As he continues to shout to the mountains about anything and everything, Dana White has been known to get a bit upset from time to time.
He has long had a history of being combative with folks who have differing opinions. Whether it is his own fighters, coaches, or media, they have all faced the Dana White fury at some point. Media specifically has become a favorite target for White ever since COVID-19 ravished the world.
The UFC was the first professional sports entity to jump back into competing in the COVID-19 world. Folks had some very loud opinions, fairly so, because we had not understood the virus at that point. People saw it as reckless but in the end, White had the last laugh.
Ever since he was able to get through the roughest part of 2020, White has become more confident and aggressive. We have countless examples of him going after media pre-pandemic with situations around Ariel Helwani or Loretta Hunt when he got extremely vulgar.
In most ways, the thoughts never left but the world has changed for his betterment. It is now seemingly okay to attack the media. His good friend and 45th President of the United States of America Donald Trump is the king of this approach. Dana White hates “fake news” and isn’t shy about it.
Here are just a couple of examples of how this approach has become the norm for those who choose not to conform to his ways.
Dana White Posts Video Attacking Media Post Pandemic
As the holiday season was approaching in 2020, Dana White had a special present for the media who questioned him earlier that year. As mentioned earlier, people were rightfully critical of his approach to COVID-19.
The video has since been taken down by White off his Twitter but the comments remain fresh with the media. Make no bones about it, if you choose to be critical of Dana White and his process, he is going to make you an enemy. If you go along with him putting on good fights, allowing for U.S. betting apps to get advertising, and not necessarily taking the safest route to push those things then you are golden.
Dana White Blasts “Scumbag” MMA Media Regarding Fighter Pay
Fighter pay has become the most hot-button topic arguably in the history of the sport. Folks like Jake Paul who joined the combat sports world and immediately pay fighters more than they ever have get people talking. BKFC is signing fighters like Paige Van Zant and Chad Mendes are leaving the UFC to get paid millions by the up-and-coming sport.
All the while, fighters on the bottom of cards are making $12k for show and $12k for winning despite the UFC setting sales records in San Diego this past weekend. All the while, he is posting on social media that he is gifting The Nelk Boys $250k for their birthday, which shouldn’t sit well with anyone. He would go on The Pat McAfee Show to defend himself and did so by again blasting the “scumbag” MMA media.
"ALL THESE PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET GO FUCK YOURSELVES & I'LL SPEND MY MONEY HOWEVER THE FUCK I WANT"@danawhite on gifting Kyle from the Nelk Boys $250,000 for his birthday #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/a0dF1sRGrW
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 26, 2022
Dana White Despite It All Admits He Needs the Media
In a classic version of an open-handed compliment, Dana White both thanked the media and blast it in April of 2021. While on the Collin Cowherd Podcast, he was asked “do you need the media?”
His answer was yes but he would blast the media at the same time.
UFC President @danawhite kept it real with @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/oOXUn0ofek
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) April 22, 2021
White says there is still good media out there but doesn’t like the number of opinions that exist out there. Too many people in his eyes can “create a website” and just throw an opinion out there. As he tells Cowherd, he stays away from reading anything anymore because the media is “full of S***”.
Dana White won’t be changing his views anytime soon, nor will the exchanges with the media. As long as he runs the UFC, reporters, and media will be in his sights.
