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MMA

Dana White 'Not a Fan' of Amateur MMA

Posted Oct 29, 2009 10:31AM By Ariel Helwani (RSS feed)

Filed Under: MMA Videos, UFC

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At last week's UFC 104 press conference, Dana White talked about all the issues currently plaguing the amateur MMA scene, and it's safe to assume that White isn't all that impressed with it.

"It is a zillion times safer to be a professional," White said.

White also reiterated that he thinks MMA needs an amateur program, but "that's not my job."

Check out the video (which contains mature language) of White talking about amateur MMA below.

Shot and edited for FanHouse by E. Casey Leydon.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

10-29-2009 @ 11:12AM

servspec01 said...

DANA WITHOUT AMATUERS YOU HAVE NO FUTURE!!! IT IS YOUR JOB TO DEVELOPE A PROGRAM OR KISS THE FUTURE OF THE UFC GOODBYE!

10-29-2009 @ 12:22PM

hsiunnu said...

servspec, I couldn't have said it any better.

10-29-2009 @ 1:08PM

dhalsim007 said...

Of course he has problems with it. Amateur MMA promotions threaten his standing as the premier MMA promotion in the world, and his "developmental" system, "The Ultimate Fighter" reality show. It also brings undue, non PR-managed attention on the sport of MMA that White can't control.
What happens if amateur MMA takes off to the level that it's considered an Olympic sport? Look for tons of attention and regulation to pour down on White's kingdom that he really doesn't want.

10-30-2009 @ 10:28AM

hallewood1 said...

what are u talking about dude ??? ha that makes nooooo sense u think amatuer mma would cut into UFC??? hahahahahahahahahahaha

10-29-2009 @ 1:24PM

retrojoke said...

You idiots.

10-29-2009 @ 2:06PM

Eric said...

There really is no difference between amateur and professional fights IMO. It's not as if headgear is used or strikes to the head aren't allowed ... it's an mma fight that doesn't affect your record.

In that regard, I tend to agree with White. I think it's better for a guy to get a couple losses on his record because he is learning on the job than to have fights where regulations, testing, referees, etc make fighting less safe. What exactly is wrong with what White is saying?

10-29-2009 @ 2:14PM

jmend25 said...

This has already commnced.

www.pmmal.com

Pro MMA League in California.

10-29-2009 @ 5:09PM

chilly16 said...

Thats funny!!! A week or 2 ago he attended his cousin or nephew's first MMA fight and included it in his video blog. This guy is always putting his foot in his mouth. He is every bit as slimy as Don King. He has just been hiding it better.

10-29-2009 @ 5:11PM

Piker21 said...

I don't even know you.

10-30-2009 @ 1:45AM

danacharle02 said...

A highly credible amataur system is needed for every states regulation. I train mma fighters at USA Stars in Oklahoma. All the top guys have so far beat each other that there are no undefeated fighters left. Amataur fighters need better guidance and system or they will become worn out and not worthy of markting on bigger shows-Brazillian Jiu Jitsu system assures every ranked belt is ready for competitions or a higher ranking. They don't give belts away. U earn it. Thats why we need regulation so people wont book their neighbors or friends

10-30-2009 @ 6:28AM

champ said...

Amatuer boxing is way more advance and better then amatuer mma. actually amatuer mma sucks. my amatuer boxers fought amatuer mma for the heck of it, and we killed all those bums! amatuer mma has no business being in business!

10-30-2009 @ 10:21AM

ostl1 said...

I know you refuse to accept it but Boxing is dead. You probably have heard it before so I guess you will just have to die a slow death like it. Corruption, too many organizations, King and Arum, and no legit heavyweights are its demise. Boxing fans are so narrow minded. You all believe boxing is the greatest and only true combat sport. Let me tell you something son, a well rounded fighter is always better than a boxer. And don't say all of my amateur boxer beat up on amateur MMA fighters. Anybody with any knowledge of Smoker (Amateur) fights knows that their is a wide gap in talent for amateur fights.

10-30-2009 @ 4:24PM

o0soul said...

@ostl1

Seriously? I LOVE boxing, and I've love MMA, I've been watching since UFC 1 (was only available at the video store back then, no ppv for it in most areas). Likely both sports just about equally I just don't understand how anyone can really say boxing is dead. Heavy weight boxing, just like heavy weight MMA, isn' always the purest or most exciting form of the sport. A lot of heavy guys in BOTH sports are slow, lumbering giants that, when compared to their lighter weight counterparts, seem somewhat unskilled. Most of the entertainment for me in both sports is with the lighter guys, Anderson Silva, GSP, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather etc. Though I have to admit 205 in UFC is a decent division also.

Point being that both sports have a deficiency in heavy weight talent and both sports have their Don Kings, Dana White is MMA's version. How can I say that about White? How about looking at how much money he and the Frettita bros rake in compared to their fighters (the guys that put themselves in harms way? Millions vs maybe 100k. And it's not just White, it's like that all across MMA. It was big news when Arlovksy fought Fedor for $1 million. Those are two heavy weights at the top of the game at the time and only Arlovsky broke 1mill, Fedor had to do with something like $300k or so. Sounds good until you look sport wide and see that the champions in MMA NEVER get those kinds of paydays. It looks even worse for MMA when you compare what boxers earn. Juan Manuel Marquez got $2million for fighting Floyd Mayweather, $2 million. Floyd got $10million. Pacquiao, Cotto, Mosley, Hatton, Hopkins, etc can usually pull a couple million easy. That's the fighters take home money, not the promoters money.

So until guys at the top of boxing like Pacquiao, Mosley, Mayweather have to start settling for a crap $200k payday, as the champion(that's what Machida got paid, a guy who was widely considered the next great thing in MMA and current UFC LH Champ) then you might be able to say boxing is dying. Right now, there is no comparison between what top guys in UFC and Boxing take home.

Heard of David Tua? Maybe not, he's a hevyweight boxer, he's decent but nothing to write home about. Tua just got $500,000 for boxing Shane Cameron, another guy people don't know. Heard of Cain Velasquez, Ben Rothwell, Chael Sonnen or Yushin Okami? I bet you have, all of those guys are recognizable names in MMA and they all just fought in UFC 104. Sadly for them, but great for Dana White, their combined take home totals just $192,000. That's pathetic, David Tua boxed a nobody and took home $500,000 ($300k more than Machida). Now tell me boxing is dead.