UFC announcement: Lorenzo Fertitta to work full-time to expand MMA promotion
by MMAmania.com on Jun 18, 2008 3:11 PM EDT
135 comments
Network television deal? Nope. Regulation in New York? Nope. Sale to major international investor? Nope.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) today revealed the major announcement that will serve as an "indicator of where this business is going over the next five years" via Yahoo!Sports.com:
"Lorenzo Fertitta, the president of one of the most successful casino chains in Las Vegas, resigned his position with Station Casinos on Wednesday to work full-time with the UFC."
It's a move that White feels it is the biggest day in the history of the promotion. And he defends his opinion against those naysayers on the Internet who feel it's much ado about nothing.
From White:
"The Internet may not consider this huge news, but what the people on the Internet think is huge and what I think is huge are two different things. But you know what? I think I have a pretty good track record. I think this is maybe the biggest day in UFC history. I’m so excited, I can’t begin to explain it to you. This is an historic day for me and this company."
According to the report, Fertitta will concentrate on locking in more major blue chip sponsors, as well as expanding the international reach of the UFC brand to countries such as Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Russia, Dubai, India and other destinations across the globe.
Here's a snip from Fertitta:
"The problem, if there is a problem, is that the business has gotten so successful, it’s requiring more time, focus and attention. Station Casinos is a business my family and I have built and now it’s a multi-billion dollar company. But the reality is, the UFC has gone through so much growth in the last eight years, my brother and I felt we’d be better in divide and conquer mode. He’ll stay at Station Casinos and take care of that and I’ll come over here and work on the issues involving the UFC."
It must be nice indeed to have those types of problems.
To check out the entire article on the thinking behind this decision, as well as what it means for the UFC in particular and mixed martial arts in general, head over to Yahoo!Sports.com and read the entire article before commenting below.
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Love how he ripped all you bloggers that expected big news…..lol
by Derrick Fox on Jun 18, 2008 4:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Actually, this is gigantic news for the UFC as a company which will eventually translate to lots of $$$ if the globalization of the sport is successful.
Look at much ka-ching Stern has made with the NBA by globalizing it (TV deals, jersey sales, stocks through the roof, etc.)
Big news for the MMA fan? Right now I would have to say,
Zzzzzzzz……..
by OJR on Jun 18, 2008 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
F*CK this announcement. Sure its good for the UFC and potentially to its fighters, but quite frankly, for the US fans, it sucks. It just means that more and more events will be held overseas. Back in the day, I used to be able to go to a PPV at Mohegan Sun or Boardwalk Hall in AC like 4 times a year to watch the UFC. The last time they were in that area was UFC 55.
Now, lets talk about something more interesting.
Tonights episode of TUF is 1 and a half hours long. Does that guarantee that Jesse is the one to get kicked out of the UFC and they have to have another fight to see who will fight at the finale?
by ViolentMike on Jun 18, 2008 4:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree with “F*CK this announcement.”
haha, and Jesse’s tongue is too big. listen to that guy talk! damn!
by Fidel Cashflow on Jun 18, 2008 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Below are the current MMAWeekly World MMA Rankings, which are up-to-date as of June 18.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (over 205 pounds)
- Heavyweight Fighter in the World: Fedor Emelianenko
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3. Randy Couture
4. Josh Barnett
5. Tim Sylvia
6. Andrei Arlovski
7. Fabricio Werdum
8. Gabriel Gonzaga
9. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic
10. Aleksander Emelianenko
by Automation on Jun 18, 2008 6:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (205-pound limit)
- Light Heavyweight Fighter in the World: Quinton Jackson
2. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
3. Chuck Liddell
4. Lyoto Machida
5. Wanderlei Silva
6. Forrest Griffin
7. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
9. Keith Jardine
10. Thiago Silva
by Automation on Jun 18, 2008 6:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION (185-pound limit)
- Middleweight Fighter in the World: Anderson Silva
2. Paulo Filho
3. Rich Franklin
4. Robbie Lawler
5. Kazuo Misaki
6. Yushin Okami
7. Nathan Marquardt
8. Dan Henderson
9. Gegard Mousasi
10. Denis Kang
by Automation on Jun 18, 2008 6:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION (170-pound limit)
- Welterweight Fighter in the World: Georges St. Pierre
2. Jon Fitch
3. Thiago Alves
4. Josh Koscheck
5. Matt Hughes
6. Matt Serra
7. Jake Shields
8. Diego Sanchez
9. Carlos Condit
10. Karo Parisyan
by Automation on Jun 18, 2008 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION (160-pound limit)
- Lightweight Fighter in the World: B.J. Penn
2. Takanori Gomi
3. Shinya Aoki
4. Tatsuya Kawajiri
5. Gesias “JZ” Calvancante
6. Gilbert Melendez
7. Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro
8. Mitsuhiro Ishida
9. Joe Stevenson
10. Sean Sherk
by Automation on Jun 18, 2008 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Taken into consideration are a fighter’s performance in addition to his win-loss record, head-to-head and common opponents, difficulty of opponents, and numerous other factors in what is the most comprehensive rankings system in the sport.
Fighters who are currently serving drug-related suspensions are not eligible for Top 10 consideration until they have fought one time after the completion of their suspension.
Fighters must also have competed within the past 12 months in order to be eligible for Top 10 consideration.
by Automation on Jun 18, 2008 6:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
How come Shogun made it to number 2????
by Automation on Jun 18, 2008 6:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
shogun shouldn’t be in the top 5 at this point… maybe in the past but not now
by sac165 on Jun 18, 2008 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Cuz he is an animal.
The Heavyweight list is accurate, but I would put Barnett over Randy.
Lightheavyweight is pretty accurate, forrest still may be too high on that list
Lightweight its interesting it lacks a lot of UFC lightweights, I dont disagree completely but guys like Ishida should be taken off and Florian added to the list.
Jake Sheilds and Dan Henderson are ranked way too low!
by john on Jun 18, 2008 6:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Lightweight division is interesting too, especially as few fighters are from the UFC.
John, I’m sure you’ll be happy Aoki is top 3
by Automation on Jun 18, 2008 6:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hey John, what about New York rejection??
Not enough votes apparantly
by Automation on Jun 18, 2008 6:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I seriously cannot believe Rashad Evans is not listed at light heavy. He is still undefeated. He beat Jardine on TUF 2. Guess to get ranked through that site he has to beat Liddel. I like mmaranks.com too.
by halljam2 on Jun 18, 2008 8:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree about Evens.I also can not understand Sherk being # 10 at 160. He’s better than most of them on the list. As for Middleweights, Henderson # 8, Bisbing not even on the list??? I don’t know, I really don’t have time to go threw all this. To me these rankings are weak!!
by iagoof22 on Jun 18, 2008 8:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Are you guys seriously complaining that Bisping and Evans didn’t make the lists? They’re not up there for a reason, they have yet to beat anyone on the lists or of real meaning.
by Toms Bombs on Jun 18, 2008 11:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m sick of the Forrest is “too high on the list” crap… he beat the tar out of #2… no excuses… whooped him.
by Rawbert on Jun 19, 2008 12:04 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Don’t be surprised if this causes major friction between him and Dana….. but who cares July 19th is going to be nuts!!!!
by Robert on Jun 18, 2008 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Are you serious? the NBA has globalized at the expence of losing its American audiance. They have spent too much time marketing to the rest of the world that Americans have lost interest in the NBA.
by DB on Jun 18, 2008 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
What!!! Last night (game 6) should have GREAT ratings!!! Lost interest??? You can thank the Celtsfor getting people interested again.
by iagoof22 on Jun 18, 2008 9:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
yes, he is serious. But you all should not be surprised as dana king has been doing this time after time. he is such a joke. And if he didnt want us bloggers to get worked up, then why instigate us with this “HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT BS” ….dont say i didnt warn yall about dana king…
by blah on Jun 18, 2008 4:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
word. Dana has zero credibility.
by Harry Triangle on Jun 18, 2008 8:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Move over Dana! I wonder who’s going to have the bigger office? How r they going to divide responsiblities?… will be interesting to find out more about the office/business dynamics.
by THORAZINE on Jun 18, 2008 6:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I do recall the words “mind blowing” coming from one of Dana’s original descriptions of this announcement.
by Toms Bombs on Jun 18, 2008 11:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
although it is very underwhelming considering we were waiting for something bigger.
by jd on Jun 18, 2008 3:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I GOT A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
It’s 12:30 and I will be taking a nap for the next 2 hours, hope you guys can get along without me!
That’s bigger news than the Fertita’s thinking Dana sucks at his job!
by kevin on Jun 18, 2008 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
thats what i thought, its grown to big for dana to handle is more like it. it sucks as news but i am sure is a good thing for the ufc.
by roy on Jun 18, 2008 4:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
wow this is the announcement? i think the ufc action figures is a better and bigger news
by mr.rice-a-roni on Jun 18, 2008 3:13 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
that will affect mma for 5 years how? Dana was rigght, the media jumped on this, and it was more of a employee announcement
by kevin on Jun 18, 2008 3:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Dana’s original statement, it’s big news for the ufc, not for us!
“I said I wanted to make the announcement to my employees, so it’s not even like I was making a big announcement to the media. If I was doing that I would’ve had a big news conference and then gone off to London. I wanted to wait until I was back to do it.”
by kevin on Jun 18, 2008 3:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
How is that the original statement Kenvin? you just copied what he said after the media was pressuring him to say what the big deal was. I remember what he said first, he said he had a huge statement to make and he’ll talk to his employees first and then to the MEDIA.
by linx on Jun 18, 2008 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
wow man, this just blew my mind away! That’s awesome news, never thought of that one. this is so much better than a tv deal, this should have a huge impact in MMA for the next 5 years or so! (sarcasm…)
This doesn’t surprise me at all. I’m sure Dana was working on something huge, opened his mouth before the right time, the deal dropped and he was left with nothing. So he had to pull a white rabbit out of the hat, that white rabbit was lorenzo. How will this have an impact in MMA for the next five years? Maybe an impact in the UFC for the next five years, but not MMA…
by linx on Jun 18, 2008 3:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
i feel like i just blew my wad to find out it was a she male
by kevin on Jun 18, 2008 3:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
hahaha..that was classic kevin.
I don’t know how 2 co-heads are gonna work..I guess Dana isn’t the main boss anymore, there’s someone finally ahead of him.
by Anonymousf*ck on Jun 18, 2008 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nah Dana probably really does think this is a huge deal, it just shows how out of touch he can be with the fans of the sport. What annoys me is that he originally stated that there would be this HUGE news and that he was renting someplace to inform his employees first before it was announced to the media, then he comes out and says it was never intended as a big media announcement. Well Dana, why not just make the fawkin’ announcement to your employees without leaking it first? He just reminds of the little boy crying wolf one (or three) too many times, it’s really kind of funny, in an irritating to the fans kind of way. At least it provides a little more fodder for the speculation threads the next time he has a HUGE announcement to make.
by Scott on Jun 18, 2008 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
that sucks!
boycott UFC
boycott elite xc
boycott MMA!!!
by ufc inside info on Jun 18, 2008 3:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
This is a big announcement. I dont see how no one sees that. Big things are coming up for the UFC. Just give it time. With Lorenzo coming on full board, alot more things will be able to get done.
by Joey 1.0 on Jun 18, 2008 3:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I agree, from a fans point of view it sucks, but in the long run this is a big deal.
by Haze on Jun 18, 2008 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
all it means is they (fertita’s) think Dasna is doing a bad job, and they want to be more hands on. It’s good for business, but it wasn’t big news for the fans!
by kevin on Jun 18, 2008 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I disagree, obviously Dana has been doing a pretty good job and now with the UFC growing as much as it has Dana can’t do it all by himself.
by Haze on Jun 18, 2008 3:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think its great that the second highest paid casino executive in Las Vegas is taking charge of the international business of the biggest MMA company in the world. Period.
Thats what you call going global.
by chris on Jun 18, 2008 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I cant believe that news is shit. mr.rice-a-roni is correct the action figures is better news
by sinbad on Jun 18, 2008 3:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Vera dropping weight class and Silva going up weight class is bigger news then that bullsh*t!!
by The Hammer on Jun 18, 2008 3:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
yea seriously wtf is up with that! maybe a big announcement for the ufc as an organization but come on now..us fans were expecting a lil more than that!!
by machidafanclubprez on Jun 18, 2008 3:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Give me the Rampage action figure, much more exciting than this horse shit.
by FukStyck on Jun 18, 2008 3:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
You’re right! I think they should just rid of Lorenzo AND Dana and just let the company run itself!! Big things are going to come of this. Damn. People have no patience. We just got a free card announced for the 19th. Be happy about that.
by Joey 1.0 on Jun 18, 2008 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
@ Joey 1.0
Ahhh. you’re “that guy” You know, The guy that always butt’s in with “Stop complaining and be more like me guy”.
Zip it.
by Rumbler on Jun 18, 2008 3:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
This is pretty damn important. Its like the UFC execs are shifting into high gear now. I’m blown away. XD He walked away from $113.8 million, so he could focus on UFC full time. This is gonna be big for Dana and the UFC.
by Sean_M on Jun 18, 2008 3:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Now that you put it that way,this is pretty big guys lol.
by decadent on Jun 18, 2008 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
i have big news too! my best friend’s helping me sell door-to-door vacuums!
by loves jello on Jun 18, 2008 3:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I love it. There announcement is that the owner of the UFC is going to work for the UFC.
by Condilezza Rice on Jun 18, 2008 3:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
ya it’s happened before, only it was called the Dallas Cowboys. And that worked out well for them.
by bigbadbrad on Jun 18, 2008 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
This is a pretty HUGE announcement, and this is not sarcasm… wow.
by "Mr. NC-17" on Jun 18, 2008 3:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Wow just as exciting as the last “big announcement” where they announced they got a major sponsor (and then raised the price of the PPV $5). I guess they’ll raise the price again to pay his salary.
by Jason on Jun 18, 2008 3:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Lorenzo and his brother Frank..R those dudes. I give them props for transforming ufc/MMa to what it is today and what it will be tommorrow.
by PhilQNY on Jun 18, 2008 3:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
As soon as they found out Trump is in the game with Affliction, Lorenzo was like, “thats it, im FULLTIME” “I got money and connection too, bring the heat”!!!
by Shaolins Finest on Jun 18, 2008 3:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
and we all know that a fertitta is a hell of a lot more bad ass than a chump trump
by bigbadbrad on Jun 18, 2008 4:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
yup battle of the billionaires… get the attorney’s # on speed dial.
by kama kaze on Jun 18, 2008 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
this is better than most of the rumors floatin around, think about it with two clearly driven and sucessful guys running the show, ufc wil be able to do so much more, i dont no much about Lorenzo Fertitta but the dude walked away from 113 million a year to do this. this is MASSIVE!!!! remember 2 heads are better than 1
by the dude on Jun 18, 2008 3:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I disagree, you can’t have two heads in one company, that would equal chaos. I can see one of them having more power than the other, I’m thinking DW will take a step back and lorenzo will become president soon.
by linx on Jun 18, 2008 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
the way this will work out is dw will be in charge of certain things, i.e. fights, locations, and more on the promoting side of it. and lf will probably be in charge of the business stand point like fighters contracts, investments, and all that jazz. to me that would be the logical solution since dana has a huge history of being able to promote a crappy fight into an awesome fight and obviously fertitta is successful so i’m actually excited for this.
by bigbadbrad on Jun 18, 2008 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dana will still be the President and Frank will most likely now be CEO or CFO or something like that.
by Haze on Jun 18, 2008 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nah, food and beverage manager!
by the_mexicutioner on Jun 18, 2008 9:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Fertita was in the background anyways and we are used to seeing him on weigh ins and ppv shows….I believe the move is made in order to control Dana’s personal feelings effecting the business….the possibility of Tito returning to the UFC scene just went sky high….
and yes not the announcement that would get me jumping up & down on my seat.
by commoner on Jun 18, 2008 3:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I do realize this is a pretty big deal for the UFC, and even Dana addmits this isn’t huge news to the internet community……..THEN WHY THE F**K ADVERTISE IT SO LARGELY IN THE INTERNET COMMUNITY????
by The Hammer on Jun 18, 2008 3:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I don’t think it was pimped as much by the UFC or Dana as much as it was by the blogs and fans. We all like to assume what is going to happen and then are let down when it’s not what we thought. This is huge news. It’s huge internally for the UFC right now, and will eventually be huge for the fans.
by VNDK8 on Jun 18, 2008 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ditto. It was as big of a deal, as we made it.
Trump joins Affliction, uses name and contacts to cash in on new found interest in MMA = Fertittas counter punch.
Business move. plain and simple. Read into it all you want, it’s just business.
by JRandolph on Jun 18, 2008 4:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hey but at least with Fertitta working more hands on he’ll negoatiate some of the contracts and not let dana white do em coz we know that dana can be a bit of moron when it comes to big negoatitations e.g “crazy fucking russians” when dealing with fedor.
by Macho Bullshit on Jun 18, 2008 3:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
i was lookin’ forward to some open weight ufc tournament or dana white stepping in the cage, or even BJ penn v A.Silva…..some thing on them lines. this sucks ass
by Insain on Jun 18, 2008 3:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Why would the Lorenzo decide to come over to the UFC full time. They may be getting tired of Dana’s affairs. Although Dana has done an extraordinary job on getting MMA so popular here in the U.S he has seemingly lost touch with what the fans want and expect. With other promotions becoming more and more popular, the UFC might finally be at wits end. There is a big enough market for MMA, so UFC don’t feel threatened continue doing the right things for the fans and we will never stop watching.
by PACO on Jun 18, 2008 4:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
This only proves what an ass Dana is. On the other hand at least we wont have to see Dana use his foul language and maybe the organization can be taken more seriously with lorenzo as the main figure now. Dana is obviously not doing a good job. For a major casino executive to quit his job of an annual earning of $118 million in 2007 to come to the UFC, theres obviously something wrong. Thats a massive paycut for him since he wont be making even a tenth of that a year, especially if Dana is still in the UFC. Somethings gotta give and lookout for Dana leaving by the end of the year!
by JJ on Jun 18, 2008 4:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
haha, the huge announcement is that now there are 2 DANA WHITES! ROFL!!
by Ramon on Jun 18, 2008 4:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
just keep the fights coming and who cares who is running the joint. Give me a break the only thing i care about is the fights ufc, elite ect…
by JAMJAM on Jun 18, 2008 4:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
We, the internet MMA nerds, made this a big announcement for us. Everybody sat around for days guessing what it would be, and we all got worked up. Big deal, do all you women need a “new, exciting, fantastatic, deal” every week. What about all the prophesies of a deal with the WWE. If this were the Old Testament, those guys would be getting stoned right now.
Sure, I’m bummed out that it was’nt some new TV, or fight deal with Fedor or whoever, but give it a rest already.
Also, given that Trump has thrown his hat into the MMA ring, it’s reasonable to assume that the Fertittas want to make sure he (Trump) does’nt cash in on all the new found interest in MMA. In the end it’s a great move for the UFC.
by JRandolph on Jun 18, 2008 4:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
“We, the internet MMA nerds, made this a big announcement for us.”
yup, had nothing to do with Dana White creating big hype in what is now a pattern, weeks from TUF finale and an upcoming UFC
by aa on Jun 18, 2008 4:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
See, thats where you have things screwed up, we did blow it out of proportion, but thats how it was fed to us as well. Dana White said specifically that this wasn’t supposed to be a big “let’s call a press conference” announcement. So if it’s a big letdown, then it’s nobody’s fault but our own for buying into the hype that was never meant to exist. But, this is a big deal in the longrun, having Lorenzo on the forefront brings more of a voice of reason, he can open doors that Dana possibly couldn’t due to his attitude, and there’s also a bigger chance that a lot of the fighter’s you’ve wanted to see in the UFC, will make it over because when Dana slams the door in their face, Lorenzo will be right there to open it back up if he sees a potential to make a big fight(s).
by primary_Knukkle on Jun 18, 2008 7:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I usually stick up for Dana but come on!
by Sideshow on Jun 18, 2008 4:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
what he fuck now come on whats that I dont care about that shit hes right im the net fan with A.D.D and thats But shit the anderson silva fight is a bigger announcement then that im pissed all that for that not more money is good for the fighters Hell ya but thats something i would like to her as on a bolog
by droc on Jun 18, 2008 4:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Would someone please get this dude a dictionary and grammar lessons. I mean, “thats something i would like to her as on a bolog”….
Jesus, droc.
by SkeletonKey on Jun 18, 2008 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Huge or not. Lame or not. It’s still a news, regardless. So, now we know what direction the UFC is taking.
by 123boogie on Jun 18, 2008 5:02 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Im sure some of the reason is Dana can’t do it all on his own. Isn’t this dude constantly traveling? I mean, i’m sure he’d like to take some down time here and there to spend at home… Think about it. You have to be there every UFC event. As exciting as it is. But you also have an everyday job where your traveling accross the country to negotiate deals. I’m sure there are plenty of times he’d love to be sitting at home enjoying his money with family.
As for the announcement, I think it’s great. Not what any1 expected. But at the same time, some of the speculations were bad. Every1 should have known it wasnt a fight, that would come n go, not stick for 5 years… That was the big aspect of this whole announcement. It was something that would have impact for the next 5 years, and this does.
by Chris on Jun 18, 2008 5:05 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Darn; I thought Dana was going to say how much he saved on his car insurance.
by dandeman on Jun 18, 2008 5:13 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
This is huge people, think about it.
Lorenzo was very hands off in the UFC, Dana made all the decisions, their was 1 boss. Now there are 2.
Its someone to keep Dana in check. a very calm, collected executive who has alot of experience just left one of the biggest casino empires to focus ONLY on the UFC.
this is bigger than any tv deal, fedor signing, etc.
by Dan on Jun 18, 2008 5:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
You guys need to realize that neither Dana by himself or the Fertitta Brothers by themselves could have made the UFC what it is today without the other party being involved. Dana is a master at promoting the sport and making things exciting while the Fertittas are the financial backing that a big time promotion needs. This announcement is huge bc now the UFC will have even more money pumped into it to make bigger and better events possible.
by The Natural on Jun 18, 2008 5:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
waaaaay overhyped …but still thats major moves right there. getting nyc or setting up big fights are so routine for them now that they don’t even need to announce the announcement anymore. DW pretty much already locked NYC and he already admitted planning MSG event soon. guarantee this will impact the big picture by having the big dawg nurturing his company. sounds like the equivalent of 100 budweiser deals maybe. i guess we just gotta wait and see what $120 mil salary is capable of and how the effects will trickle down and affect us. pissed off mfkers should just chill cuz we all know the good fights are coming non-stop and without warning. all of our guesses were smaller than the actual announcement and thats what separates the commoners from the gigantuous visionaries.
by kama kaze on Jun 18, 2008 5:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
….Sigh…. No idea why i let myself get so hyped up, regardless what ppl have been trying to tell me.
by Leeward on Jun 18, 2008 5:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Some people here have a really hard time looking at the big picture. The UFC is investing in it’s future, not just what fight can they make for next month to keep the fans happy for another day. Most of these start-ups are booking these huge fighters for mega contracts and will be belly-up because they have no promotion and ppv buys. In another thread, someone had commented about the Affliction card and there not being hardly any promotion. I know Affliction has made a ton of money from their clothing, but if you don’t have income being brought in from your events, you aren’t going to last long. Most of the fans, aside from hardcore’s, don’t even know there is an Affliction PPV event coming up. I’ll be interested to see what the PPV buys are for the event, I doubt they will be close to what the UFC has been getting, yet they are shelling out a lot of $$$ for their top fighters.
by VNDK8 on Jun 18, 2008 5:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
how close are the fertittas and dana white besides buisness partners? just curious. also dana white is a such a tool. he basically said he doesnt care what the fans think, but his opinion is better then anybodys. hes such a prick.
by bg on Jun 18, 2008 5:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
White and the Fertittas go back since high school? They were definitely friends first before business partners. I like and respect Dana White, he obviously has some very transparent faults and can be a real prick at times. Lorenzo should smooth out some of White’s rough edges, I like the way Lorenzo handles himself in public.
by THORAZINE on Jun 18, 2008 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m pretty sure ther’re best friends and next-door neighbors.
by Haze on Jun 18, 2008 7:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
This is more of a private financial announcement, and die hard fans intelligent as they are understand this means big things for the ufc..global events, more $$, and shit. But its kind of a downer for the public eye..we all had high hopes thinking this was going to be something absolutely amazing like like a network deal or going public, this was way to hyped in my opinion.
by srd on Jun 18, 2008 5:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Give it time, and it probably won’t take long, the big deals will come. Dana has some pull, but he doesn’t have a resume like Lorenzo. Investors see Dana and see success with the UFC, that’s it. Lorenzo has a little more business experience and success so I think there will be a lot of big deals made and major announcements coming sooner than most people think. And regardless of how many people say Dana is a prick, he is, and will continue to be a major player in the game.
by VNDK8 on Jun 18, 2008 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
This is big news for MMA in general. Now in some time the UFC will be the undisputed leader in MMA and they can buy one more corn dog to send Gary Shaw to a coma and out of his elite circus. This will end up being huge for the fans when things are rolling and all the fighters come crawling back to the UFC.
by Kimber on Jun 18, 2008 5:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Two powerful dudes running the Vegas casinos. BIG Success. Now two powerful dudes will run the UFC. Watch out!
by junjod on Jun 18, 2008 6:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
WTF when we gonna see the UFC here in MOROCCO (casablanca) it would awsome
by UFC fan from MOROCCO on Jun 18, 2008 6:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Doesn’t look like UFC will be in New York anytime soon!!!
Not enough votes apparantly!!
by Automation on Jun 18, 2008 6:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
nobody in the major, original market cares to see it we can’t stand it when it is in london and we have to watch at 3 pm or watched the taped version,but its unfortunate for you ,i wouldn’t think there is a big enough market compared to uk,ireland ,germany,russia,japan ,and china SORRY,at this pace probably in 20 years
by scott on Jun 18, 2008 7:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
they are re-voting in ny next week. In fact many people tried to change their votes today but it wasn’t allowed. Don’t give up on NY yet automation…it could still happen
by joe k. on Jun 18, 2008 7:32 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I personally think barnett is one of the top Heavies in the world talent wise maybe even top but it’s pretty hard to put him top five when he hasn’t really done much in the last little while. His last five fights he lost to Mirko (which tends to happen) beat Pawel nasula(who the hell is that) lost to Nog (also happens) beat 8-6 yoshido(plug) and went to decision with Monson. I am a huge Barnett fan but until he starts rolling through top competition which he probably will given the opportunity I don’t think he should be listed that high.
by creeks on Jun 18, 2008 8:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Donald Trump vs Fertitta
This could be a bigger than alot of us see it as. They brought in this big shot to make more money. The only way to do that is to make UFC more popular. I think he will start investing to gobble up all the great fighters and put on more shows in more places.
Now lets get Fedor, Cro Cop, Barnett, Carlos Newton, Floyd Mayweather, hong man choi, Loiseau, mike tyson, kimbo and another WWE guy for fun,
add a super heavy weight division (get butterbean) and a feather weight division and give us 2 shows a month at 29.95 each.
by Al Cook on Jun 18, 2008 9:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Smart business move. I know a bunch of people are going to be p*ssed about this being the announcement, but us internet people blew it WAY out of proportion. Dana just got allof us talking about his company for a couple weeks. Which is smart. The fact of the matter is that this is being done to counter Trump/Affliction. And whether people want to believe it or not, this IS HUGE for both MMA and the UFC.
by chefdaddy on Jun 18, 2008 9:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
This was 100% done to get the UFC some attention, especially after the flop Bedlam was expected to be and was, not to mention all the attention and success that EliteXC has been having with the CBS show and Return of the King this last weekend, as well as the HUGE card Affliction put together. Even the most diehard UFC fans know Dana is jealous. It’s kinda like one little kid acting like they are hurt or something when the other little kid is getting more attention just to draw the attention back their way.
But at the same time the UFC is all about finding MORE WAYS to make the UFC MORE MONEY, or as Dana refers to it “growing the sport”(but only in the octagon). I’ve always heard “two heads are better than one”. We shall see and I hope so.
by Listo on Jun 19, 2008 1:33 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Come on you guys! Just pretend Dana announced a welter weight grand prix.
by Diesel_Power on Jun 19, 2008 2:53 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
ITS NOT BIG NEWS that UFC IS GOING GLOBAL… UFC GOING GLOBAL is another way of saying THE US IS IN a RECESSION.. and ppv and gate entrance would greatly diminish.. and we know dana wants to make ufc bigger than it really is.. a decline in those areas would destroy his hype that its going bigger and bigger… concerts in the u.s is going right now.because of high fuel prices…
so theyre solution: ufc invades brazil and 50,000 watched!!!! wow its soooo big… but then again its a once in a while thing so the whole mma crowd in brazil would watch
look at brandon vera theyre hyping him now because they would go to the philippines this year.but he lost… so what did they do.. they made him fight this july with an opponent he can handle….. good marketing … going global= u.s recession
fertita the billionarie can match up with donald trump affliction and hdnet cuban…
by dana on Jun 19, 2008 6:10 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
so what if the US is in recession? are you telling me that successful american companies only want to go global when a recession hits? ALL companies want to eventually go global!
i need to see an article where they said they would go to the Philippines in 2008. last time i checked the U.S. recession coupled with crazy global inflation is crippling more or less ALL economies and not just the US.
am i the only who is ecstatic about this announcement? finally, it’s not gonna be just Dana White F bombing the place…hopefully Lorenzo will get some TV time giving further credibility to the business of the UFC (maybe not to you guys…but the regular Joes out there).
woohoo! MMA (ahem, UFC) is taking over, baby!
by Spawn on Jun 19, 2008 9:05 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
whats the big deal on lorenzos resume..he just earned from gambling.heck anybody can be rich in doing that..not like other business people earned with theyre keen business senses.. legally or morally…
by dana on Jun 19, 2008 6:13 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Dana – If it’s so easy to earn money from gambling and be the number two highest paid exec in Vegas, also while being a majority owner of the UFC, PLEASE show me how. Who wouldn’t want to be that guy?
by fedor on Jun 19, 2008 8:19 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Well personally I am tired of the Fertitta’s and how they smother the market. They pay these guys bum money, unless your a big name. Most of these guys train 8 hours a day, 7 days a week, and come to fight, and receive a small check, win or lose.
Figure it out 4 fights a year=30,000.00, and after taxes, this is nothing. The Fertittas are Billionaires, and will continue their pursuit to muscle every legitimate MMA Organization out of buisiness. These guys train their ass off, and are nothing but fodder for the Fertittas.
They act the same way to their casino workers, they walk around and don’t even acknowledge who is making them money. I know the Father of these Boys wasn’t the same way, he wanted to chat with the REAL PEOPLE, but I hope personally that one of these boys learns the right way to treat the real people in a better way, and maybe they wouldn’t be so hated by the REAL PEOPLE, who make THEIR MONEY.
by keo lavezzi on Oct 14, 2008 1:36 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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