zatoicchi
10.07.08, 11:15
LAS VEGAS – Dana White offered a cocksure laugh borne from battles past; proof that the business of cage fighting can be as cutthroat and unforgiving as the sport itself.
“It’s about how much pain are you willing to take,” the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship said last week.
As mixed martial arts has boomed into a colossal business, no one has been smarter or tougher than White. In just seven years he turned a fledgling fight promotion into an estimated billion-dollar company.
He’s done it by building up the UFC and tearing down virtually everyone else. This month he’s at his best, attempting to inflict on Affliction plenty of pain.
Affliction, the T-shirt company that surged in popularity thanks in part to UFC fighters donning its unique, if garish, designs, is making its foray into fight promotion July 19 in Anaheim, Calif. It doled out an estimated $4 million to put together a top-notch lineup, including a headline fight featuring Fedor Emelianenko, considered the best heavyweight in the world, against two-time former UFC champion Tim Sylvia.
Competition sends White back to basic - MMA (http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=AjiDr9vG_Uv3JMBk3lz0xmc5nYcB?slug=dw-mmawars070908&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)
“It’s about how much pain are you willing to take,” the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship said last week.
As mixed martial arts has boomed into a colossal business, no one has been smarter or tougher than White. In just seven years he turned a fledgling fight promotion into an estimated billion-dollar company.
He’s done it by building up the UFC and tearing down virtually everyone else. This month he’s at his best, attempting to inflict on Affliction plenty of pain.
Affliction, the T-shirt company that surged in popularity thanks in part to UFC fighters donning its unique, if garish, designs, is making its foray into fight promotion July 19 in Anaheim, Calif. It doled out an estimated $4 million to put together a top-notch lineup, including a headline fight featuring Fedor Emelianenko, considered the best heavyweight in the world, against two-time former UFC champion Tim Sylvia.
Competition sends White back to basic - MMA (http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=AjiDr9vG_Uv3JMBk3lz0xmc5nYcB?slug=dw-mmawars070908&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)