UFC President wants more control over Strikeforce
So does UFC boss Dana White cringe each and every time he hears a fighter asking for a matchup he’s…
So does UFC boss Dana White cringe each and every time he hears a fighter asking for a matchup he’s not going to get? Not at all, says the fiery UFC boss.
“I want these guys, if there’s a certain fight they want, I want them to call it out,” White told MMAjunkie.com. “I get it.”
White, of course, was an important part of ensuring Strikeforce and broadcast partner Showtime were able to extend an agreement that expired in late 2011. An outspoken opponent of former Showtime exec Ken Hershman, White later took point on the negotiations when Hershman bailed for HBO.
The first event under the new agreement was January’s “Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine,” which was met with lukewarm response from both fans and pundits when longtime UFC vet Keith Jardine was given a middleweight title shot despite having never before competed at 185 pounds.
Of course, Strikeforce officials’ hands were somewhat tied after Tim Kennedy, who Jardine replaced, was forced to withdraw from the event with an injury. Nevertheless, White admitted he was a little disappointed with the way the event played out.
“Let’s just say the first Strikeforce fight didn’t go the way I wanted it to go,” White said. “When you get into a deal where the network controls what goes on, controls the production, controls everything – I’m working on that. I’m working on that as we speak. When these guys hand over the reigns and let me run that [expletive] thing, it will change.”