Dana White has never been the biggest fan of soccer. We know that.
White has claimed for years that the UFC—and mixed martial arts in general—will someday be the biggest sport in the world.
And yes, he includes soccer (or football, for those of you reading this story from somewhere outside of North America) in that mix.
We’ll analyze this claim in a second, but let’s hear what White had to say during an interview yesterday with the Calgary Sun:
I’m not a big hockey fan. But I respect how talented you have to be to play hockey. Soccer? That’s a whole other ball. Can’t stand soccer. It’s the least-talented sport on Earth. There’s a reason three-year-olds can play soccer. When you’re playing a game when the net is that big and the score is 3-1 (and that’s a blowout) are you kidding me? You know how untalented you have to be to score three times when the net is that big?
First, let’s take a look at White’s belief that the UFC will be bigger than soccer.
This will never happen.
Soccer is the only true worldwide sport.
It’s the most popular sport on the planet, and nothing—not the NFL, not the NBA and certainly not the UFC—is even close.
It’s not even a race.
During the 2010 World Cup, over 99.2 million people viewed at least six minutes of World Cup action during the round of 16. And in the finals, over 700 million people tuned in to see Spain vs. Netherlands.
Seven hundred. Million. People.
That’s a staggering number. And while I think the UFC will continue to grow in popularity over the next 25 years, I simply cannot fathom a day when 700 million people tune in for a UFC fight, even if it’s on free television around the world.
As for White’s claim that soccer is the least-talented sport in the world? That sounds like a statement from someone who doesn’t understand soccer in the slightest.
I’ll admit that I used to have the same attitude. I thought soccer was boring and terrible.
But then I started watching it and realized that, just like mixed martial arts, there are many layers to a soccer game, and your personal enjoyment of the matches goes up when you understand what’s going on.
Dana is a passionate dude. He’s the most powerful promoter in the sport, but he’s also a huge fan, and that’s something that shines through when he makes comments like this.
He’s wrong, but it doesn’t hurt to dream.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com