Happy return from the weekend, Sherbros! This is my first lengthy post, so I included a TLDR version at the very end.
It occurred to me recently that there are in fact two Dana Whites: there's Dana White the brand, and Dana White the businessman.
Dana White the brand is obvious. This is the one that speaks at the RNC convention, has Twitter spats with fans, publicly insults reporters/fighters, etc. Basically, the Dana we all see and hear. I used to be a fan of Dana White the brand, but as I started following the sport more closely, I became turned off by the fake tough-guy talk. Plus, given all the controversy that's surrounded the UFC about how they treat their fighters, it makes him appear more like a sleazy promoter.
Dana White the businessman is a little harder to understand. The UFC propaganda machine leads us to believe that he's this natural genius with a keen understanding of the fight business, which enabled him to rise from obscurity to become a multi-millionaire (possibly billions now, who knows?).
However, as a businessman, what has he really done? He had a good idea that he ran by a couple of his friends (who happened to be millionaires already), and they took the reigns and stuck him at the front. From that point forward, it seems like he's just there. The Fertitas were the ones who built the UFC into what it would become. The Endeavor guys like Ari were able to get the ESPN deal done. They kinda/sorta imply that Dana was in the room while these deals were happening, but it seems like they're just being generous in order to prop up the brand.
Now, I'm not saying that he's been a complete dead weight to the UFC. He appears to be very involved with contract negotiations with some of the top-tier fighters. However, unless he does a lot more behind the scenes than he appears (which I doubt, considering how much time he spends in front of the camera), I believe he's just a well-paid puppet who hasn't had a good idea since 2003. Also, considering how many times he's either said or done things that turned out to be either blatant lies or blew up in his face, I think there's a strong argument that the UFC would be even more successful if he weren't around.
TLDR: Dana White's personal success is 99% due to this tough-guy brand he's built that is largely divorced from reality; he's not a no-nonsense business genius, but rather a lucky nobody who had a good idea, a couple of rich friends, and just enough savvy/charisma to keep himself relevant.
So, in your opinion my Sher-brethren, what do you think of Dana White the businessman? Is he this genius he's made out to be, or is he an empty suit collecting a salary?
It occurred to me recently that there are in fact two Dana Whites: there's Dana White the brand, and Dana White the businessman.
Dana White the brand is obvious. This is the one that speaks at the RNC convention, has Twitter spats with fans, publicly insults reporters/fighters, etc. Basically, the Dana we all see and hear. I used to be a fan of Dana White the brand, but as I started following the sport more closely, I became turned off by the fake tough-guy talk. Plus, given all the controversy that's surrounded the UFC about how they treat their fighters, it makes him appear more like a sleazy promoter.
Dana White the businessman is a little harder to understand. The UFC propaganda machine leads us to believe that he's this natural genius with a keen understanding of the fight business, which enabled him to rise from obscurity to become a multi-millionaire (possibly billions now, who knows?).
However, as a businessman, what has he really done? He had a good idea that he ran by a couple of his friends (who happened to be millionaires already), and they took the reigns and stuck him at the front. From that point forward, it seems like he's just there. The Fertitas were the ones who built the UFC into what it would become. The Endeavor guys like Ari were able to get the ESPN deal done. They kinda/sorta imply that Dana was in the room while these deals were happening, but it seems like they're just being generous in order to prop up the brand.
Now, I'm not saying that he's been a complete dead weight to the UFC. He appears to be very involved with contract negotiations with some of the top-tier fighters. However, unless he does a lot more behind the scenes than he appears (which I doubt, considering how much time he spends in front of the camera), I believe he's just a well-paid puppet who hasn't had a good idea since 2003. Also, considering how many times he's either said or done things that turned out to be either blatant lies or blew up in his face, I think there's a strong argument that the UFC would be even more successful if he weren't around.
TLDR: Dana White's personal success is 99% due to this tough-guy brand he's built that is largely divorced from reality; he's not a no-nonsense business genius, but rather a lucky nobody who had a good idea, a couple of rich friends, and just enough savvy/charisma to keep himself relevant.
So, in your opinion my Sher-brethren, what do you think of Dana White the businessman? Is he this genius he's made out to be, or is he an empty suit collecting a salary?
