(Dana had to buy these dress shoes from a guy in the airport just so he could tell $kala to get his shine box, but it was worth it.)
In an interview on ESPN’s Bill Simmons’ podcast last week, Dana White made a pretty lofty claim that certain MMA websites are receiving money from his promotion’s competitors to include fighters on their pound-for-pound and weight-class restricted rankings lists.
Pointing to the inclusion of WAMMA champion Fedor Emelianenko on the majority of heavyweight and pound-for-pound lists, White stated that he emphatically believes that there is money changing hands between certain sites and particular fight organizations.
"He’s not even the best heavyweight in the world. To put him on the pound-for-pound list. I think some of these guys don’t even know what pound-for-pound means," White said. "It’s just so disrespectful to all the other fighters it’s crazy."
The UFC president, who owns a meager 10% share in the multi-billion dollar promotion, says that the majority of MMA news and blog sites are in the sport for the money…Hold on…I got brain freeze from my UFC Slurpee…OK…
Where was I?
I can count the number of MMA reporters that I know who make a living in the sport on two hands and the reality is that most writers work for free for years before they get their first payday, so I’m taking this comment with a grain of salt.
"Most of these goofy MMA sites, what you have to understand is, these guys are in it for the money. They get paid from all the smaller promotions. They get paid a lot of money from the smaller promotions. So they feel like they have to put some of their guys," asserted White. "That’s the way it works. It’s sick and drives me crazy. It’s not a real pound-for-pound list. Either they don’t know pound-for-pound is or the obvious is they’re being paid."
Although he didn’t name the sites that he alleges are involved in such shady practices, his comments were in direct response to Simmons’ inquiry about Sherdog’s current P-4-P list.
In his defense, White debated that his own fighter, Jon Fitch, and a fighter he has long coveted and may soon sign, Jake Shields, shouldn’t be on Sherdog’s list either.
I guess Dana forgot about all the controversy he created when he brought up the fact that his company had paid radio DJ Scott Ferrall to attend and favorably cover UFC events. Glass houses.
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The ufc paid Scott Feral?? Scott Feral would have to pay ME to listen to his incredibly annoying voice. I will never understand how that guy got behind a mic for affliction. I think he did more damage to affliction than Barnett did just by existing. That guy is a toolbag.