Tag: Dana White

[VIDEO] The UFC on FOX Danavlog in Which We Play Peeping Tom on Urijah Faber

Rosie O'Donnell Urijah Faber twitter
(Urijah’s lowest moment as an MMA fan? One can only ponder…)

This weekend, the UFC will make its glorious return to the only network that can bash gay rights and advertise Glee within the same half hour. We’re talking about FOX, of course. Featuring Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz in a probable number one lightweight contender bout, a grudge match between Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks (because every fight with Kos is inherently a grudge match), a fight that will more than likely require the use of a stretcher, and a heavyweight sure-to-be-slugfest between Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson, it’s looking like UFC on FOX 3 has the potential to erase the memories of a rather forgettable second event and a rather brief first one. Not that we were complaining, because free fights are free fights.

And to get us hyped for the event, Dana White recently released one of his patented Danavlogs in which he catches Urijah Faber ogling over himself while on the set of TUF 15. It makes TOTAL SENSE if you don’t think about it. We gotta admit though, watching The Baldfather giggle like a school girl at Urijah’s expense makes us long for the days of his shock pen pranks that we came to know and love. [*looks over shoulder nostalgically and sighs*] 

Check out the video after the jump. 

Rosie O'Donnell Urijah Faber twitter
(Urijah’s lowest moment as an MMA fan? One can only ponder…)

This weekend, the UFC will make its glorious return to the only network that can bash gay rights and advertise Glee within the same half hour. We’re talking about FOX, of course. Featuring Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz in a probable number one lightweight contender bout, a grudge match between Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks (because every fight with Kos is inherently a grudge match), a fight that will more than likely require the use of a stretcher, and a heavyweight sure-to-be-slugfest between Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson, it’s looking like UFC on FOX 3 has the potential to erase the memories of a rather forgettable second event and a rather brief first one. Not that we were complaining, because free fights are free fights.

And to get us hyped for the event, Dana White recently released one of his patented Danavlogs in which he catches Urijah Faber ogling over himself while on the set of TUF 15. It makes TOTAL SENSE if you don’t think about it. We gotta admit though, watching The Baldfather giggle like a school girl at Urijah’s expense makes us long for the days of his shock pen pranks that we came to know and love. [*looks over shoulder nostalgically and sighs*] 

And while we’re on the subject of pranks, specifically those of the shock pen variety, check out this video of two Brazilian television show hosts attempting to prank Chael Sonnen with the combination of a fake nose and an aforementioned shock pen. Perhaps there’s some kind of language/cultural barrier here, but in our opinion, it did not go as planned. Skip to the 5:20 mark for the “prank” in question.

Before you tell us; we know its a slow news day. Just enjoy the videos you sons a’ bitches.

-J. Jones

NHL Playoffs 2012: The NHL Needs More Dana White and Less Gary Bettman

The NHL playoffs have been a wild ride this year for fans and teams alike. What can we learn from these NHL playoffs? I think there’s one thing above all else—this is Gary Bettman’s league. Welcome to Gary’s world ladies and gentleman. You a…

The NHL playoffs have been a wild ride this year for fans and teams alike. What can we learn from these NHL playoffs? I think there’s one thing above all else—this is Gary Bettman’s league. 

Welcome to Gary’s world ladies and gentleman. You are now a fan of the league Mr. Bettman envisioned when he became commissioner—a league ruled by parity and the all mighty dollar. 

The fact of the matter is that the NHL has never been as financially stable is it is now under Bettman’s leadership. I know hockey fans don’t want to hear this, but it’s true. The competitive balance in the NHL has never been more level than it is today under Bettman’s leadership, thanks to his institution of the salary cap. I know hockey fans don’t want to hear this either. 

Why don’t hockey fans want to hear these facts? Why do so many hate that Bettman is successful? The answer is pretty simple, Bettman has bastardized the sport so many love. During his stead as commissioner, Bettman has systematically assaulted the sport in the pursuit of profitability.

He has promoted its “expansion,” while ignoring the real fans here in the Northern US and Canada. He has made it clear that in his NHL, the qualities that make hockey special—the tradition, the physicality, the skill, and yes, the fighting—are less important than the potential fans in the south and if they can tell you who Sidney Crosby is. 

And that’s where this article comes to a head. The NHL needs more Dana White and less Gary Bettman. How does the free-speaking president of the UFC fit into a conversation about the NHL? 

Well, to put it simply, Dana White is the other side of the Gary Bettman coin. When White and the Fertitta Brothers bought the UFC in the 90s, they had similar problems to the NHL. White was the president of an organization that was less than profitable and carried a significant stigma to the general public—cage-fighting was barbaric.

But rather than bend at the whims of the general public and the dollar, White made sure the UFC stayed loyal to its constituents. Although there were significant rule changes, the feel of the sport stayed the same.

Now fast forward nearly 20 years. The UFC just pulled in an estimated 700,000 pay-per-view buys for its UFC 145 card and recently signed a big-time deal with the FOX network.

Mixed martial arts is now the fastest growing sport in the world because of the popularity of the UFC. The NHL on the other hand? According to the Washington Post, NFL draft coverage gathered more viewership than Game 7 of the Caps-Bruins in Washington. 

I know I don’t speak for all fans, but I believe I speak for many when I say I wish things were different. I wish Mr. Bettman would recognize what hockey and the NHL is. The NHL will never compete with the NFL or MLB here in America, and that’s fine.

NHL Hockey is a niche sport for the Northern USA and Canada—and the fans here love it. We love that the NHL is a violent game. We love that it’s a game where players police themselves. We love the tradition of our game. 

Maybe it’s time Mr. Bettman steps back and learns a thing or two from Dana White. It’s time to take care of your fans Gary. Would the league be as profitable? Maybe. Maybe not. I don’t have an answer to that question. But the real shame of it is that we probably won’t get that answer for a long, long time. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC Fighters and Their Celebrity Doppelgangers

Everybody out there supposedly has someone who looks exactly like them—a doppelganger.In the UFC, the story is no different. Some UFC fighters, including one who appears on this list, have earned nicknames based off of the people they look like.T…

Everybody out there supposedly has someone who looks exactly like them—a doppelganger.

In the UFC, the story is no different. Some UFC fighters, including one who appears on this list, have earned nicknames based off of the people they look like.

This list will focus on nine current UFC fighters, personalities, champions and UFC executives.

Here we go:

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Today in the MMA Twitterverse: Josh Barnett, Dana White and More!

I don’t know what I’d do without Twitter. It keeps me in tune with the world of MMA. Who is on the Dolce Diet? What fights does Joe Silva have lined up for us? Who is Dana White yelling at today?Keeping up with Twitter is a daunting task. It’s easy to …

I don’t know what I’d do without Twitter. It keeps me in tune with the world of MMA. Who is on the Dolce Diet? What fights does Joe Silva have lined up for us? Who is Dana White yelling at today?

Keeping up with Twitter is a daunting task. It’s easy to miss things—and that’s why Bleacher Report will be here every evening, breaking down the day’s best and most important tweets.

Today we had a debate between me and former UFC welterweight champion Pat Miletich, a quiet day from Dana White, feedback on Brock Lesnar‘s WWE PPV return and much more.

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Dana White Says He’s Going to Change ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ in Future Seasons

It’s no secret that the first installment of The Ultimate Fighter Live has experienced some growing pains. It may look and feel a whole lot like previous seasons, but in reality it’s an entirely new concept with plenty of difficulties involved on the p…

It’s no secret that the first installment of The Ultimate Fighter Live has experienced some growing pains. It may look and feel a whole lot like previous seasons, but in reality it’s an entirely new concept with plenty of difficulties involved on the production end.

The biggest problem presented for the production team comes in how they develop and tell stories that are interesting to the audience over the course of a full season.

With previous seasons, the producers knew the results before the product ever aired on television. They were able to build interesting storylines that led to the fights, all while knowing what the outcome of the actual fight would be. That’s an invaluable thing when dealing with television.

For the most part, the live nature takes that ability away. The production staff can try to build stories on a weekly basis, but it’s tough to do that without knowing how the fight is going to turn out. They’re still doing an admirable job with that they’re given, but it doesn’t have the same kind of suspense and drama that previous seasons did.

Dana White recognizes that there are issues with the show. It’s been the lowest-rated season in history, and White is cognizant of that fact. He says to stick with him, because there will be changes to the show in the future, which could include a move to a different day:

“This is a team effort. We’re doing what we’re doing this season, and then we’re going to switch some things up. We’re going to make this thing work and make it great—if it’s Friday night or it’s whatever. Believe me.” 

Fridays are a difficult time to capture audiences, even for live sporting events. Fans don’t want to stay home and watch TV. They want to go out with their friends, and they’ll DVR the show and then watch it later in the weekend. Moving the show to Wednesday or Thursday nights would go a long way toward drawing in more viewers.

What other changes can they make to the show to make things more compelling? The live format is interesting from a fight perspective, but right now it ultimately feels like a one-hour UFC countdown show for a fight between two guys you’ve probably never heard of.

What changes would you make to make the show more interesting and fresh? Sound off in the comments.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

MMA Fighters and Their Superhero Counterparts

In the world of mixed martial arts, you can find several fighters who are similar to superheroes and other characters from comic lore. After all, professional fighters possess traits that help make a normal person a superhero.Clearly, the UFC doesn’t h…

In the world of mixed martial arts, you can find several fighters who are similar to superheroes and other characters from comic lore. After all, professional fighters possess traits that help make a normal person a superhero.

Clearly, the UFC doesn’t house any fighters who have been exposed to heavy doses of radiation, but here is a look at some of MMA‘s biggest figures and their superhero counterparts.

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