White blasts ‘Bjork’ Rebney, disappointed in Cerrone

Last week a group of fighters led by Bellator MMA founder Bjorn Rebney announced the formation of the Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Association (MMAAA). Their goal is to organize fighters and radically increase the share of income that goes to the talent. The announced plan is to accomplish that via a media campaign.

UFC president Dana White appeared recently on Jim Norton and Matt Serra’s UFC Unfiltered podcast, and responded.

The only thing that I need to know is that the biggest scumbag in the history of combat sports, Bjork, is involved in this thing, said White, as transcribed by Thomas Myers for MMA Mania. Listen, there are three unions out there right now battling against each other. And, if you’re a fighter, all these guys are looking to get in your pocket — it’s a business where guys are going to make money. As a fighter, if this is what you want to do, you need to figure our whose hand you want in your pocket. And I guarantee you don’t want Bjork’s hand in your pocket.

The MMAAA includes at present five notable fighters: Georges St-Pierre, Cain Velasquez, Tim Kennedy, TJ Dillashaw, and Donald Cerrone.

I’m not mad at all [at the fighters], said White. At the end of the day here is the reality – The fighters can go out and do what they want to do — they are all grown men. We all have paths to walk down in life and this is what these guys [decided to do].

I was shocked that Cerrone didn’t give me a call. He has headlined three times. Never held a title in WEC or UFC. And, a couple of years ago, he was on his boat and gets into a beef with a guy on another boat and he’s in big trouble. Who does he call? He calls me. What do I do? I go out and find him the best criminal defense lawyer and spent $100,000 of my own money. So, when I see ‘Cowboy’ standing up there I’m like, ‘really?’ Listen, no one has thicker skin than me. So, it just gets to a point where it’s, ‘whatever.’ It’s all good.

Both Cerrone and Kennedy fight at UFC 206 on Saturday Cowboy vs. Matt Brown, and Kennedy vs. Kelvin Gastelum.