While looking back at Ronda Rousey’s loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193, Dana White pointed out a key difference in MMA fighters and boxers. He didn’t necessarily blame the fighters but stated the primary benefit boxers have during preparation because they represent a much older sport.
The UFC President is back in Australia with a highly anticipated event in front of him, featuring a rematch between arch-rivals Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland for the UFC middleweight title.
Discussing the preparation of both fighters leading up to the fight in an interview with Mark Bouris, White said:
“Well, I ran, listen Sean Strickland, for all of his, you know, the talking that he does, when he gets into the Octagon, you know he’s got a very very good style, nice jab, always stays composed. I ran into Du Plessis in the elevator at the hotel and his coach and they were telling me, I mean, these guys do everything right. They’re actually really smart in how they approach everything. He got here, I’ll give you an example, he got here over two weeks ago to acclimate to the time and all the other things.”
White claimed that boxers at the pinnacle of the sport are able to invest a lot more resources into their training camps before fights. From dedicated training partners to relocating their entire teams, they leave no stone unturned to be fully prepared.
In contrast, UFC fighters, according to White, are often burdened by small yet significant factors like time zones and weather changes during their careers.
“I think that’s one of the things that boxing has over us. Because we had such humble beginnings and we’re only like 30 years old as a sport, these guys don’t do the things that that boxers do. Like, when you were a boxer at that level making that kind of money and you were the main event, the camp was all built around you. You had your own Camp, your own training Partners. You would get into a place early, you know like I said,to acclimate whether it’s to altitude or time differences or temperature or humidity, all these different things play a factor in the fight and I think Du Plesis’ Camp did a great job of getting here early.”
Giving the example of UFC Hall of Famer, Ronda Rousey, White explained the importance of preparation for combat sports athletes. While not taking away anything from Holm, he highlighted that Rousey had a hectic schedule ahead of her title defense and the lack of a more intensive training camp might’ve led to the massive upset.
“Ronda Rousey, when she flew over here to Australia and lost to Holly Holm, she came straight from filming a movie. Got here three days before the fight, had a hard time making weight because of it, and obviously the time difference and you saw how that fight ended for Ronda”
Having said that, White was delighted to see Du Plessis’ camp doing all the right things ahead of UFC 312. Getting used to Australian conditions might end up giving the champ an edge over Strickland, who, according to White, also boasts a very composed and safe fighting style.