****Apparently He Doesnt Want The Question About His Aerobics Backround***
http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/other_sports/ultimate_fighting/view/2009_05_17_Dana_White_stands_ground/?&gid=19798
Anyone who thought Dana White would soften his tone after the backlash from his recent controversial comments obviously doesn’t know the UFC president.
White drew widespread criticism for a video blog he posted on YouTube last month in which he attacked Sherdog.com writer Loretta Hunt for a story she wrote about the UFC’s credentialing policy. The low-point of the profanity-laced tirade was a homophobic slur White used to describe anonymous sources in Hunt’s story.
White later apologized to the *** community, but otherwise stood by his message and the manner in which he delivered it. In an interview with the Herald on Thursday, White explained that he has no intention of toning things down.
“I have a lot of attorneys that could write (expletive) speeches for me every time I talk,� White said. “I have three attorneys in the car right now. I can have them tell me everything they (expletive) want me to say. Is that what you want? Is that what the fans want? Is that what people want? I can do that. It would give me a lot less (expletive) headaches. Sure I could do that and be a phony like all the other guys, if that’s what everybody wants.�
The questions were obviously rhetorical, as White directed his ire at an ESPN feature on him that appeared on the network’s “E:60� program last week.
“The ‘E:60’ thing was a piece of (expletive),� White said. “Same old (expletive) story, same old (expletive).�
As with most White features, the piece covered his backstory and part in the UFC’s meteoric rise over the past decade. What bothered White were three interview subjects -- former UFC champions Tito Ortiz and Pat Miletich and New York assemblyman Bob Reilly - who spoke negatively about him.
White dismissed Miletich’s rant as sour grapes for failing to make the kind of money many UFC stars made.
“Pat Miletich is a very bitter guy right now,� White said. “Pat is not one of the smartest people you’re ever going to meet. He sees these guys around him, like Tim Sylvia, who made a couple million bucks in his career. ... Pat Miletich hasn’t made any money because he’s not a smart guy. It’s not my fault Pat Miletich is a (expletive) dummy.�
Reilly has been the most vocal opponent to New York hosting a UFC event, calling both mixed martial arts and White “unacceptable.� White doesn’t think his foul language should prevent New York from sanctioning the sport.
“We bring real numbers into cities when we roll into town,� White said. “The economic impact we have on these cities is (expletive) astronomical in these hard economic times right now. It’s a real business, whether I say (expletive) a lot or not.
“One guy opposes it, and that’s going to happen, no matter what. When we talked about this global plan, not everybody is going to love the UFC. We’re not facing anything we’ve never seen before.�
Ortiz’ comments truly got White’s blood boiling. The two were once close, but began feuding late in Ortiz’ UFC career. Their relationship came to an ugly end a year ago, with Ortiz claiming the UFC refused to pay $7,000 for surgery to repair a back injury he sustained while fighting in the UFC.
“We didn’t not pay for his (surgery),� White said. “The insurance company denied his claim because that (expletive) monkey gets out there and starts saying after the fight is over, ‘I was injured before this fight. That’s why I looked like (expletive).’ He’s always had an excuse for why he’s losing. Because he said he hurt his back before the fight, the insurance company said, ‘We heard you say you were injured before the fight and we’re not going to cover your claim.’ �
White’s biggest problem with the ESPN feature is his belief that it spent too much time on negative topics.
“I got the (Armed Forces Humanitarian Award) two (expletive) months ago,� White said. “Did you see that in there? They go out and find three people - Tito Ortiz, Pat Miletich and some (expletive) guy that doesn’t like UFC in New York - and that’s what the (expletive) story is about? (Expletive) them. It’s the same story I’ve seen a million times.�