White lashes out at critics of UFC’s network TV debut
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Ever since it was made official that the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first network broadcast would feature just one fight, a hefty contingent of fans and media questioned the decision.
As soon as that one fight ended in just 64 seconds, with Junior dos Santos knocking out Cain Velasquez to take the heavyweight title on Saturday night, many of those people raced to say, “I told you so,” particularly on social media platforms such as Twitter.
The decision looked even more questionable after the top undercard bout, a lightweight contender fight between Clay Guida and Benson Henderson, lived up to its pre-fight hype — but wasn’t seen on TV.
Not surprisingly, UFC president Dana White stood defiant against the critics.
“I said it in the first press conference: This thing could go 30 seconds or this thing could go 25 minutes,” White said of the main event. “Either way it’ll be a great fight, and it was. That’s what happens when you put two heavyweights in there who bang. Anything can happen.
“As soon as those fights start, whatever happens happens. There’s nothing you can do about that. We can’t control the fights.”
He reserved his sharpest words for those complaining that Henderson’s exciting win over Guida wasn’t shown, even after the lightning-quick main event allowed time at the end of Fox’s broadcast.
“For anybody to bitch about this fight and how they didn’t get to see that fight — shut up,” White said. “You should have bought tickets if you wanted to see all the fights and you don’t like to watch it on Facebook. Seriously, shut up. I don’t even want to hear it.”
The quick fight could affect the overall ratings of the broadcast, but those numbers won’t be known for a few days.
White did say the estimate was in for the numbers on Globo, the largest network in Brazil, which was airing a live UFC fight for the first time. He said an estimated 60 million people tuned into the fight.
“Wow, I’m famous,” dos Santos said with a smile after hearing the returns from his native country.
Far fewer people saw Henderson’s win over Guida, which streamed live on Facebook and foxsports.com, and also aired in Spanish on Fox Deportes, but Henderson ensured he would get more attention in his next fight by earning a title shot against lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.
“It is what it is. You don’t always get what you want. Obviously, I would have loved to be on Fox. I still imagine somehow, someway that fight will be aired on TV at some point in time, so it’s not the biggest deal,” he said. “You’ve got to take it the best you can, and I think I did that.”
He dealt with the snub by putting on his third straight outstanding performance and setting himself up to fight Edgar for the belt in Japan in February.
Henderson has been tracking the champion for some time with the thought of a potential matchup on the horizon.
“Him having the belt and defending it a couple times and being as impressive as he has been, I’ve had my eye on him, of course,” Henderson said.
Dos Santos also has a major fight to prepare for, but he has some more time. He will take on the winner of a December bout between Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem.
After some prodding, dos Santos predicted Lesnar would emerge victorious.
He has more important things to attend to in the meantime.
“I’m not thinking about that right now,” he said. “I want to go back to Brazil and make a big, big barbecue for all my family and all my partners, but for sure I will be paying attention to the fight.”
White will be waiting for ratings numbers to come out for a night he described as “perfect.”
“Tonight was a big night for the sport,” he said.
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.
