White was on "The Carmichael Dave" radio show and had this to say:

    "No, no, no. It has nothing to do with an agreement. It doesn’t have to do with Jon Fitch either. I like Jon Fitch. I’ve never had a bad word with Jon Fitch. The problem is with the idiots that run AKA. I won’t use any names; the idiots know who they are."

Clearly, according to him, the issue goes much deeper than the video game deal.

why everyone expects Dana & the UFC not to operate with the best interest of the company in mind. Every single, I repeat every single company does these exact same things. Do we really believe that MLB, NFL, NBA would not be doing these exact same things if there was no union? Eventually being a good person does not compute with running a large company, no matter how much we would like it to. It just is not feasible. If they are not already, these fighters mgmt should be attempting to work these issues out when signing their contracts so there is not additional problems that come up.

My jaw, and fingers, are getting tired. But for all the reasons I’ve enumerated since last night, I am on the UFC’s side on this particular squabble.

Did anyone other than Apple & other software companies bitch about Microsoft making their products not functional with other programs? This is a get all that you can while you can world. Sorry, but that is the way that it is.

Dana White speaks out about Jon Fitch’s release during emotional radio interview:

"No, no, no. It has nothing to do with an agreement," White corrected Carmichael when the host began to suggest Fitch was cut amidst reports he wouldn’t sign an agreement that would grant the UFC lifetime rights to his likeness for the purpose of making video games.

"It doesn’t have to do with Jon Fitch either," continued White. "I like Jon Fitch. I’ve never had a bad word with Jon Fitch. The problem is with the idiots that run AKA. I won’t use any names; the idiots know who they are."

"The economy is changing by the second. Every day when you wake up tomorrow, bad things are happening," he said. "Not just in the United States but all over the world. Television networks are in trouble. The sponsors who used to sponsor them are in trouble. Some of them are going out of business and the rest of them are cutting their sponsorships big time.

"Companies that have been around for hundred years are going out of business. It’s crazy. Banks are going under. And I’m in a situation now where I’ve got these guys — I’m trying to run a business — bro, I live on a plane 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That’s all I do is fly everywhere to try to build this company. And these guys think this thing is so big and these guys start negotiating all this stupid stuff like they’re Mel Gibson. No disrespect to Jon Fitch — I like Jon Fitch — (but) like we’re going to be doing the Jon Fitch swim line sometime soon? And then the clothing line.

"It’s insane. What I try to do — is we put together all of these things and we try to make everyone money. That’s the way that it works. But I’ve got these guys from AKA, these idiots, that don’t want to play. Listen, at the end of the day it’s not a big deal. The problem is because when something goes wrong in the UFC all the idiots from the media like to jump out and go, ‘Yeah, there’s something negative with the UFC. Let’s get out there and talk about it!’

"Listen, this is just like any other job. You don’t want to work for me? They’re plenty of other opportunities out there. The t-shirt guys are trying to start their own business. Get in business with them. Do it with somebody else. If you don’t want to be in business with me? Then you don’t have to be in business with me. It’s simple as that."

"’I’m more than willing to work with them, but I don’t see why we have to give up our whole lives. Why not a time limit?,’" the host read before being cut off by White.

"What’s with this whole lives?," White interjected. "Do you know how much Jon Fitch made for the Georges St. Pierre fight? Where the hell else could Jon Fitch go right now and make the money he made? He made $169,000 for that night for that fight. Where’s he going to make that kind of money in one night?"

"It’s like all the media wants to jump up and go ‘Oh the UFC! The UFC!" Shut up! Shut up. Every one of you shut your mouth. Mind your business. Here’s the deal: the reality is we’re working our asses off to make this thing bigger and better for everybody. The world is a very dangerous place right now with this economy."

White also confirmed during the course of the interview that he had been contacted by Mike Swick and indicated that Swick had expressed a desire to handle business on his own and work something out with the UFC. In regards to other fighters affiliated with AKA such as Josh Koscheck and Cain Velasquez, White didn’t mention them by name but stated he had no desire to work with any fighters that are represented by the San Jose-based fight gym.

percentage of the PPV’s in some cases. Would anyone expect the UFC to share PPV shares/profits with every fighter that does not have it in their contract? Of course not. Smart fighters like Randy Couture w/good mgmt have implemented this language into their contracts. If you want more from your company, you should ask for it prior to agreeing to work for them.

who beginning in 2009 will be acquiring 20 new physicians making our company much larger & subsequently making much more money. Should I be able to go ask for more money when because of this alone? My work makes this possible, but my company pays me for my work like I asked them to. Of course I would love for them to just offer me more money because of this, but that is not really how the real world works.

to ask for this money, but the UFC has every right to refuse if it is not in their contracts.

First off, I’d have to say that I don’t blame the UFC for acting this way. They’re a business, and any business that has enough foresight will look out for its own long term interests. In the end, I really do believe that Dana and a lot of the UFC management do care about the future of MMA, it’s just that they want to make sure they’re on top and stay on top. So demanding likeness rights seems reasonable to me as far as how I’d expect the UFC to go about things, especially when the opportunities they are offering for the fighters, in terms of pay, name exposure, fame, etc. seems to be quite favorable to the fighters.

That being said, I’d have to agree with the fact that the tactics used, are less than subtle, and are very bullyish in nature. It’s clear that they are willing to share the pie, so long as they get control of it first. Perfectly understandable, but it doesn’t mean it’s exactly fair.

I think in the end, it comes down to what each fighter wants. The reality is, the economy sucks, there is no viable competition to the UFC, and probably won’t be for a long time, and fighting overseas, while money could be made, is dubious when it comes to various promotions. (eg: The Japanese MMA scene is dying a slow death). So it comes down to signing off and giving something up in exchange for continued employment and access to arguably the best and most vibrant platform for MMA today, and the near future.

I’ve had a few different jobs in my life, and at every job there was something I had to sign away in order to stay employed. I may not have liked it, or wanted to, but because of my career, I had to. I weighed the pros and cons, and in the end, I would sign because the pros outweighed the cons. Clearly, these fighters will have to take a step back (away from what their agents say, away from what Dana is saying) and make a decision for what’s best for themselves. Goodluck to them.

As pissed as I am, it’s not going to stop me from watching UFC events. I get the “it’s just business” angle, but that is not a carte blanche for unethical behaviour. Some of the most evil acts in human history were justified with, “I was doing my job” or similar bland rationalisms. Dana White is being a bully here. Despite my moral compass spinning wildly through all of this, I still can’t wait for UFC 92. At least I don’t order the PPV, I just go to sports bars.