UFC CEO Dana White is widely regarded as a pioneer in mixed martial arts (MMA), and he is recognized with playing a role in bringing the sport into the mainstream. There are a great number of female competitors who have captured the attention of the public as a result of their outstanding performances inside the octagon, despite the fact that the UFC has made stars out of a great number of male mixed martial arts fighters.
While it is undeniable that the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has elevated women’s mixed martial arts (MMA) to an entirely new level and continues to showcase top-ranked talent, there was a time when White was adamantly opposed to the idea of ladies competing in his organization.
Outside of a restaurant in January 2011, the CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was approached by paparazzi who inquired about the possibility of women ever competing in his company. He gave a direct response:
“Never, never.”
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White made a change of heart about women competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and signed Ronda Rousey as the promotion’s very first female fighter. This occurred one year later. In February of 2013, “Rowdy” made her debut in the world of promotions by competing against Meisha Tate for the bantamweight title. Since then, she has gone on to become one of the most prominent figures in the world of combat sports.
‘My Fight/Your Fight’ was the title of Rousey’s book, which she wrote in 2015, and she asked White to write the introduction to it. In response to the request, the UFC frontman penned a preface in which he elaborated on the reasons behind his original opposition to the inclusion of female fighters in the UFC.
In his letter, he explained that his reluctance stemmed from the fact that he had witnessed a women’s mixed martial arts battle in California that was a lopsided beatdown.
“There was this woman who fought just like a guy, and she was in the ring with someone who appeared to have taken five Tae Bo classes. She was fighting like a guy.” It was one of the most humiliating assaults I had ever witnessed, and I just didn’t want to see something like that in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Sincere thanks to EssentiallySports.com
Despite this, White’s viewpoint shifted as she became acquainted with Rousey and gained a comprehensive understanding of women’s mixed martial arts. The two continue to have a good relationship with one another and frequently say positive things about one another.
Ariel Helwani defends Dana White against UFC 300 criticism
The relationship between Dana White and Ariel Helwani is not always harmonious, as the two have had disagreements on multiple occasions. On the other hand, the more experienced journalist recently expressed support for White’s UFC 300 lineup and defended him against the public’s dissatisfaction.
There are only a few months left until the historic UFC 300 event, and White has already put fans into a frenzy by revealing a number of fights that are scheduled to take place on April 13. Despite the fact that there are some fight fans who are thrilled about the historic card, there are a great number of others who have expressed their dissatisfaction with the absence of high-profile matches.
Helwani is of the opinion that such fans are being overly optimistic, and he makes the additional point that the same card would be hailed for any other pay-per-view event. It was him who said:
The question “And what else?” seems to be asked in response to each and every announcement. Aside from that, what other plans do you have for UFC 300? All of you are driving yourselves completely nuts… There is a good chance that it will have a prominent name in each and every fight. Also, there won’t be any kind of filler preliminary examination. On the other hand, you are really driving yourselves crazy.
