashaw) and preview the next UFC event headlined by Anthony Johnson vs. Ryan Bader.
New Home For the FNU Combat Sports Radio Show: Listen to our First Show of 2016
Reebok Rebellion Could Revolutionize MMA as We Know It
By: Rich Bergeron
You know the Reebok battle is getting heated when people are trashing the terms of the deal both figuratively and LITERALLY:
What was more telling about the incident, though, was “Uncle Dana” not stepping in to punish the frustrated fighter for his blatant disrespect of a major UFC business partner. This was a watershed moment for the “Reebok Rebellion.”
What could Dana do, after all? Myles was actually pulling a page right out of the UFC President’s own marketing handbook. Jury was being in-your-face offensive to sell his argument. Dana does that every day.
Higher-profile fighters are consistently rubbing Mr. White the wrong way these days when it comes to the Reebok deal, and though he gave Jury and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone a pass for their recent criticism, he bit back against the likes of Brandon Schaub.
There may be a different kind of fireworks in July when this raw deal officially takes effect and all the fighters who don’t agree with Schaub and Jury start to realize their shortsightedness. Some of those UFC fighters might even regret not joining their peers on the unofficial public picket line when it might have actually mattered.
The worst part about this whole fiasco is the timing. The Federal Trade Commission is once again reportedly investigating the UFC in the wake of a series of high-profile Class-Action Anti-Trust complaints winding their way through the civil courts.
It’s hard not to question whether the world’s most powerful mixed martial arts promotion is overstepping its bounds in the way they are trying to control every aspect of a fighter’s career. It seems like a really bad deal to exchange a little bit of money and the right to fight under the UFC banner for the blood, sweat and tears it takes to stay at the top of the MMA game these days. Even to be at the middle of the pack in the UFC is a heck of a challenge. Fighters have to be starting to ask themselves when the accumulated bumps bruises, dislocations, torn ligaments, broken bones and concussions become so bad that the money doesn’t matter anymore.
What will happen when a tidal wave of former UFC fighters find out that the glory of having fought their hearts out for the fans isn’t paying the bills and/or sending their kids to college? What happens when the cushy medical coverage expires and your legendary fighter status means nothing to the doctors and the hospital billing you outrageous and astronomical fees to keep you healthy enough to live to old age?
Ask Marc Coleman. It’s not pretty.
The more the UFC fight or flight equation turns toward having no freedom to be an entrepreneur and no ability to build your own brand, the more Scott Coker’s phone is going to continue to ring off the hook. At least in Bellator, fighters can still have their own personal sponsors on their shorts.
They don’t throw all their fighters out for losing a few fights in a row, either. They don’t publicly berate their fighters at post-fight press conferences for not putting on a show. They pay what they can, and they do their best to just be considered a UFC competitor.
Phil Davis may be the first of many UFC defectors that could begin to trickle in if this Reebok deal eliminates as much income and opportunity as it sounds like it will.
I am actually disappointed that Viacom isn’t making a bigger push to acquire more UFC fighters with more lucrative contracts, but no business wants to lose money. It’s harder for Bellator to gain massive revenues in return for their investments in their fighters due to the overhead of doing their own production for free television. Yet, at the same time, Coker and Bellator’s current management seems to actually care a little more about the people who do battle under their banner. They know better than anyone that your sponsors can really keep you alive.
Fighters who value their freedom and want a little more control over their careers might start to see the only UFC competition as a much greener pasture in the wake of this sneaker giant’s exclusive apparel contract. What is supposed to look like a major step forward for the UFC might actually represent three steps back for this organization that is already struggling with cancelled and postponed fights due primarily to an increasing amount of training injuries to top fighters.
Of course we can’t forget Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones allegedly crashing a rented SUV into a pregnant woman’s car and breaking her arm before fleeing the scene on foot. This is yet another unfortunate example of the UFC not caring enough about their fighters. How could they not recognize this guy had a problem that needed to be addressed a long time before this tragic incident unfolded? How can the UFC justify not having their own random drug testing in place like other professional sports? How are illegal drugs OK for a fighter to do out of competition in the first place? Who made the rules with that gaping loophole in them?
Georges St. Pierre has been one of the UFC’s most vociferous critics on the PED-testing front. The former champion continues to sit on the sidelines after one of the most punishing fights of his career led him to announce his retirement with the door left open only a crack. Only a broad, comprehensive drug testing program can bring him back now, St. Pierre maintains.
Even fighters like Ronda Rousey are getting a little upset with the career control measures being wielded over them by their bigwig bosses. The UFC will not even let Ronda appear in a few scripted WWE events. Just because these skits last longer than some of her actual fights doesn’t mean they are much different than what she does in her movie career. Her UFC bosses are fine with her pursuing action movie roles, so why not a little fake wrestling? Maybe it’s the fact that WWE stole the Tapout brand and took it right out of the cage and into the wrestling ring. Maybe it’s jealousy that WWE has the kind of fan base that makes them a legitimate threat, and it’s the kind of fans the UFC desperately needs. Maybe it’s the fact that the UFC lost their chance at retaining Brock Lesnar’s services again and they are still getting over it.
Whatever the reason, the UFC is clamping down more and more on what fighters can and can’t do inside and outside the cage, and it goes far beyond fake wrestling. Contracts are becoming more and more restrictive in every way.
The UFC also used to foster a climate where no fighter would dare speak a foul word about management or any business deal management put in place. The punishment would be worse than a fine if Dana decided to give you the Brendan Schaub treatment in the press.
Complain, and you’d be called a coward or a bum. You’re not a team player, some ignorant fans will still say when you stick your neck out while under UFC contract. Yet, this climate is not enough to stop this new little wave of protest that might grow to a frightening crescendo just before or after this Reebok deal officially becomes reality.
The mindless minions who criticize fighters for speaking out for their own best interests just eat right out of Dana White’s hand, even when he’s passing out rat poison. It is disgusting to hear and see so many people agreeing with a guy who never even fought an official amateur bout of any kind instead of listening to someone who actually put in the effort to compete in even one professional cage fight.
When it comes to matters of what it really means “to be a F#$%ing fighter,” Dana can give all the foul-mouthed speeches he wants, but it’s the actual fighters who bled for years under the UFC banner who gave that speech real meaning and resonance to the fans who now worship the ground Dana walks on. For the most part, these fans only like White so much because he talks and cusses just like them. Still, one UFC fighter I interviewed years ago told me there is something wrong with the sport when the most recognizable figure in MMA is Dana White. I couldn’t agree more.
Freedom is not a word to be taken lightly, and free speech is not as free as it used to be. You sign on the dotted line to step in the UFC cage, and you have to play by their rules, even the ones you don’t like or don’t agree with. That was bad enough when that was the only problem fighters faced. Now, it’s much worse because of the Reebok deal and the ramifications and ripple effects it will cause.
Some people forget this deal also alienates other long time sponsors of the UFC and its fighters. Think of all those apparel companies who will not be able to sell their products now in association with any official UFC event. The upcoming UFC Fan Expo situation is a prime example of how the UFC just doesn’t seem to care about the businesses and backers that helped put them on the map in the first place.
The people behind this powerhouse MMA league will alienate anyone or any group of people to make a buck off the backs of better men than themselves. This Reebok deal is living proof of that. Even if all the money from the Reebok partnership does go to the fighters, all those businesses that end up locked out of fighter sponsorship deals will have to line up to sign exclusive contracts with the organization itself. Either that, or they will convert to Bellator supporters and follow burned UFC fighters to that organization.
Suddenly that second fiddle is sounding like it could steal the show, and my prediction that Bellator could fail looks premature and presumptuous now.
“So you want to be a f$%^ing fighter?”
Let me give you Scott Coker’s number.
“Iceman” John Scully Interview on the FNU Combat Sports Show (November, 2014)
June White Joins the FNU Combat Sports Show TONIGHT!
By: Rich Bergeron
Our special guest this week on the FNU Combat Sports Show is June White. It’s perfect timing since I just received this message on Twitter the other day:
“You are blocked from following @danawhite and viewing @danawhite‘s Tweets.”
June White (@JuneWhiteMMA) will join Tom, Tony and Rich on the FNU Combat Sports Show TONIGHT to discuss her unauthorized biography on the UFC President known for his brash language and a ruthless approach to building and expanding the UFC brand. Her book is an unflattering, honest look into the life of the former boxercise instructor who now rules over the UFC with an iron fist and a loud mouth. Check out this telling YouTube Promo for “Dana White, King of MMA:”
“Psychic” Tom Padgett, “Rabble Rousin’” Rich Bergeron and Tony “The Tornado” Penecale also have a ton of combat sports events and news to discuss this week.
Click Here to Listen to our broadcast Live from 8-10PM EST Tonight. Use the same link to access the recording of the show. The June White interview starts at 9:15 PM EST.