UFC Quick Quote: Dana White says UFC is 'mom and pop's' compared to Bellator's backer, Viacom

by Brian Hemminger on Oct 28, 2011 12:00 AM EDT in UFC News

"I love when you guys say a legitimate threat. A threat to what? Like they're gonna kill us? In what way? We're the 'mom and pops' now. Viacom's sitting on five billion in cash so they're not hurting for any money. It's good for them. Good for them. I'm not looking at them like, 'Oh my god, they're a huge threat!' You guys are so out of your minds. You, all them out here and then some of these fans are nuts. You guys get all nutty like, 'Oh, this is the next thing.' These companies that folded? They went out of business. They went out of business and lost millions and millions and millions of dollars. And when you're losing that kind of money in this economy, you want to get out of this business as fast as you can and that's what happened to all these other organizations. And when you look at somebody getting on television, they were all on television. All those guy had television deals. Even if you look at these guys now that just did the deal, they were on FOX, they were on ESPN, they were NBC, they were on everywhere. Just because you get on TV doesn't mean it's gonna make you successful. These guys gotta get in there and run their business. It doesn't mean that they're not gonna be successful either."

-- UFC President Dana White was asked about Viacom's purchase of Bellator today after the UFC 137 press conference in an interview with Ariel Helwani. White doesn't view Bellator as a threat, but also wasn't quick to dismiss the promotion either. Earlier this week, Viacom purchased a majority stake in Bellator and announced that the upstart promotion would debut on Spike TV -- the same network that helped UFC get on the mainstream map several years ago with The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) television series -- in 2013. That's when the television deal between Spike TV and the UFC's fight library expires. Does White have a point about the fans and media being quick to hail every upcoming promotion as "the next big thing?" Especially, considering that the UFC will hit the FOX television airwaves full force in 2012?

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does anyone know if Viacom bought 100 percent of Bellator?

by #1 piggy on Oct 28, 2011 12:07 AM EDT reply actions

I read it was a big chunk of their share. So not 100%

by mmachiro on Oct 28, 2011 12:10 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Sooner or later

UFC will have real competition. It’s just a matter of time.

by John Moss on Oct 28, 2011 1:28 AM EDT reply actions

Doubtful

Dana white is in such a high position now with the fertitia brothers that he can either buy out any rising competition, or squish them if they want.

"How many guys can say they actually been with Jenna Jameson"
-Tito Ortiz

"Two things you think about when you see another man... Who has a bigger dick and can I take that guy in a fight... One thing you cant do anything about, the other you can"
-Forrest Griffin

"My weight is not enough and strength is not enough either, so I have to take the fight by mastery."
-Fedor Emelianenko

by SuperShins on Oct 28, 2011 7:29 AM EDT up reply actions

I somewhat agree

But it’s a bad business strategy to buy out every up and comer. And if this business proves to still be a good money maker in a couple of years, money marks from all over the world could try to spring un local MMA shows to national and international shows. Zuffa would have a hard time absorbing three or four opponents at any one time.

Peep this hypothesis: It’s 2015. All of these gained traction: Bellator, ONE FC, and one of Shark Fights, BAMMA or ProElite. Throw in a Mark Cuban or Shane McMahon organization. The deal with FOX is bringing in so much revenue that one or two other major American networks want that MMA money.

Up to now, yes, Zuffa has been able to squish out all competition. Is it a scenario guaranteed to repeat itself ad vitam aeternam? My magic 8-ball says “unlikely”.

by Wonderjudas on Oct 28, 2011 8:32 AM EDT up reply actions

It takes more than money to win

Mark Cuban already had HDNet Fights.

The company that has the most passionate and hardworking owner, and is the most sustainable (they don’t spend more than what they earn), usually wins. Right now, that’s the UFC. Of course, they won’t last forever, but nobody’s in sight.

The closest model to the UFC is Vince McMahon’s WWF/E. They buy out most of their competition, even Ted Tumer’s WCW, which had much deeper pockets in its prime. I don’t care if Bill Gates is writing you checks, if you’re not profitable or show signs of being profitable, then these guys will pull the plug. They didn’t become billionaires by being a charity.

by Patrick Daryl on Oct 28, 2011 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions

At one point

WCW nearly put WWE out of business. It didn’t work out that way but it nearly did. Impact Wrestling has grown quite a bit and it wasn’t such a poorly ran company it could probably be much bigger competition. I also hear its huge in England. UFC could become a #2 company fairly easily too. Really all it could take is one game changing moment. Brock Lesnar leaving the UFC for instance would be a game changer. It might not be soon but in 10 or 20 years some company will come along and at very least be a close #2.

by John Moss on Oct 29, 2011 4:11 AM EDT up reply actions