Dana White: Why fighting makes you a better person

UFC president Dana White spoke exclusively with Jonathan Shrager for The UnderGround today, in a wide-ranging interview. Conor McGregor talk has reached saturation level. However, White’s son Aidan had his amateur boxing debut on St. Paddy’s Day, in Boston, which engendered a lively discussion.

When my kids were young I had them training,” explained White. “They’ve wrestled. They’ve done Jiu-jitsu. Muay Thai, all that stuff. Just so they could see if they liked it. Aidan came back, out of the blue, as soon as football season was over – both my boys play football – he said, ‘I want to fight.’ I said, ‘You want to fight what?’ He said I want to do a boxing match. I said, ‘Okay.’

So I set up a training camp for him. Peter Welsh called me from Boston and said, ‘I’ve got a fight for him.’ In Southie. On St Paddy’s Day. And what’s cooler than that?

The boxing culture in South Boston is f***ing incredible. This place was packed. F***ing packed. There was a line outside waiting to get in, for amateur fights. There were little kids sitting all around the ring, Indian style. It’s like another f***ing planet that place – something you would never see anywhere else.

The energy – the crowd was going crazy. Obviously, my son vs. the kid from South Boston, the place is going f***ing nuts. It was a really cool experience. For all of us. Lorenzo flew in for the fight. Tons of people flew in from Vegas. It was a very cool experience.

A lot of parents probably won’t let their kids play football. A lot of parents would never let their kids fight at 15 years old. But I know what fighting does for you. Mentally, physically, emotionally, it just builds you into a different person. So I’m down for all that stuff. Whatever my kids want to try, I’m all in.

White also said ZUFFA Boxing is coming, but in a measured fashion

We are definitely getting into boxing, and we are working on all that stuff right now,” said White. “I’ve said many times, I’m not diving in head first, I’m sticking my toe in.

We’ve got a great business. This f***ing thing keeps me plenty busy enough. We’re going to plan this thing out perfectly, and do this the way that we think it should be done. And when we start making those moves, everybody will know.

Boxing has made something of a resurgence, and there has been a degree of fan chatter that prior to UFC 229 the sport had been in something of a lull this year. White is not impressed with the characterization.

There’s a lull? He asked. Lull? We’re f***ing killing it. The fights that we have been putting on have been amazing. The fights are always good. You’re going to have fans that come and go. I still see stuff on social media – ‘I miss the days of Chuck Liddell.’ That’s going to happen. But the sport continues to get bigger. Continues to grow. We’re selling out arenas. There’s been no lull in this business.

You’re going to hear stuff like that from reporters who have to write something, and it’s usually negative. And from fans who have different opinions on fights. It’s like the people that say, ‘This fight card sucks.’ Well to a bunch of other people, this fight card doesn’t suck. And you can’t say a fight card sucks until it’s over. When it’s over, you can say, ‘Wow that fight card sucked.’

But if you’re a true fight fan, like me – I’ll f***king watch anybody fight. I will watch anybody fight. It’s one fo the reasons I will watch the [Tuesday Night] Contender Series, and Lookin’ for a Fight. I love going to the small shows, and looking for the new up and coming guys and girls.”

White built MMA from a largely ignored or despised spectacle to the largest sale of a sports property in history, with his childhood best friend. He was asked if it was possible to maintain the same enthusiasm.

I don’t need events like this replied White. Events like this come every blue moon. It’s incredible to be a part of things like this. But I love the fight game. I love finding young talent, and building them up, and seeing if they can become world champions. It’s literally who I am, and it’s what I do. I’m still just as passionate as I always was.

And then as far as the sale goes, Ari Emmanuel, he and I have been friends since [ever since]. He’s been our agent since 2003. So we’ve been friends for many years.

We had higher bidders for the UFC; we went with Ari. That’s who I wanted to be with. If I’m not going to be with Frank and Lorenzo, I want to be with Ari.

We have a great relationship. Nothing has changed, except we have a really nice building now. Everything is still the same. Most of my crew that I worked with on a daily basis are still here. We’re all still together. It’s all good.

Originally when it looked like a reality that we were going to sell, I was just going to roll with the brothers, and we would all go do something else. But it started coming back that this thing won’t sell without [me] staying. You didn’t have to twist my arm to stay. This is what I love to do.

It’s been pretty well documented in the last month that I wasn’t crazy about selling. I wasn’t ready to sell. It was pretty tough on me the first couple of months. But I’ve snapped out of it, I’m in a really good place, and I love what I do.

White also talked about today’s media day where McGregor showed up late and Nurmagomedov departed. White thought it was an apt response to the press conference, where ‘The Eagle’ barely got a word in edgewise.

“Conor blindsided Team Khabib and got them riled up, and this press conference was the perfect counter punch, said White. Khabib came in and said, ‘I know he’s going to be late, I’m not waiting for Conor McGregor, I have to cut weight tonight and get ready for the weigh-ins and Saturday.’ So he came in, he answered his questions, and said, ‘I’m gouging to leave now.’ I thought it was a brilliant reaction to New York.

And White talked about The UG.

I know the UnderGround, I used to dwell,” he said. “I honestly haven’t been there in years. To be completely honest, I really don’t read anything. I don’t read anything anymore. I just do my thing. And sometimes I’ll pop on social media, much like I used to on The UnderGround, and start arguing and fighting with some people, because it’s fun, when I have a little time on my hands, but that’s about it.

I don’t really read much anymore. I don’t read any of the stories. I don’t listen to the outside noise. I know what I’m doing. And I know what I need to do.

This is what I do. This is who I am. And I continue to do it and stay focused on what I have planned. And I don’t listen to any of that bulls*** and outside noise. I learned a long time ago to ignore that s***. And it’s obviously worked out.

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