Dana White overrated?

belge boy · 06-01-2010 3:21am #1

I keep hearing he's some promoting god but all he ever did was steal ideas from Don King and Vince Mcmahon, I mean any hack could do this. I respect what he done with UFC like, nobody watched that ****, and it wasn't succesful but he turned it around with the ultimate fighter but i think a lot of people don't watch ufc and prefer better mma promotions like in japan that stay true to their origins. opinions? i really dislike ufc even tho i'm trained in mma and pretty good.

rovert · 06-01-2010 3:35am

What scale are we using? Likert

belge boy · 06-01-2010 3:38am

well the way i hear my friends speak, they think dana is like some type of genius but really he's just a hack who copies other peoples ideas. as well as being a downright ****.

i just want to know does anyone else dislike ufc but like mma or hate dana white.

rovert · 06-01-2010 3:40am

Are you going to do a I love Strikeforce gimmick like your TNA one on the ProWres board?

You remind me of Candystripes btw.

belge boy · 06-01-2010 3:43am

dude i just want to know what people opinions are?

Mellor · 06-01-2010 3:53am

What did he steal from Don King or Vince McMahon (btw King is the biggest prick in the business, Dana is not even close)

Bodhisopha · 06-01-2010 3:57am

Overrated with regards to what exactly?

He is quite clearly a great businessman.

rovert · 06-01-2010 3:58am

Mellor wrote: »

What did he steal from Don King or Vince McMahon

Boxing and Wrestling, both cases are making there way through the courts :pac:

consultech · 06-01-2010 7:12am

I've always seen Dana as a straight up, no-bull****, great businessman. Liddell's book tells some good tales of his down to earth nature. Not sure exactly what "ideas" he stole from King and Vince McMahon (lmao) btw.

Actually what am I replyin to here...

roo1981 · 06-01-2010 10:50am

He's taken a half functional debt riddled promotion and turned it into a billion dollar market leading beast.

He's crushed, then bought to add insult to injury, most other promotions that have tried to oppose him (Pride, Affliction etc).

He's argueably done more than anyone else to legitamise the sport of MMA in the US-it was very close to being outlawed when he purchased the UFC.

He's responsible for the fact that to most people and even some fans, MMA is not MMA, its UFC.

Regardless of business practises, abbrasive personality and treatment of some fighters, you have to give him that much. So to answer your question, no, I dont think he's overrated, I think he's done quite a good job.

DeadlyByDesign · 06-01-2010 3:59pm

It's very easy to slip into the "I am anti corporate/Dana White bracket". A lot of people will say he is a tyrant and has ruined the face of MMA, then immediately jump on the "it's cool to like the underdog promotion bandwagon-ie strike force". it's clear to see that he is a ruthless business man and has a very keen instinct on marketing and generating hype.

I am thankful he is. Without Dana I think we would have no interest, albeit cult interest in MMA today.

AARRRGH · 06-01-2010 4:54pm

Bodhisopha wrote: »

He is quite clearly a great businessman.

Is he really?

I get the feeling it's the Fertitta brothers who are the great businessmen, and Dana is more of a spokesperson.

RNCFAN · 06-01-2010 9:41pm

I'm not sure where to even start with that comment.

rovert · 06-01-2010 9:46pm

RNCFAN wrote: »

I'm not sure where to even start with that comment.

Station Casinos?

scudzilla · 06-01-2010 9:46pm

Dana is a fcukin genius for what he's done for MMA/UFC, if it wasn't for him we wouldn't be getting quality UFC fights every month.

I've met the guy a few times and he's so fcukin cool, totally got time for people and will actually listen and is interested in what ya have to say, could ya say that about other millionaire promotors of a huge company like this?

Sure he gets carried away sometimes and says the wrong thing (when he called that woman from sherdog, loretta i think, a lesbian was fcukin hilarious) btu don't we all.

AARRRGH · 06-01-2010 10:29pm

RNCFAN wrote: »

I'm not sure where to even start with that comment.

You can start here:

Tell me what Dana does for a living, and provide some sort of proof for your answers.

AARRRGH · 06-01-2010 10:32pm

And bear in mind he's not the CEO, so don't list the things a CEO does.

rovert · 06-01-2010 10:39pm

AARRRGH wrote: »

You can start here:

Tell me what Dana does for a living, and provide some sort of proof for your answers.

Well his own current job as well what Lorenzo does now ever since prior to June 2008 when Lorenzo joined UFC full time. One of the reasons why Lorenzo resigned from Station Casinos is that it was felt that Dana was over worked. Dana is said to be very hands on and it is his nature to mirco management everything.

AARRRGH · 06-01-2010 10:45pm

rovert wrote: »

Well his own current job as well what Lorenzo does now ever since prior to June 2008 when Lorenzo joined UFC full time. One of the reasons why Lorenzo resigned from Station Casinos is that it was felt that Dana was over worked. Dana is said to be very hands on and it is his nature to mirco management everything.

Sure, but what is his current job. What does he actually do on a daily basis, apart from huge amounts of PR stuff.

Lorenzo is the CEO so he is the business guy.

rovert · 06-01-2010 10:55pm

AARRRGH wrote: »

Sure, but what is his current job. What does he actually do on a daily basis, apart from huge amounts of PR stuff.

Lorenzo is the CEO so he is the business guy.

He is the President of the company he would perform the more day to day activities. Again Lorenzo took duties of Dana when he started working full time in a company I might add who has a very lean level of staffing. Lorzeno isn’t the only "business guy", Dana has a lot of influence on the decisions UFC makes. CEO is a macromanagement role.

I don’t if you are being contrary here or trolling or something but what are you trying to proof or get at here?

AARRRGH · 06-01-2010 10:56pm

I am simply saying if he is supposed to be a brilliant business person than surely people can tell me some of the things he does on a daily basis.

Saying he is "President" is not sufficient evidence that he is the business brains of the company, as the company already has a successful business person as the CEO. Maybe the CEO is the brains, the talented one?

Lorenzo just happens to have a low profile. The loudest one is not necessarily the talented one!

markfightie · 06-01-2010 11:02pm

i think you need to look at how a company hierarchy works:

http://searchcio.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid182_gci214459,00.html#

dana would be involved in the day to day running of the business reporting back to the corporate directors. hes only a 10% stakeholder in the company so he answers to the Fertitta brothers before anyone else.

markfightie · 06-01-2010 11:07pm

just to add, dana is also the zuffa corp puppet, if they want to get a message out that influences their business or helps sales they get him to say it.... people listen when dana speaks.

rovert · 06-01-2010 11:11pm

AARRRGH wrote: »

I am simply saying if he is supposed to be a brilliant business person than surely people can tell me some of the things he does on a daily basis.

Saying he is "President" is not sufficient evidence that he is the business brains of the company, as the company already has a successful business person as the CEO. Maybe the CEO is the brains, the talented one?

Lorenzo just happens to have a low profile. The loudest one is not necessarily the talented one!

You dont seem to understand how businesses operate here

markfightie wrote: »

just to add, dana is also the zuffa corp puppet, if they want to get a message out that influences their business or helps sales they get him to say it.... people listen when dana speaks.

A puppet who has 10% of the business and major influence over the company :rolleyes:

AARRRGH · 06-01-2010 11:20pm

rovert wrote: »

You dont seem to understand how businesses operate here

That's the thing: I do, hence my opinion. I was the financial controller of a very large company and I own businesses in Ireland and Spain.

Just because someone is loud, is seen in the media a lot, and has a nice title, it doesn't mean they are a business great.

There are many people working for the UFC.

My point is we do not know if the UFC's success is because of Dana. It could EASILY be because of Lorenzo since he is the CEO.

But of course, you don't see him on TV that often so people would rather be in awe of the colourful peacock.

rovert wrote: »

A puppet who has 10% of the business and major influence over the company :rolleyes:

I don't doubt he has major influence, but does major influence mean he is a great business person? Come on, think about it, don't just let his personality overawe you.

I accept of course it is possible he is a great business person, but I'm not going to blindly believe it based on his TV presence.

rovert · 06-01-2010 11:29pm

AARRRGH wrote: »

That's the thing: I do, hence my opinion. I was the financial controller of a very large company and I own businesses in Ireland and Spain.

Just because someone is loud, is seen in the media a lot, and has a nice title, it doesn't mean they are a business great.

There are many people working for the UFC.

My point is we do not know if the UFC's success is because of Dana. It could EASILY be because of Lorenzo since he is the CEO.

But of course, you don't see him on TV that often so people would rather be in awe of the colourful peacock.

I don't doubt he has major influence, but does major influence mean he is a great business person? Come on, think about it, don't just let his personality overawe you.

I accept of course it is possible he is a great business person, but I'm not going to blindly believe it based on his TV presence.

This getting rather tiresome between your "President" comment, accusations of me being over awed by him, your statement that apparently many people work for UFC etc.

Ill leave it up to Lozenzo himself to set you straight:

“It took somebody like Dana who’s got street smarts, who doesn’t pull punches, who speaks his mind, who never [expletive], to do this,” Lorenzo Fertitta, one of UFC’s co-owners, told Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole. “At the end of the day, if we had taken a Harvard MBA and hired him in 2001 to run this company, we’d probably be bankrupt right now. There are so many things that are unconventional about this business. This isn’t something you can read about and learn in a textbook. I truly believe that Dana was put on the Earth to run the UFC.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=dw-white070209&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Im going to guess that this isnt good enough for you either....

AARRRGH · 06-01-2010 11:33pm

Rovert, you have a horrible communication style. I don't understand why you have to be so difficult/argumentative all the time.

rovert wrote: »

This getting rather tiresome between your "President" comment, accusations of me being over awed by him, your statement that apparently many people work for UFC etc.

Ill leave it up to Lozenzo himself to set you straight:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=dw-white070209&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Im going to guess that this isnt good enough for you either....

That's nice praise from Lorenzo, but he was hardly going to say he's ****e at his job.

I'm sorry, but I'm not going to assume Dana is a business great, although obviously I accept he could be. For all we know the people he works with think he is a moron... I've worked for very successful companies where the boss was a total moron.

Basically I don't have enough information to know for sure.

If people were being truely honest they would admit their opinion is influenced by his media presence. My proof for this is the fact that there are no threads about Lorenzo being a business great.

rovert · 06-01-2010 11:42pm

AARRRGH wrote: »

Rovert, you have a horrible communication style. I don't understand why you have to be so difficult/argumentative all the time.

Likewise any bit of evidence I give you disregard. All because it doesnt suit your agenda.

AARRRGH wrote: »

That's nice praise from Lorenzo, but he was hardly going to say he's ****e at his job.

I'm sorry, but I'm not going to assume Dana is a business great. If you were being truely honest you would admit your opinion is influenced by his media presence. My proof for this is the fact that there are no threads about Lorenzo being a business great.

****ing knew it dude give it up. If Dana was ****e at his job they would have gotten rid of him by now. You have a quote attributing most of the success of UFC to Dana according Lorenzo. If Dana was so-so at his job would he give Dana such a high praise? In case you dont know it was Dana who first saw the potential of UFC and it was him who convinced the skeptical Fertittas to buy the company in the first place.

AARRRGH · 06-01-2010 11:48pm

rovert wrote: »

Likewise any bit of evidence I give you disregard. All because it doesnt suit your agenda.

The only bit of evidence was the quote from Lorenzo. It's a nice quote but again he was hardly going to say he's not good at his job. Come on, you know that.

At no point have I been rude or ignorant to you.

rovert wrote: »

****ing knew it dude give it up. If Dana was ****e at his job they would have gotten rid of him by now. You have a quote attributing most of the success of UFC to Dana according Lorenzo. If Dana was so-so at his job would he give Dana such a high praise? In case you dont know it was Dana who first show the potential of UFC and it was him who convinced the skeptical Fertittas to buy the company in the first place.

I think you're misinterpreting my posts.

My argument has been I do not know if he is a business great as I do not have enough proof. I do not consider his high media presence as any sort of sign that he is a business great.

Yes he could be, but most successful companies do not have "business greats" as their leaders.

For example, George Bush was the president of a successful country, and I could find a million quotes which state how brilliant he was. But you and I know better.

The reality is we don't know if he is a business great. Certainly he helps run a successful organisation, but that does not make him a business great.

AARRRGH · 07-01-2010 12:03am

But you know what? Let's agree to disagree. We don't have to have the same opinion on this (insignificant) matter.

rovert · 07-01-2010 12:03am

*facepalms*

I give you a glowing statement by Lorenzo about Dana's performance and influence on the company which he did not have to make and come out that strong not matter many times you make that lame reply of "was hardly going to say he's not good at his job. "

I explained Dana's position and amount of work he does

The fact it was he who spotted the potential of UFC, when very few if any did

Acquired funding

In addition to:
Helping turn a company bought for what $9 million into a company which is/was valued at a $1 billion

(Re)establishing a brand

But you continue to shrug all that away and claim none of it is proof. Making up these ill defined requirments as you go.

So what is the point arguing with you?

Dana White overrated?

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