Dana White’s Message is Loud and Clear (Or Is It?)

Dana White must have a very tough job.

At least he has a job.

Dana White on penalizing Chael Sonnen after his recent steroid scandal:

“When one of [the fighters] fails a test, the government is going to fine them and suspend them and tell them they can’t make a living for a year. So should I come in after they’ve already lost the ability to make a living for a year and been fined all this money and, in the worst economic disaster in the history of the world, fine them another huge amount and take away their ability to make a living even longer?

“What else can you do to a human being?”—Fanhouse interview

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James Ryan’s response to Dana White’s thinking (prior to UFC 119):

“Uhhh…here’s a thought Dana…tell them to go get a job ‘in the worst economic disaster in the history of the world’ like everybody else!

“Are we supposed to feel sorry for these ‘cheaters’ because they are presumably too ill-equipped to function in normal society?

“Maybe we should all feel sorry for them because they are lesser athletes and shouldn’t even be in the position that they are in to begin with—thus taking a job away from a ‘real’ athlete, someone more deserving…now there’s the real travesty of the unemployed.

“Sorry, but asking us to feel sorry for these guys is a brutal, and ridiculous request.”

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Dana White on possibly cutting Frank Mir after his uneventful win at UFC 119:

“Sure. You really, really need to show up and deliver. This is a job.”

“You go to your job and don’t perform; what will happen? And when people say, ‘Hey, these guys put their lives on the line,’ that’s a crock of s—. This sport is so safe. These guys have chosen to be fighters.”

“These guys aren’t going in to Afghanistan. The US Military puts their life on the line. Police, firefighters walk into the line of fire … UFC fighters do not. These are smart guys with college educations. If they don’t want to do this, go out and get a real job.”—mixedmartialarts.com

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James Ryan’s response to Dana White’s new way of thinking:

[Head Explodes]

Now forgive me because I know that Mr. White is usually the model of consistency when it comes to how he treats his employees, but let me try to get my head wrapped around this for a second, anyway…

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James Ryan paraphrasing for Dana White:

If you perform well in the ring, we [the UFC] will forgive and forget any indiscretions, illegal or otherwise, because we [the UFC] are now in the entertainment business to make money—not to be the moral compass of society.

If you, the fighter, performs up to expectation (reckless abandon), we [the UFC] will keep you employed.

If, however, the fight night bonuses aren’t enough to motivate you, we will still find a way to cut your ass for essentially fighting in a non-entertaining way—win or lose.

I am concerned about my fighters being able to find a job outside of the UFC, unless they don’t perform exceptionally well—then I don’t give a (expletive) what happens to them.

Got it!

Thanks for clearing that up, Dana.

It’s easy to see why so many fighters on this tiny planet we call “Earth” are yearning to be a part of the biggest MMA organization in the world.

“These promises of proper treatment are unenforceable. Any suspect who reveals mistreatment, risks being sent back to the torture chamber.”—Kenneth Roth

[Still Trying to Pick up the Scattered Pieces of My Skull]

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Mr. James Ryan
Freelance Mixed Martial Arts Sportswriter
www.mrjamesryan.com