Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Dana White is proud of the level of competition in the UFC.
With the rise of companies like Bellator, PFL, Rizin and ONE Championship, it can be said that the playing field in terms of talent is beginning to level. But the fact remains that the UFC is still by far the most prominent promotion in the world today.
And for Dana White, the level of competition in his company remains unrivaled.
“It’s just a fact, when you make it to become world champion in UFC, you went through a series of killers from the first day you stepped foot in here,” White told TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter in an exclusive interview (transcript by MMA Mania).
“We don’t do easy fights, we don’t do set-up fights, we don’t have cans, we don’t have professional cans here. It’s just not the way it works.
“When you break into the top five here in the UFC, you’ve gone through straight killers,” he added.
Perhaps the easiest knock in White’s statement is the company’s signing of former WWE superstar CM Punk in 2014, which was widely criticized by fans and fighters. Punk had no amateur experience prior to his debut and went on to compile a 0-2 record in the Octagon.