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UFC president Dana White touted his company’s 2020 accomplishments and blasted his critics on Monday via social media. White’s company, UFC, famously became the first major sporting organization to get back to business during the global coronavirus pandemic.
Apparently, White feels so strongly about the backlash he received from some people in the media that he created and released a video on Monday that largely attempts to discredit those pundits for expressing their dissenting opinions.
“I don’t give a f***!” White says during part of the video, and the very creation and release of the video prove that to be true.
You can watch the viral video below.
White posted, “As we roll into 2021, I just wanted to remind everyone there’s ALWAYS a solution to every problem! So, cut through all the bulls***, and don’t let these people that don’t matter tell you how to live your life.”
White added, “It’s up to YOU to take care of your business, your family, your employees, and those you care about!!! #kickassin2021”.
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White Goes Scorched Earth on Prominent Media Members
In the video, White goes scorched earth on several prominent members of the media for their various opinions about how the UFC should (or rather shouldn’t) operate its business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The list of media members includes ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, CBS Sports’ Brian Campbell, Bleacher Report’s Lyle Fitzsimmons, The Washington Post’s Gene Wang, The New York Times’ Kevin Draper, USA Today’s Nate Scott, MMA Fighting’s Mike Chiapetta, MMA Tonight’s Jimmy Smith and several other notable journalists and pundits.
Top Rank’s CEO Bob Arum, a boxing promoter with whom White has a longstanding rivalry, also made the cut.
This year has been one of the wildest in recent memory, so maybe the president of the leading MMA promotional company in the world releasing a video such as this should come as no surprise.
White’s name began to trend almost immediately after he released the video on social media.
Media Members React to UFC Boss
CBS combat sports journalist Campbell was among the first to reply to White’s video.
Campbell posted, “Love that Dana gathered all the ‘haters’ from the Tachi Palace debacle, reframed it as media members (whose jobs rely on UFC putting on fights) attempting to shut him down and then throws no shade at ESPN/Disney for actually doing just that”.
The “Tachi Palace debacle” refers to the UFC’s failed attempt to host fight cards at Tachi Palace in Leemore, California, before the idea was shut down by government officials and ESPN executives.
Campbell also pointed out that one of his colleagues, CBS combat sport analyst Luke Thomas, was not prominently included in the video.
Thomas, who cohosts Showtime’s “Morning Kombat” show with Campbell, has also been quite vocal over the last year about the UFC’s decision to operate during the pandemic.
Campbell posted, “I demand more Luke Thomas slander!”
Bleacher Report’s Lyle Fitzsimmons made a joke about him and White having plans for the upcoming holiday and that now it would be awkward.
Fitzsimmons posted, “…does this mean we’re off for Christmas dinner?”
Journalist David Bixenspan claimed White’s video was dangerous.
Bixenspan posted, “Dana White and the UFC singling out specific reporters in that autofellatious video is basically an invitation for the dudebro fans to harass said reporters.”
Meanwhile, some in the media, including Outkick’s Clay Travis, celebrated its release.
The Blaze’s Elijah Schaffer even hailed White as a “living legend” for the video.
UFC’s Joe Rogan Absent From Video
Popular podcaster and UFC commenter Joe Rogan was absent from the video.
Rogan was vocal during the start of the pandemic about how his personal plans conflicted with the UFC’s plans to keep fights going.
“I guess someone’s going to commentate it, it’s not gonna be me,” Rogan said on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast per DAZN. “UFC is talking about putting on a fight on April 18. I don’t know how they’re gonna do that. I don’t know if they’re gonna be able to do that in the United States. They’re talking about doing it in a place with less than 10 people, just in an open arena.”
Of course, like many of the people blasted by White in the video, Rogan did eventually come around on the whole thing. Rogan even ended up working several UFC cards during the pandemic.
Regardless, it seems White has some very strong feelings around certain people in the media having their say about his business dealings, as he has expressed throughout 2020.
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