Thanks for sticking up for what's right. During the pandemic, my MMA fandom transitioned from relatively casual to rabid. Unfortunately, the ongoings of the past couple weeks have really put a sour taste in my mouth to start 2023. "Dana White is a good fight promoter, but he also....
- Physically abused his wife in a public setting;
- Fails to give fighters long-term healthcare, pensions, or fair pay for their very risky jobs;
- Slanders the integrity of MMA journalists, his contractors, his competitors, and others;
- Verbally harasses people and lies for personal gain;
- Turns the other way when American fighters take money for photo ops with a Chechen warlord."
My question is simple, how did Dana White craft such a bubble of invincibility that Endeavor, ESPN, UFC Colleagues, and many fighters do not speak up when something like this happens? How can he continue to get away with things without any repercussions?
Thanks Ariel, you the man and PSA...
Shame on Ari Emanuel and Endeavor, shame on the rest of the UFC brass, shame on ESPN and Stephen A for being soft when they could have shed light on the issue, and shame on those of you defending a man who abused his wife.
Men - Don't ever lay your hands on a woman. It's not ok.
Thank you for coming to my ted talk and most importantly... RIP Victoria Lee -- prayers and love up for her family.
With everything going on in Brasil do you think the Jan 21st PPV runs any risk of being moved or cancelled? For example, im sure authorities have to provide a police presence at all sporting events. If the political unrest continues I doubt they could provide it. Interested to hear your thoughts or if you remember a similar situation happening in a past event.
Hi Ariel - what are your thoughts on the announcement of Tatiana Suarez coming back in February and what do you think about the match up with Montana De La Rosa for her return fight?
I'm struggling with my UFC fandom with everything in the MMA news cycle lately. I believe moving forward I will not be buying every PPV as I have been for the past 4 years. I'll be watching prelims and re-runs when I can. I can no longer stand to drive home from a friends house at 1AM, or have my friends do the same for an organization that won't condemn domestic violence, or will now charge $80 for their product, while not supporting their legends and fighters. Slowly, in the past year, my friends group that used to get together every month has dwindled to only 3, and we all share this sentiment. My question is, do you believe there is a time where ESPN/Endeavour will pivot to prevent more fans like me and others from no longer watching, or will they instead put effort into gaining other viewers that better suit their ideal customer? My opinion is that the UFC is now becoming a detriment to themselves and will never be the next NFL,NBA,MLB if they continue on the path they are currently on.
PS: I believe it was GC (great guy, nevemetem) that said " You either just watch the UFC or watch everything" I'm here to say I know many people that fall outside of those two camps including myself. I'll watch UFC, ONE and PFL in that order and nothing else.
first off, as a die hard dolphins fan, all the best to you and bills mafia for the wild card game this sunday and may the better team win. now on to my questions.
1. the more i thought about the dana white incident, it got me thinking: let's say dana is gone and they ask you to be the new president, what would your first order of business be as the new ufc president?
2. during the mma hour awards show, you dropped a bomshell that bellator would be on the market. let's say they are on the market. i have 5 possible suitors. rank them from most likely to least likely to buy them. here are the following suitors:
With none of the top 15 UFC lightweights officially booked besides the champion, the division is a blank canvas. What fights would you like to see made?
I think the optimal matchups are:
Oliveira vs. Poirier 2 and winner gets next title shot
Gaethje vs. Fiziev
Dariush vs. Makhachev if Volko wins, or vs. Tsarukyan if Islam wins
Chandler vs. Moicano
Gamrot vs. Turner
Hooker vs. Dober
Can’t wait to see these bangers headline a sold-out Apex!
Anyways, looking forward to a great 2023 with you all!
As we continue to bring up domestic abuse in the combat sports space, I genuinely feel consistently conflicted in the fact that people like Jon Jones, Gervonta Davis are talked about in big fights yet seem to face no ramifications from their employers for their actions, just like Dana. It makes me feel extremely uncomfortable in talking about them being put in fights of such great magnitude and presence. How do you keep a positive mindset in regards to covering any of these fighters or careers?
It is mind-blowing to me that more people/partners have not spoken out against what Dana White did this past week. I can only imagine how things would have been different if it was Roger Goodell, Adam Silver, Jerry Jones, etc. With that in mind I was happy to see the California Women's Caucus group calling for Dana's job with Endeavor( I attempted to attach a link to the article that Ryan Young of Yahoo Sports wrote on this but wasn't able to - ). If the right groups or partners push back on Endeavor I think they would have no choice but to punish Dana. My question is - In your opinion, what would it take for Endeavor to suspend or remove Dana White as President of the UFC?
Also, are we going to get a Dan Hooker fight in Perth?!?!
Shalom! Hopefully this isn’t beating a dead horse, but what are the long term ramifications for how everyone handled Dana’s slap? The way I see it, it won’t be revisited until another UFC domestic violence case comes up, which means there’s going to have to be another DV victim before someone *maybe* does something. On top of that, how will the UFC ever be a major sports organization when they sweep such a major occurrence under the rug? Doubling down on no-penalty for Dana will almost solidify the NBA, MLB, NFL, etc as being ‘the standard’ for pro sports, and the UFC being a home for lower-class expectations.
Hey Louis! My mate Lewis is currently off in Australia having a ball, which made me start thinking about the recent Australian/NZ fighters. I was wondering what the crew thinks about strong mma nations, and what makes them produce a lot of big fighters. (Brazil, Russia, The US and so on). I'm from Norway and all we have in the ufc is Jack Hermansson, while Sweden have Khamzat, Gustafsson etc. Why do some nations dominate mma when it is such a global sport? And what can us lesser nations do to have more of a presence among high rankers? Maybe there is no good answer, but I want a Norwegian champion in my lifetime!!! Big fan, keep up the good work!
Hola Ariel - Are you shocked by the amount of ‘Power’ that Dana has in terms of no major media outlets really covering his recent domestic violence? Why do they protect this guy? It makes you think that it all comes down to money – how much money or political donations has this guy gifted throughout the years? It’s almost like he has an expensive insurance policy for himself, meanwhile fighters who complain about fighter pay are siding with him.
Hey Ariel! Thank you for all the amazing content! Just curious when you will immortalize Kayla? I thought you had promised her that last time you interviewed her?
Long time no see Ariel ,Love you and all the GREAT Crew. you can debate the questions if you LIKE!
1. with the latest news about Khabib taking a step back from the MMA world, what do you make of it? how is it going to impact eagle FC? Will he be in islam's corner? If not, Do you think its matter?
2. What do you think about the latest news of Vince mcmahon coming back to the WWE?
3. And lastly, Im still in the NEW year VIBE, so I will ask you this, Name one Good habit that your taking from last year and ONE bad habit that you wish to leave behind You.
Ariel, thoughts on the power move that Vince made? Where do you think this puts Paul, Steph and Nick? This saga has been crazy that he would destroy WWE than see it ran by someone not him. I think he's looking to only sell if someone gives him a Dana White role; which puts him back in power.
Hi Ariel,
Thanks for sticking up for what's right. During the pandemic, my MMA fandom transitioned from relatively casual to rabid. Unfortunately, the ongoings of the past couple weeks have really put a sour taste in my mouth to start 2023. "Dana White is a good fight promoter, but he also....
- Physically abused his wife in a public setting;
- Fails to give fighters long-term healthcare, pensions, or fair pay for their very risky jobs;
- Slanders the integrity of MMA journalists, his contractors, his competitors, and others;
- Verbally harasses people and lies for personal gain;
- Turns the other way when American fighters take money for photo ops with a Chechen warlord."
My question is simple, how did Dana White craft such a bubble of invincibility that Endeavor, ESPN, UFC Colleagues, and many fighters do not speak up when something like this happens? How can he continue to get away with things without any repercussions?
Thanks Ariel, you the man and PSA...
Shame on Ari Emanuel and Endeavor, shame on the rest of the UFC brass, shame on ESPN and Stephen A for being soft when they could have shed light on the issue, and shame on those of you defending a man who abused his wife.
Men - Don't ever lay your hands on a woman. It's not ok.
Thank you for coming to my ted talk and most importantly... RIP Victoria Lee -- prayers and love up for her family.
Hello Ariel,
With everything going on in Brasil do you think the Jan 21st PPV runs any risk of being moved or cancelled? For example, im sure authorities have to provide a police presence at all sporting events. If the political unrest continues I doubt they could provide it. Interested to hear your thoughts or if you remember a similar situation happening in a past event.
Hello Ariel, I hope that you’re doing well!
I was wondering what you and the boys are doing for your New Years Resolution.
Happy New Years to the crew!
Thanks,
Logan
Hi Ariel - what are your thoughts on the announcement of Tatiana Suarez coming back in February and what do you think about the match up with Montana De La Rosa for her return fight?
Hola Ariel,
I'm struggling with my UFC fandom with everything in the MMA news cycle lately. I believe moving forward I will not be buying every PPV as I have been for the past 4 years. I'll be watching prelims and re-runs when I can. I can no longer stand to drive home from a friends house at 1AM, or have my friends do the same for an organization that won't condemn domestic violence, or will now charge $80 for their product, while not supporting their legends and fighters. Slowly, in the past year, my friends group that used to get together every month has dwindled to only 3, and we all share this sentiment. My question is, do you believe there is a time where ESPN/Endeavour will pivot to prevent more fans like me and others from no longer watching, or will they instead put effort into gaining other viewers that better suit their ideal customer? My opinion is that the UFC is now becoming a detriment to themselves and will never be the next NFL,NBA,MLB if they continue on the path they are currently on.
PS: I believe it was GC (great guy, nevemetem) that said " You either just watch the UFC or watch everything" I'm here to say I know many people that fall outside of those two camps including myself. I'll watch UFC, ONE and PFL in that order and nothing else.
hey ariel,
first off, as a die hard dolphins fan, all the best to you and bills mafia for the wild card game this sunday and may the better team win. now on to my questions.
1. the more i thought about the dana white incident, it got me thinking: let's say dana is gone and they ask you to be the new president, what would your first order of business be as the new ufc president?
2. during the mma hour awards show, you dropped a bomshell that bellator would be on the market. let's say they are on the market. i have 5 possible suitors. rank them from most likely to least likely to buy them. here are the following suitors:
endeavor
disney
fox
comcast
warner bros. discovery
Shalom Ariel & Crew,
With none of the top 15 UFC lightweights officially booked besides the champion, the division is a blank canvas. What fights would you like to see made?
I think the optimal matchups are:
Oliveira vs. Poirier 2 and winner gets next title shot
Gaethje vs. Fiziev
Dariush vs. Makhachev if Volko wins, or vs. Tsarukyan if Islam wins
Chandler vs. Moicano
Gamrot vs. Turner
Hooker vs. Dober
Can’t wait to see these bangers headline a sold-out Apex!
Anyways, looking forward to a great 2023 with you all!
--
King Tyler
This is actually a really solid match making for the division
Hello Ariel!
As we continue to bring up domestic abuse in the combat sports space, I genuinely feel consistently conflicted in the fact that people like Jon Jones, Gervonta Davis are talked about in big fights yet seem to face no ramifications from their employers for their actions, just like Dana. It makes me feel extremely uncomfortable in talking about them being put in fights of such great magnitude and presence. How do you keep a positive mindset in regards to covering any of these fighters or careers?
Hi Ariel,
It is mind-blowing to me that more people/partners have not spoken out against what Dana White did this past week. I can only imagine how things would have been different if it was Roger Goodell, Adam Silver, Jerry Jones, etc. With that in mind I was happy to see the California Women's Caucus group calling for Dana's job with Endeavor( I attempted to attach a link to the article that Ryan Young of Yahoo Sports wrote on this but wasn't able to - ). If the right groups or partners push back on Endeavor I think they would have no choice but to punish Dana. My question is - In your opinion, what would it take for Endeavor to suspend or remove Dana White as President of the UFC?
Also, are we going to get a Dan Hooker fight in Perth?!?!
Much Respect,
Dustin
Shalom! Hopefully this isn’t beating a dead horse, but what are the long term ramifications for how everyone handled Dana’s slap? The way I see it, it won’t be revisited until another UFC domestic violence case comes up, which means there’s going to have to be another DV victim before someone *maybe* does something. On top of that, how will the UFC ever be a major sports organization when they sweep such a major occurrence under the rug? Doubling down on no-penalty for Dana will almost solidify the NBA, MLB, NFL, etc as being ‘the standard’ for pro sports, and the UFC being a home for lower-class expectations.
Hey Louis! My mate Lewis is currently off in Australia having a ball, which made me start thinking about the recent Australian/NZ fighters. I was wondering what the crew thinks about strong mma nations, and what makes them produce a lot of big fighters. (Brazil, Russia, The US and so on). I'm from Norway and all we have in the ufc is Jack Hermansson, while Sweden have Khamzat, Gustafsson etc. Why do some nations dominate mma when it is such a global sport? And what can us lesser nations do to have more of a presence among high rankers? Maybe there is no good answer, but I want a Norwegian champion in my lifetime!!! Big fan, keep up the good work!
Endeavor and UFC are silent on Dana's slapping of his wife, I wonder why more progressive Hollywood elites that are shareholders don't speak up.
Is it as simple as it seems? Bad for their investment?
Hola Ariel - Are you shocked by the amount of ‘Power’ that Dana has in terms of no major media outlets really covering his recent domestic violence? Why do they protect this guy? It makes you think that it all comes down to money – how much money or political donations has this guy gifted throughout the years? It’s almost like he has an expensive insurance policy for himself, meanwhile fighters who complain about fighter pay are siding with him.
Hey Ariel! Thank you for all the amazing content! Just curious when you will immortalize Kayla? I thought you had promised her that last time you interviewed her?
Keep up the great work! Jimmy
Long time no see Ariel ,Love you and all the GREAT Crew. you can debate the questions if you LIKE!
1. with the latest news about Khabib taking a step back from the MMA world, what do you make of it? how is it going to impact eagle FC? Will he be in islam's corner? If not, Do you think its matter?
2. What do you think about the latest news of Vince mcmahon coming back to the WWE?
3. And lastly, Im still in the NEW year VIBE, so I will ask you this, Name one Good habit that your taking from last year and ONE bad habit that you wish to leave behind You.
Ariel, thoughts on the power move that Vince made? Where do you think this puts Paul, Steph and Nick? This saga has been crazy that he would destroy WWE than see it ran by someone not him. I think he's looking to only sell if someone gives him a Dana White role; which puts him back in power.