Dana White fires back at Toronto newspaper, lists top five PPV draws
Posted on September 25, 2012, 01:10 PM by Mike Drahota
Surrounding UFC 152, the Canadian newspaper Toronto Sun released an article that portrayed the UFC as a declining product, featuring many criticisms to back up its assertion. One main tenet of the article believed that the UFC is losing ground in Canada, mainly Toronto, a place where it has been quite popular for some time. Another aspect of the article focused on the five main draws of UFC pay-per-views, citing retired former Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar as the top man. The article also insinuated 2012 was the year of injuries, with seven straight cards having a featured bout reshuffled.
I don't think there's any room to argue that 2012 was the year of decimating injuries for sure, but Brock Lesnar just isn't the top draw anymore. He's retired. Are there too many cards? An argument that perhaps has been beat to death, and pointless too, because White and the Fertittas will not quit putting on more and more events. Dana White, always quick to answer his critics in a strong way, fired back at the paper today with the following:
"Everyone keeps saying, 'There's too much. We built this. We know exactly what's going on in this industry next week, next month, everything else. Things pop up like injuries, and apparently guys who don't want to fight anybody, but it has nothing to do with the way business has been run." - via MMAJunkie.com
White also released the top five draws for the UFC to clarify the situation in a response to the disparaging article. He stated that they are GSP, Anderson Silva, Jon Jones, Chael Sonnen, and Rashad Evans. No surprises there, really, as three dominant champions grace the list along with two of the loved/hated fighters the sport has ever seen.
Business will continue as usual for the UFC. Injuries have taken their toll, and continue to do so. Perhaps the UFC is stagnating as opposed to the steamrolling growth it had previously experienced. However, if one believes the UFC is in serious trouble, well, it will probably take a lot more than a summer full of reshuffled, watered-down cards to cause any serious lasting damage to the company.
Comments
its losing ground cuz GSP, their only product, has not fought in a while. Fickle mob.
i agree with the newspaper about somethings.....2012 hasnt been a good year...........mma needs gsp vs silva
GSP? He fights less than once a year and when he does fight he delivers a boring 5 round decision. He fights to not lose. I rather see Silva, Jones, Aldo, Ben Henderson, Dos Santos, Cain, or Rousey fight.
Last time GSP finished an opponent: 1/31/2009. Practically 4 years ago...
Yea, and remember bj stepped up for that fight,got hugged, and there were accusations of greasing
@infiniteEnigma
What a fickle thing to say.
??? It's not like GSP is the most exciting fighter in the game that the entire sport falls apart when he doesn't either hug a striker or jab a grappler,i think we're fine.
Sorta wondering what rashad is doing on that list...
try not to misdefine the word ...what i said describes a canadian crowd that acts all about mma...and then when their champ is gone, the canadian press says the ufc is declining..easily manipulated.,..what i said was a firm statement.
Ben Henderson? Now there's a finisher...
The only way you can fight less than once a year is to not fight at all.
GSP's fight schedule:
2011 - 1
2010 - 2
2009 - 2
2008 - 2
2007 - 3
2006 - 2
2005 - 3
2004 - 3
2003 - 2
2002 - 3
sorry the guy does what he has to do to win if the other fighter would bring the fight GSP goes all out its not him he does what he is suppose to its who he is fighting if they would come to fight not to survive non take chances to win all hope to not screw up thats what makes him good one
mistake and that could be it and challengers are scared but if they came with no fear but to say he ..???? Josh"s eye had to be put back together..fought Shields with one eye and still out jabbed him its a fight BOTH guys have to fight.. in fights where the guy came to fight was awesome for those that didnt was ok after Carlos he wants Silva and then he will retire or move up in weight
2011 = 1
2012 = 0
Last fight was 4/3011 today's date is 9/25/12 ='s over a year since his last fight. He doesn't fight very often...even 2 times a year is weak shi*.
But, some people just love GSP...I don't get it or see it. Silva > GSP.
So he fights on average once a year now?! That's whack for his fans...
Gemmy
Your grasp of the facts is weak.
A Silva has fought 2 times a year since 2009.
GSP will fight once in 2012 due to an injury--everyone knows that.
I quote you again,
"GSP? He fights less than once a year "
Not only are your facts wrong, but the statement itself is stupid.
Better empty your drool cup--it's full again.
Let me know when you get GSP's balls out of your mouth?
Last fight was 4/3011 today's date is 9/25/12 ='s over a year since his last fight. Even if he fights in 2012 (which is not 100% certain) it has been more than a year. You are correct however that he has completed 2 fights a year prior to 2011, but even that is weak, so my statement applied to 2011 to present...drool cup? Let me know when GSP hops off your lap.
Point taken on Ben Henderson...He is still more exciting to watch than GSP, but maybe he should be removed from the list...
Although Ben Henderson hasn't finished a fight in a while, but it's safe to safe to say that most of his fights are exciting. Honestly, I will somehow continue to watch Georges Safe-Pierre's 25 minutes of "excitement" due to the fact that I am an MMA fan, but I wouldn't buy them even if he or Dana promised to reimburse me with interest.
The thing I find funniest is how everyone thinks Dana is an a$$hole and greedy, and sh1tty to the fighters, but Lorenzo is ok???
All Dana does is Lorenzo's bidding. He's just the mouthpiece that takes the heat!
@Johndo11
How did you get such a deep knowledge of the corporate structure of Zuffa and the UFC??
Have you worked for the Organization? Or are you making an unqualified assumption?
I have obviously never worked for them. I don't think you have to had to know the owner is the boss and calls the shots.
You think Dana does what he wants? What I said is by no means a far fetched assumption. In my opinion I think you're trolling......i name thee TROLL!l. :-)
I'd have to question the validity of Sonnen and Rashad being on that list as genuine big PPV draws in their own right.We all know GSP could do big numbers no matter who he is fighting, and I think Jones is on his way to achieving the same. It's a known fact Silva has only started doing very good numbers in the last 2 1/2 years, i think he's been the champ for six years now. Sonnen and Rashad need foils to do big number I doubt they could do big numbers being in the main event against lesser known fighters. I've always said the UFC are trying to do too much, the addition of the WEC and few Strikeforce fighters was an opportunity to give the fans the same amount of fights with more stacked cards but they haven't imo. Are the UFC cards any more stacked then they used to be considering all the new talent and contenders that have emerged in the last 3 years ? I don't think so. I know they have had a lot of injuries on cards that have looked great to start with, but they are way more average cards than there used to be.
"I doubt they could do big numbers being in the main event against lesser known fighters"
That goes for everyone else not named Brock Lesnar.
its funny how crtics like newspapers try to judge the ufc like they run it. i want to read from the press " UFC is the best mixed martial arts organization in the world." now that would be an accurate statement.
The Only reason why the UFC is the No.1 organization is because they have buy all of their competition .
when Pride was around the UFC was small time organization, Pride had most of the talent and was International.
after they got Pride and vanish it . then they became the No.1.
then Strikeforce started to become big time with their HW Tournament
and was starting to put better shows then the UFC so they got it too.
Even the WEC in their last year was putting way better shows then the UFC.
The UFC should focus on quality not quantity otherwise it will start going downhill , i have to admit even me being a hardcore MMA fan for 8 years have start to lose some interest in the latest UFC events.
UFC on Fox Shogun vs Vera was the last great event that i remember this whole year.
i havent lost any interest in ufc. if anything these unfortunate events have drawn more attention to the ufc from media, and once the ufc bounces back it will be stronger than ever. the reality is that it is the greatest organization because other organizations like pride are dead.
Fickle indeed.
I'm from Toronto and I admit that the fan base here is a little fickle but all places are a little bit that way.
People here actually love MMA - I went to the show and afterward went out for a bite - people were toasting to the fights - holding up glasses and saying things like MMA for life.
These were guys and girls who worked in the upper business district.
I heard many people saying this is amazing .
I personally got married on Friday sept 21st on the Saturday my friend and his girlfriend took my new wife and I to the fights(only in a city with true fans would a wife permit this) - we are big fans of MMA and not just for violence like the fans who were booing the flyweight fight. Real martial arts fans.
The UFC might not have had a great showing here this time because it wasn't promoted for the full duration - as Vitor stepped up last minute (and did amazing by the way)
GSP isn't our only export either Rory McDonald is worth mentioning as well.
I for one could care less where a fighter is from - it is how he executes his style.
Don't write us off so easily - we love MMA and we will continue to support it.
We waited a long time for it to be sanctioned here - now we were labeled the mecca - it's a lot to live up to. Allow the city a blunder or two because in the end we will be watching.
I'm from Toronto as well, and think it's worth pointing out that the Sun is a sad excuse for a newspaper. It's geared towards trying to create sensational headlines, appeals to the lowest common denominator and about 80% of it is ads.
Only good thing about the Toronto SUN is the Sunshine girl lol
isnt that all "news" in general?
Maybe, but the Sun is far below even the general crappy level.
The Globe and Mail is a much better paper and usually has a better MMA section than the sun with better writers.
Obviously picking and choosing on both sides which "facts" prove their case.
I'll just comment on the Brock talk: If Brock came back tomorrow he'd be the number one draw again instantly. He just brings in more people than anybody else does individually. However, he's retired, so using him as a current example isn't exactly enlightened.
Is Rashad loved or hated in general? I used to think most people really just don't care about him, win or lose. He is not an easy guy to hate or to like...I was somewhat surprised to see him in this list. If fans were more educated, Aldo would be in that top 5 list.
Yeah, I was surprised to see him there as well. Re: love him or hate him I will say this: during his stint as a coach on TUF against Rampage I gained a new respect for him as a person (and conversely lost a lot of respect for Rampage). I've never been a big fan of his but when he won the belt and also in his fight with Jones he did reasonably well.
True dat
Even though I don't live in Canada, I am never buying a toronto newspaper again...
This is Blasphemy, writing bad things about uncle Dana.
Personally I think the decline in Toronto is due to the main event of IFC 152 did not make any sense.. You have a Middleweight going up against a Light Heavyweight. Vitor lost to the MW champion yes Vitor did win the next two fights but one is at MW and the other is at Catchweight.. Why would people watch a man that has not fought in LHW since 2008 fight the current LHW champion? Don't get me wrong I respect Vitor taking the fight but in the big picture why would that fight be a PPV or a main event? The UFC needs to put together fights that makes sense.. I will bet if UFC 152 had Jones Vs Silva this article would never have been written.
IFC? what the f*ck is IFC? lol... UFC I mean.
That's telling it like it is.
I think these comments are getting a tad off topic.
The story explains the decline of the UFC may be due to far to many fights,too many fighters that nobody knows,multiple injuries across the board, completely inconsistent reffing and judging-and little in the way of top headliners to motive the fans to buy PPV.
White ALWAYS defends.that is part of his damage control,and giving the belief that all is well and Hunky-Dory -Regardless of any fact otherwise.
As a follower from the 90's,I have to admit this story's comments and criticisms are well placed..and perfectly legitimate
Things do need to change ,and that should start with White,and his Frat Bros...