Here are some updates from Dana White today about the UFC!
1. No deal with Fedor.
"We offered this guy an amazing deal, we were open to everything but a co-promotion".
"We tried everything to make this happen. We didn't hold back anything. To turn down a deal like this, you don't care about proving your the best in the world, you don't care about competing against the best talent, you don't care about money. Why in the world would I let these guys come in and promote wtih us?"
"Also the Fretita brothers have a gaming license, you don't just come in and jump right into it. You have to go through background checks and all kinds of sh*t, it just doens't happen."
"I went out and tried to make this happen, I did everything we could possibly do, and they didn't want to do it. They just don't want to sign with the UFC... I garauntee you he will not be offered a better deal in MMA."
"It's not about competition for this guy. The heavyweight class in the UFC is stronger than it's ever been before with Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez, Randy Couture, Shane Carwin..."
What does co-promote mean?
Dana essentially said that M-1 had nothing to offer. What were they going to co-promote? What would they bring to the table? Nothing. "Maybe that shit works in Russia, but it doesn't work here".
Is Dana done trying to sign Fedor?
"I want to make a deal! I wanted this thing so bad and I was so confident this was gonna happen. If they want to make a deal they can call me right now and we'll make a deal."
If co-promotion was off the table would you have a deal with Fedor?
"We'd be done. We'd be announcing a fight for him right now".
Dana reiterated MULTIPLE times, Fedor's people can call him RIGHT NOW and they can do a deal. He was miserable that this deal didn't get done. But the UFC is still open to a deal (other than co-promotion obviously).
This is great... Dana states, "I wasn't a dick at all in these negotiations. I was the nicest Dana White ever in these negotiations... we went in there to make this deal. I went down to Huntington Beach and walked into Tito's front door to make a deal. There were a lot of emotional and financial sh*t to work through. When I tell you we caved on EVERYTHING with Fedor to make this deal, I mean we caved on everything to make this deal. I can tell you that this deal didn't fall through because of me and Lorenzo."
"We have a standing offer out to Fedor. We have not pulled anything back. I'm ready to roll. The fans want to see this fight, it's my job, it's my job to make this happen."
"For anyone to call this guy the best fighter in the world is insanity. He got offered an assload of money, he can go fight in Sambo every Thursday night if he wants to. We held nothing back. The guy doesn't want to fight the best in the world".
"We have 300 guys that want to fight the best in the world 3 times a year, a guy that doesn't, f*ck him, I don't even want to talk about him anymore".
2. Vitor Belfort signs with the UFC, will headline UFC 103
"When we announced Franklin VS Henderson for Dallas, fans were pissed."
Rich Franklin VS Vitor Belfort headlines Dallas show, UFC 103
Dan Henderson is still next in line for a shot at Anderson Silva
3. UFC 101 will be free for English and Irish fans via ESPN
UFC signs a 3 year deal with ESPN for England and Ireland
Is there a bigger deal with ESPN in the US in the works?
"Once we get the right offer, we will be on network television. We haven't gotten the right offer yet."
"If we get a network deal, we're putting serious fights on TV. That's what's wrong with the boxing model. If we get a network deal, it's gonna be good for the fans, good for network, and good for the UFC."
4. Tito Ortiz joins the Conference Call and is back in the UFC!
"Tito is a guy fans still want to see fight..."
"One way or another people give a shit about him, so he's back... "
"Tito Ortiz will retire in the UFC."
Tito says:
"For me personally it was about competition. My fans deserve the best Tito Ortiz. It's not about the money, I'm fine there... Competition was my biggest factor."
"I'm healthy, I'm 100%. I'm very excited. The hell with all the money, it's about competition. I look at the past UFC champions. Forrest Griffin, I beat. Rashad Evans, they called it a draw but I felt I beat him. Machida, I gave him the best fight of anyone out there."
"The best fighters are in the UFC, it's the best promotion, and that's why I'm here."
"Dana and I are like boyfriend / girlfriend, Dana being the girlfriend."
"I just started working last week, I'm looking towards November / December. I want to fight before end of the year. It's up to Dana. I'm excited to be back in the UFC, and I know my fans are."
"You will never hear anything about money out of my mouth again." (WHAT???? Someone please file this quote away for future use)
How far away from title contention is Tito?
"Tito's not getting an easy road. We're talking about him fighting Mark Coleman for his first fight."
"Ring rust is real, and Tito's gonna have it..."
Will Tito and Chuck possibly fight again?
Dana says "I don't know, I just don't know. Chuck hasn't asked me for it". Tito says "I asked Dana about that when I first signed and he said "no way", so since he's now saying "I don't know" that's huge for me. Thank you!"
Does Tito have any interest in moving up to heavyweight?
"If I dominate the light heavyweight class like I once did, and have run through everyone in that weight class, then I'd consider it".
Tito wants another 4 to 5 years of competition, so he's not going to rush into a comeback. He'd love to fight in his hometown of LA, but he's not going to rush back before he's ready and risk injury that might cots him his career. He's willing to hold off another month or two if it means gaining another 4 to 5 years of competition for his career.
Does Dana think Tito is still only interested in being a movie star, and that he's not a fighter? "The best in the world to me are the guys that compete 3 times a year against the best in the world. These guys challenge themselves 3 times a year against the best in the world. Tito Ortiz, no matter what I've said about him over the years, he's got his surgery done, he's gonna come back and fight the best in the world. Tito's gonna come back right now and he's gonna go for it. He's coming into the UFC and he's gonna fight the best 205 pounders in the world. PERIOD".
Tito says... "I'm gonna get that belt back. People forget I was the longest reigning champ in UFC history."
5. Affliction Fighters
Dana mentions quite a few names of Affliction fighters that are now with Zuffa and will be going to the UFC and WEC. They are still working with 8 or 9 fighters.
Dana has no interest in Arlovski or Tim Sylvia.
6. Dan Henderson
Where does this leave the winner of Nate Marquardt and Damien Maia?
Hendo is definitely next in line for a shot at Anderson Silva, and Marquardt and Maia are in the mix. This is a good problem to have according to Dana, Silva has been so dominant for so long that it's good to have a group of guys lined up that pose a threat.
How soon will Henderson and Silva fight?
According to Dana it depends in what happens between Silva and Griffin next week. If he doesn't get too busted up, it should be fairly soon.