Dana White is bald because whenever he’s tried to grow out his hair it always stands up all frizzy and wild, a la Don King.
This is the only explanation I can come up with after watching the UFC president’s latest verbal barrage leveled at Floyd Mayweather Jr., the sport of boxing and . . . what’s his name?
C’mon, Dana. Even Don King knows the name of the guy who’ll be across the ring from Petty Boy Floyd a week from Saturday, although Don probably wouldn’t say the hombre’s nombre because the bout is not a King promotion and Don saves his hyperbolic ring banter for those auspicious (or suspicious) occasions when it’s earning him money. But he knows who Juan Manuel Marquez is, of course he knows, because Don’s a boxing guy. Which by the way is what Dana White often calls himself. A boxing guy.
So Dana definitely knows all about the Mexican dynamo nicknamed “Dinamita,” about his world titles in three weight classes, about his dramatic slugfests with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, about his organic choice of training refreshment. Dana knows Marquez, despite what he tried to make us believe in a UFC 103 news conference the other day:
I have no problem with Dana dusting off his oft-used diss of Mayweather as a so-so PPV draw. And I don’t mind seeing him ridiculing boxing for once again “giving you the fight you don’t want,” because it’s true. It’s been true for as long as I’ve watched boxing and it’s a major point of difference between the Sweet Science and mixed martial arts, in which not just Dana’s company but every MMA organization always puts the best in with the best. You don’t see any UFC phenoms with 30-0 records inflated by journeymen and has-beens. Hell, one of the sport’s legends, Hall of Famer Randy Couture, is 16-10. And not a creampuff was laid waste in his path.
So I have no problem with Dana White getting in boxing’s face. But he looked like either a bad actor or simply a doofus when he stood there and pretended he and everyone else in the room did not know Juan Manuel Marquez. Way more people know who Marquez is, Dana, than have ever heard of Rich Franklin or Vitor Belfort, your main eventers for UFC 103 on the same night next weekend as Mayweather vs. What’s His Name.
But don’t sweat it, Mr. White. While I am eager to see the result of Floyd’s comeback bout and even the Chris John-Rocky Juarez rematch on the undercard, I’ll get those results online or on the late SportsCenter, because a week from Saturday I’ll be watching UFC 103. It’s a better fight card, top to bottom. Dana White doesn’t have to hard-sell me.
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Jeff Wagenheim
Jeff Wagenheim spent more than 20 years as an editor for the Boston Globe sports pages and now writes about mixed martial arts and college football for ESPNBoston.com. He also writes arts features for The Globe and spent several years writing for the parenting ...
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More on these topics:
boxing, Dana White, floyd mayweather, juan manuel marquez, mixed martial arts, MMA, UFC
Jason says:
Sorry Jeff, but I have never heard of Juan Marquez and I used to follow boxing many years ago. Along with that most of my friends who follow sports have also never heard of Marquez. I can guarantee you, go into the street and ask an average person and I would almost guarantee more people will know Rich Franklin over Juan Marquez. Old boxing enthusiasts are fighting hard to keep their sport relavent, but it's a losing battle my friend. MMA is here to stay!
Mason Lerner says:
Jason,
It depends what streets you are on. Believe me, in my hood, they would know Marquez. Try asking people outside of the US, especially south of the border, and it won't even be close, bud.
Marquez is an incredible fighter. If Mayweather doesn't run, he should get beat up pretty badly.
Jeff Wagenheim says:
If you don't know Marquez but do know Franklin and Belfort, you're an MMA fan, not an "average person" on the street.
An average person on the street -- one who does not identify himself or herself as a sports fan -- probably doesn't know any of the guys who'll be fighting next weekend. Maybe Mayweather, because of his nonstop self-promotion. If your "average person" is a sports fan but not necessarily into boxing or MMA, the next-most recognizable name is Marquez, from his fairly high-profile battles with Pacquaio. Outside of MMA fans, few will know Franklin and even fewer will have heard of Belfort.
This is simply a statement about name recognition, not anything to do with any of these guys' abilities a fighters. But it's name recognition that makes a PPV event a success. For that reason, I think the boxing card will outsell the MMA one. But put a Petty Boy Floyd PPV opposite a PPV featuring Brock Lesnar, and MMA would win the day, assuming the UFC stacked the rest of the card, as it usually does.
mozzarotti325 says:
dana white sounds scared as hell.... im from west texas where all these crasy country white boy's love ufc.... but going up against the return of mayweather vs the #2 pound 4 pound fighter in the world JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ on mexican independence weekend ufc 103 don't have a chance... all the mexicans on my block well be shit face watching this fight and most of my black friends can't waite to see mayweather back... and 24/7 makes the fights that much better, sorry dana but you well be on the losing end this weekend
mozzarotti325 says:
dana white sounds scared as hell.... im from west texas where all these crasy country white boy's love ufc.... but going up against the return of mayweather vs the #2 pound 4 pound fighter in the world JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ on mexican independence weekend ufc 103 don't have a chance... all the mexicans on my block well be shit face watching this fight and most of my black friends can't waite to see mayweather back... and 24/7 makes the fights that much better, sorry dana but you well be on the losing end this weekend...
John says:
I actually am not to pumped up for UFC 103 it's not THAT great of a card. SO I will not be surprised if Dana eats it this PPV weekend, sadly. I hardly watch boxing anymore since I started watching MMA. Dana is absolutely right, the action and thrill of an MMA fight is way better to watch than a boxing match up with some jabs and crosses. But for me UFC 102 is more of a thing to watch and get my mouth wet for what I think will be one of the top cards all year UFC 104.
Mr. Mike says:
Most of the mainstream MMA fans would flock to boxing, if Boxing promoters knew how to market to them. Boxings biggest problem is a bunch of old, close minded guys doing the same thing they've always done and, it still makes them money, but the bottom seems to be slowly dropping out with the lack of new stars on the horizon.
Witness that most MMA fans want to see two guys brawl. Chuck Liddell, a former Div. I wrestler never used his wrestling skills except when he was defending takedowns (and did so like a master.) His offense was pretty much wild, looping punches, which devastated the former wrestlers and, BJJ guys he fought, but all the boxing fans I watched Liddell with couldn't believe that he'd last very long against boxers, as long as Chuck kept the fight standing. However, big Chuck would have certainly resorted to using his grappling skills if he had to face a good boxer. Oh, maybe he could have kicked, but in that case, any of the top K1 fighters would have knocked him out.
Most fans want to see a brawl and, it doesn't seem to matter if the guys can really box well, or not. They'd rather see Sean Sherk (ex Div. 1 wrestler) box BJ Penn (top BJJ grapper) than have those guys show what they can really do. But, I have to believe that at least a large number of them would flock to boxing, if they saw fast paced matches between good boxers. Maybe boxing could find young, hungry fighters and, have them go for 6 rounds. If they fought exciting fights, then you'd have something to build off of. But they also have to get into the 21st century way of promoting sporting events.
Aaron Stewart says:
Ugh I can't stand Don King