Dana White: UFC is not a monopoly
Q: After taking over competition such as Strikeforce, World Extreme Cagefighting and PRIDE, does UFC have an MMA monopoly in…
Q: After taking over competition such as Strikeforce, World Extreme Cagefighting and PRIDE, does UFC have an MMA monopoly in the USA?
A: People always say “monopoly.” The people who say that don’t know enough about the sport. … If you go state to state and called the athletic commission in every state where we’re sanctioned and ask them how many MMA events were held there this year and how many times did the UFC come, the answer is going to be once or zero. We’re not a monopoly. We’re just the best. We do what we do the best.
Q: Training injuries to fighters such as UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez are becoming a big issue. Are these guys training too hard?
A: Injuries have always been an issue for us. Think about it. These guys have to train in kickboxing, boxing, Muay Thai, wrestling and jiu-jitsu. On top of that, they still have to do their cardiovascular training and their weight training. It’s pretty extensive training. You look at any sport across the board — I don’t care if it’s cheerleading or badminton or whatever it might be — when you play and you train and everything else, injuries happen.
