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Dana White To "Blow People's Minds" With An Announcement

13

Comments

  • Posts: 14,379 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Judomad wrote: »
    only so youd finally have a chance of gettin into his tighty whities haha

    intentional or Unintentional Pun FTW!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,594 ✭✭✭Fozzy


    Dana's now saying that the announcement has got out of control. He says that he said it was an announcement for his employees, not the media. Although he still says it's a big deal: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/mma/blog/2008/06/dana_white_on_tuesdays_announc.html
    Dana White: I’m doing it Tuesday. Let me tell you how out of [expletive deleted] control that thing is. I was talking to ESPN and [the reporter] was talking about competition and I said, ‘Let me tell you what. People have been trying to compete with the UFC for years, even before we bought it. The last big one everyone thought was a big threat … was the IFL. They went public, raised 800-[expletive deleted] million dollars, then they were talking about doing fighter benefits and stuff. They got the first network deal and those other guys weren’t the first on. They got time on 60 Minutes with us when 60 Minutes did their piece on us, and now the IFL is gone. They are [expletive deleted] down, their stock is worth half a cent (Editor’s note: IFLI closed today at $0.02). That’s what we were talking about that day and I said I’m going to make an announcement to my employees that shows everyone exactly where this business is going in the next couple years.

    I said I wanted to make the announcement to my employees, so it’s not even like I was making a big announcement to the media. If I was doing that I would’ve had a big news conference and then gone off to London. I wanted to wait until I was back to do it.

    It’s a big [expletive deleted] announcement, it’s a big [expletive deleted] deal but I got a lot of other stuff we’re working on right now. It was never anything I said I was going to announce to the media.

    MMA Stomping Grounds: Are you going to announce it to the media after you tell your employees?

    White: Yeah, I guess I have to now.

    MMA Stomping Grounds: Why did the day change?

    White: I wanted to do it after I got back from England and I got back late Wednesday. Also, all of our people are going to be in town next week for The Ultimate Fighter finale. All of our production guys, Joe Rogan, I mean everyone who works for the UFC is coming to it.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,803 ✭✭✭dunkamania


    I am outting my money on a great big disappointment from Dana White


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 212 ✭✭steof1984


    what about the ufc doing cross promotitional events like the rest of mma do. I know White said it would never happen but maybe now with affliction signing some huge fighters he thinks the only way to beat them is in the ring. But its dragged on so long now that its not gonna live upto the hype

    Maybe hes resigning tito hahaha


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 732 ✭✭✭SorGan


    you lads need to get out more:rolleyes:


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,969 ✭✭✭hardCopy


    Any news?

    I know it's very early over there but I'm very bored over here.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,594 ✭✭✭Fozzy


    hardCopy wrote: »
    Any news?

    I know it's very early over there but I'm very bored over here.

    Probably won't be any word til about 5 our time


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 661 ✭✭✭Charlie3dan


    Right, i think we have been patient enough. I'm ready for my mind to be blown bring it on....it better be good


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,549 ✭✭✭✭cowzerp


    Dana's gettng hair transplants.

    Rush Boxing club and Rush Martial Arts head coach.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,594 ✭✭✭Fozzy


    http://www.f4wonline.com/content/view/5695/105/
    Update on UFC major announcement
    By Dave Meltzer

    Dana White has moved the meeting for UFC employees to Noon tomorrow (Wednesday) for the big announcement. So word should break shortly after that time.

    I hope the announcement is that it's being delayed for a year


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,969 ✭✭✭hardCopy


    Dana, you frikkin A-Hole!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 212 ✭✭steof1984


    I heard on mmascoops.com the announcment is a free show on spike on july 19th to combat the affliction show. Wanderlai silva and brandon vera were meant to be the main even but wanderlai refused the fight due to not having enough time to train but aparently a card is being put together and will not be pay-per-view

    if it is its hardly the massive annoucement that will change the face of the sport


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,594 ✭✭✭Fozzy


    steof1984 wrote: »
    I heard on mmascoops.com the announcment is a free show on spike on july 19th to combat the affliction show. Wanderlai silva and brandon vera were meant to be the main even but wanderlai refused the fight due to not having enough time to train but aparently a card is being put together and will not be pay-per-view

    if it is its hardly the massive annoucement that will change the face of the sport

    Dana said that it's an announcement for his employees rather than the media, so it's not that. He also said that it will indicate where the business is going in the next five years


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,803 ✭✭✭dunkamania


    I heard a German company could be taking a stake in Zuffa.

    Also heard that NY is voting on regulating MMA again today, this is not accurate though.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,614 ✭✭✭The Sparrow


    I would guess that the announcement would be some sort of sale of the UFC. It is really the only thing that I can think of that they would want to tell their employees first.

    Maybe Mark Cuban has bought the whole UFC or a significant chunk? Or some other billionaire.

    Anyway I guess we will find out this evening!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,969 ✭✭✭hardCopy


    Rumours on Sherdog that it's Bertelsmann, they're pretty huge. Hardly mind-blowing from a fans view-point though.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,594 ✭✭✭Fozzy


    hardCopy wrote: »
    Rumours on Sherdog that it's Bertelsmann, they're pretty huge. Hardly mind-blowing from a fans view-point though.

    I was just looking at their Wikipedia page, their US headquarters are in New York, where Dana's making the announcement...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,594 ✭✭✭Fozzy


    http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=AoqD2h0q8l49BYEpC8vhrIg9Eo14?slug=ki-ufcplans061708&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
    Y! exclusive: Fertitta shifts from casinos to cage

    By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports 19 minutes ago

    LAS VEGAS – Lorenzo Fertitta, the president of one of the most successful casino chains in Las Vegas, resigned his position with Station Casinos on Wednesday to work full-time with the UFC.

    Fertitta, his older brother, Frank III and Dana White purchased the UFC in 2001 for $2 million when it was struggling and on the verge of folding. But in the seven-and-a-half years since, they’ve turned it into one of the great success stories in sports.

    White, the UFC’s colorful and outspoken president, earlier this month had promised a bombshell announcement that he vowed would rock the mixed martial arts world. His long-awaited announcement, which had many in the industry in a lather speculating about what it might be, may turn out to be ho-hum news to the sport’s hard-core fans.

    But White insists that Fertitta’s decision to resign as president of Station Casinos to work full-time for the UFC is a seminal moment in the company’s history.

    Fertitta and his older brother, Frank III, are the primary owners of the UFC. But until now Lorenzo Fertitta has devoted more than three-quarters of his time to running the family business as president of the burgeoning casino company.

    But Fertitta, who according to In Business Las Vegas magazine was the second-highest paid casino executive in Las Vegas in 2007 with a salary of $113.8 million, said the growth of the UFC demanded a more significant involvement.

    Fertitta insisted the move was no indictment of White, his long-time friend and next-door neighbor, but rather one which is desperately needed because of the significant growth the company is undergoing.

    “The problem, if there is a problem, is that the business has gotten so successful, it’s requiring more time, focus and attention,” Fertitta said. “Station Casinos is a business my family and I have built and now it’s a multi-billion dollar company. But the reality is, the UFC has gone through so much growth in the last eight years, my brother and I felt we’d be better in divide and conquer mode. He’ll stay at Station Casinos and take care of that and I’ll come over here and work on the issues involving the UFC.”

    Frank Fertitta III will remain as chief executive officer of Station Casinos, though he’ll retain his ownership stake in the UFC. Lorenzo Fertitta, meanwhile, will work to develop the international business for an organization which once struggled to gain a foothold in the U.S.

    When the Ferittas purchased the company from Semaphore Entertainment Group in 2001 for $2 million, it had four employees and staged its bouts in small hotel ballrooms to save costs. Now, the company has expanded to over 100 employees with offices in both the U.S. and Europe and promotes fight cards in state-of-the-art arenas around the world.

    White said that when he and the Fertitta brothers bought the UFC, they believed this kind of success was possible, though few others did. Influential members of Congress were against the sport, and, for a time, it was banned from cable pay-per-view television in the United States.

    Now the UFC is thriving domestically and has expanded internationally, having in the last 14 months staged five cards in the U.K., including two in London and one apiece in Manchester, Newcastle and Belfast, Northern Ireland. White has already said the UFC plans to put a show in The Philippines and a UFC event is expected to be among the early acts to play at the ritzy new O2 World Arena being built in Berlin.

    Fertitta says the UFC plans to expand outside of the U.S. and U.K. and into mainland Europe, with plans to go to Italy, France and Spain, in addition to Germany. He said he foresees expansion into the Baltic countries, including Russia, and was recently in Dubai working on establishing a foothold for the UFC there.

    Asia also is in the plans, he said, citing China, South Korea, Japan and India as prime markets for the company.

    “Think about this for a second: India has 350 million men between the ages of 18 and 34, and that’s our key demographic,” Fertitta said. “The magnitude of these markets is staggering. Dana has been doing a phenomenal job with this company, and I’ve been doing what I could given my responsibilities (at Station Casinos).

    “The UFC is going to have a global footprint in the not-too-distant future. We’re already working on furthering our position in Brazil. This is getting so big that it demanded I spend more time with it.”

    Speculation was rampant among MMA fans and media after White said earlier this month that he was going to make an announcement that would change the face of the industry. Guesses ranged from the UFC landing a network television deal to a purchase of the struggling International Fight League to a settlement with its estranged heavyweight champion, Randy Couture.

    White said he understands that some may see Fertitta’s move as a sign of the owners’ unhappiness with him or as an indication that the company is in peril.

    He laughed at the thought and said he believes the UFC is about to explode.

    “If they think that, beautiful, because it’s better for us,” White said. “There just isn’t enough time in the day for me to do everything that needs to be done. Lorenzo’s wife said to me the other day, ‘The two of you together is scary.’ I think what we’re going to be able to do now is amazing.

    “I think the potential for the UFC within the next five years globally is that it is going to be bigger than the NFL, bigger than Major League Baseball. As huge as the NFL is here, they don’t give a (expletive) about the NFL in Europe. But fighting transcends continents. Everybody on every continent understands a fight.”

    Fertitta also plans to work on landing more big-name sponsors, particularly in countries other than the U.S. The UFC signed two blue-chip sponsors, Bud Light and Harley Davidson, earlier this year.

    He said he’s excited about the merchandising deal the UFC signed last week with Jakks Pacific, which will produce action figures of UFC fighters. White said the Jakks deal is critical, because it will help fighters make significant amounts of money.

    “Our top guys now are making millions. Others are making hundreds of thousands,” White said. “But when we get this thing globally where I know we can, with the merchandising and all the ancillary stuff, the fighters are going to be paid when they’re sitting on their couch.

    “It’s going to be a great situation for them. They’ll still be paid when they fight, but now, when they’re sitting at home doing nothing and checks are rolling in and they’re making money, that’s when they’ll know they’ve hit it.”

    Fertitta and White made the announcement to their employees in a meeting on Wednesday at Palace Station, one of the Station Casinos’ properties.

    White said Fertitta’s presence in the office on a daily basis would have a significant impact upon his staff.

    “These people who are working for us, maybe some of them wonder if they did the right thing coming to a company that promotes mixed martial arts fights,” White said.

    “Everyone has doubts, right? Well, when you see Lorenzo Fertitta, a guy who was the No. 2-highest paid casino executive in Las Vegas, quit that job to come to work full-time for the UFC, that will be pretty strong evidence that they’ve made the correct move. “The Internet may not consider this huge news, but what the people on the Internet think is huge and what I think is huge are two different things. But you know what? I think I have a pretty good track record. I think this is maybe the biggest day in UFC history. I’m so excited, I can’t begin to explain it to you. This is an historic day for me and this company.”


    I guess it is a pretty big deal for the company. Lorenzo Fertitta is a great businessman judging from what he's done and to have someone with that sort of mind working full-time has to benefit the UFC. I can understand if people don't see it as that big though :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,614 ✭✭✭The Sparrow


    Pretty underwhelming tbh


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,477 ✭✭✭✭Raze_them_all


    I don't think anyone really expected it to be mindblowing


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,424 ✭✭✭fatal


    I don't think anyone really expected it to be mindblowing

    mindblowing for the employees no doubt


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,594 ✭✭✭Fozzy


    I've just listened to Dave Meltzer (best MMA journalist around, he understands it better than anyone I've ever read) talk for 20 minutes about how this is really a huge deal and if people are saying that they're unimpressed by it then they can't understand the situation fully

    Lorenzo has gone from one of the biggest companies around to one which isn't that big at all. That suggests that he's really serious about making the UFC into a bigger success. All those rumours of the UFC being sold are clearly completely baseless now


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,614 ✭✭✭The Sparrow


    Fozzy wrote: »
    I've just listened to Dave Meltzer (best MMA journalist around, he understands it better than anyone I've ever read) talk for 20 minutes about how this is really a huge deal and if people are saying that they're unimpressed by it then they can't understand the situation fully

    Just listened to that too. Perhaps I jumped to a conclusion too early, however I do still think that it is a much bigger deal for UFC Corporate than for fans and fighters. As Meltzer says it will be much better for UFC and now they can start to exploit their merchandise potential as well as expanding overseas.

    Plus and to me this is the real plus point, it means that Dana and the Fertita's are not cashing in and selling the company which I feared would happen. As much as ppl give out about the UFC, those guys get it and it is best for MMA that they stay in charge

    However I think they have a LOOOONG way to go to achieve their goal of being bigger than the World Cup and the NFL in 8 years.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,803 ✭✭✭dunkamania


    A big let down from Dana White, who could have guessed......

    I am actually quite positive on the move because it means Dana's ego is taking a step back from daily operations.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 120 ✭✭shantor


    Pretty big announcement, if a guy is willing to give up a €100 mill + salary, he obviously see's big potential and a higher salary at some point

    UFC is big news here and in the UK and US but these guys are saying there are going to make it a global brand

    I think that is a pretty mind blowing announcement rather than annoucing a new match-up or whatever, which practioners of the sport mind consider more important


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,803 ✭✭✭dunkamania


    Your taking too much at face value. It could be a way of moving Dana away from the day to day, and have him more as a media person. Lets face it Dana has dropped the ball on alot of things in the last 12 months, and there are now alot of ppl who just wont deal with him. Or the Fertita's could be looking to get their house in order so they can sell Zuffa.

    Also, huge difference between getting paid 100 million from a company you own compared to getting 100 million as part of a non-stakeholding management team.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,533 ✭✭✭cletus


    dunkamania wrote: »
    I am actually quite positive on the move because it means Dana's ego is taking a step back from daily operations.

    I figure Dana's ego will be pushed more towards the media side of things. now you have a guy who has a good track record of running a successful business taking care of the actual business side of things, it frees up more time for dana to go on Spike and say f#*k a lot.

    Being outside of their stated demographic, his "persona" doesn't appeal to me, but I would imagine that the 18-24 guys who got into the UFC through TUF buy into it to some degree, and while some of the older or hardcore fans don't, it doesn't stop them from watching, so its win win.

    The only problem I see is if the UFC try to monopolise the newer markets they are trying to break, squashing smaller promotions. Competition is healthy (and I'm fed up of people equating mma the sport with UFC the organisation)

    I do believe that it is big news, but i want to know more about these action figures:D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 776 ✭✭✭Fall_Guy


    If 18-34 year olds are the key demographic for the UFC as Dana says in that piece, who are they aiming the toys at? would they not be better off bringing out merchandise that targets their key demographic?

    Branded frosted pint glasses, limited edition t-shirts/beanies commemerating particular fights etc...I'm aware that these are ridiculously lame products, but at least they would appeal to 18-34 year olds. Even a video game would be more appealing!

    Maybe i'm missing something, but how many 18-34 year olds really buy action figures?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,533 ✭✭✭cletus


    Fall_Guy wrote: »
    If 18-34 year olds are the key demographic for the UFC as Dana says in that piece, who are they aiming the toys at? would they not be better off bringing out merchandise that targets their key demographic?

    Branded frosted pint glasses, limited edition t-shirts/beanies commemerating particular fights etc...I'm aware that these are ridiculously lame products, but at least they would appeal to 18-34 year olds. Even a video game would be more appealing!

    Maybe i'm missing something, but how many 18-34 year olds really buy action figures?


    ok, i thought it was 18-24 not 18-34, looks like I'm in the demographic, my previous points still stand :D

    there is a new ufc game due out shortly on the ps3. Pride did a lot of collectable figurines of their fighters and they were pretty popular from what I remember.

    I don't think the figurines will be like action men or anything, more like those "Crow" and Eddie Crugar(sp?) figures you can buy in argos, not so much for playing with as putting on a shelf somewhere








    I'd buy them:o


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,803 ✭✭✭dunkamania


    http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2008/6/20/555464/snapshot-of-the-day-ufc-vi

    Forrest getting his ass kicked in new UFC game


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