White: Fighters have loved the apparel, so far

UFC president Dana White spoke with Ariel Helwani after the unveilng of the new Reebok Fight Kit apparel.

“These aren’t really my kind of things,” acknowledged White, about the fashion show feel of the unveiling. “So I was really happy with this. I actually had a good time.”

“At the end of the day, that’s all that matters – that the fighters like it,” said White. “And everybody is happy with it. So far. The people that have been involved with this love it. They did a great job in the design, and it serves the purpose it’s supposed to serve.

“Depending on what type of shorts, if you like the Muay Thai shorts, they have them. If you like the spandex-y type shorts, they have them. If you like the board shorts, they have them. The innovative stuff that they’ve done for the girls, with the bras and the bottoms. For the first time ever, technology has been put into the fight gear and the training gear for fighters.”

“Change always freaks everybody out. Miesha came up to me last night and said ‘I didn’t realize I would have so much input into what we wore. This is awesome.’ Gustafsson leaned over to me and Lorenzo during this thing and said ‘This is so cool, thanks for making me a part of this.’

“There’s always a lot of negativity and fear in the unknown, and then once it start to roll out … when they get in July 11, they usually have to figure out their sponsors, and get this stuff printed on their shorts. Before the first bell rings, half their sponsors hanging off the back of their shorts. They don’t have to worry about any of that stuff any more.”

“When they set foot on property, everything is going to be dialed in for them. They’re going to have their own lockers, with their name on it, with all their stuff in it … It’s time for this; it’s going to be nothing but positive.”

Have once driven to Walmart in Vegas, covered all the logos on a pair of shorts with painter’s tape, hung them on a bent coat hanger from a tree, and then spray painted the shorts white(ish), White’s remarks certainly resonate. No real change works out to everyone’s benefit. Even the advent of modern medicine meant a bunch of witch doctors were out of job. Hopefully this change ends up being positive for the vast majority of fighters in the sport. As White said, that’s what matters.

White was also asked about the chances that UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will fight Conor McGregor at UFC 189 on July 11.

“Hose Aldo,” said White. “Yah, (I am confident he will fight). Jose wants this fight. The injury that he has is the same injury Cowboy Cerrone just fought with. He got hit to the body, he won this fight. Dan Henderson fought with this injury. A lot of other fighters have fought with the same thing Jose has right now.”

If you thought you were shocked when you heard the news, White told Helwani he had to take a knee, literally.