UFC president Dana White is known for his over the top statements, and his overuse of the f-bomb, but no one can deny that he’s been a huge positive force for the ever increasing popularity of mixed martial arts. Putting aside the detractors that think he was essentially just lucky to be at the right place at the right time, White certainly revolutionized the MMA game as far as promotion goes, and he’s still pushing full steam ahead even as UFC is now in 147 different countries. White recently talked about the choice he made regarding being a fighter or a promoter, and here’s the quote via The Boston Herald:
“I realized a long time ago that wasn’t who I am. I watched that guy and thought, ‘What if that’s me?’ The real fighters, the warriors, don’t EVER think like that, man. If you want to make it as a fighter that thought should NEVER cross your mind. I wanted to be in the fight game but I wasn’t like those guys. They’re special…But the day I walked out of the hotel lobby I knew I was going to be in the fight game. It wasn’t about money. I never cared about money. I’ve given away more money than I ever thought I’d make. If it was about money I’d still be standing in that lobby because this hasn’t been easy.”
White has certainly cemented his role in the history of mixed martial arts, and he’s still blazing a path that many other promotions will follow. White will be at UFC 118 this Saturday, and will give a key note speech as part of Fan Expo which should be quite interesting. We’ll carry live coverage for the event, as well as total pre and post fight coverage.