He’s this generation’s Don King; a brash megalomaniacal overlord with a celebrity status his fighters can only dream of. But there the similarities end. For one Dana White isn’t a murderer. For another, he is, ultimately just a shill for the Fertitta brothers.
But in that capacity, he has transformed the UFC and become the face of MMA in a way many of his fighters can only dream of. There are people out there who know who Dana White is, but don’t have a clue who Anderson Silva or Junior Dos Santos are.
He’s been with the UFC for 11 years and with his savvy media management skills has become the figurehead for the promotion in a way no one else can aspire to.
His worth to the Fertittas and Zuffa goes beyond the blood and sweat backroom work he does taking care of the stable of MMA stars, their agents and every single fight night the organisation puts on. He has a direct connection with fans and TV audiences like no one else in the business.
His almost iconic status has led some to believe that White is a bigger draw for the UFC than the fighters themselves. But that’s ridiculous.
No one buys pay-per-views to watch Dana White. No one puts down thousands of dollars for cageside seats just to bask in the light bouncing of his bald head. And no juiced jerk buys Tapout shirts or Affliction tees and tattoos their head to look like their hero, the blazer-and-jeans president of their favourite MMA outfit.
Let’s be clear, no matter how grandiose and Hollywood-walk-of-fame famous White gets, he’ll never be a bigger draw than even one of his least performing, overpaid has-beens (I’m looking at you Tito Ortiz).
The only thing that draws fans to the UFC is the fights. It’s the Bonnar vs. Griffin nights, the Lesnar vs. Mir or the St-Pierre vs. BJ Penn that gets fans to part with their cash.
Don’t get me wrong, White plays a big part in the PR side of things, creating a buzz and garnering media attention in the way that he needs to. In a way that most of his fighters can’t or won’t. But even then, he’s still only selling them.
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