Dana White Talks Josh Neer, Anthony Johnson, Ultimate Fight Night 17

by Kid Nate on Feb 4, 2009 10:26 PM EST in Events Comment 42 comments

Some very interesting tidbits from Dana White about two of the fighters on the TV card at this Saturday night's Fight Night:

Josh Neer will be fighting Mac Danzig even though he was arrested for drunk driving and felony eluding on New Year's Eve. Did you consider pulling him from the card because of that?
No. He came to us and talked to me about it, and no, I didn't consider pulling him. As long as his head was together and he was training, listen -- we're all human beings. We all make mistakes. My thing is how do you handle them. How do you deal with it after? You get all this stuff in sports about the role models and this and that, but listen. We're all f**king human. I make mistakes every day. He made a mistake.

And you're confident that he has learned from it and he's going to handle it well moving forward?
Yes. If he doesn't he'll be gone. That'll be the end of his mixed martial arts career. I don't think he has a choice. Or he'll end up in jail.

Anthony Johnson is getting a pretty quick turnaround, fighting less than two months after he beat Kevin Burns. Is he someone you're trying to make a big effort to promote after that great knockout kick the last time he stepped in the cage?
Yeah, Ultimate Fight Night is the place where we showcase tomorrow's pay-per-view stars.

The Mac Danzig vs Josh Neer fight is very interesting to me. Both guys are coming off losses (to Clay Guida and Nate Diaz respectively) but both are tough and talented. There's also a big clash of personal styles between the vegan Danzig and Neer.

I feel for these guys, this event is utterly overshadowed by aftermath of UFC 94.

UPDATE: by Kid Nate: From Dana's quote above its absolutely clear that Josh Neer is on his last chance with the UFC, another DWI and he's done. I'm fine with that, I'm also fine with him getting to fight this Saturday.

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People smear Dana daily, but you know what? He seems like the type of guy I’d like to be my boss, no BS, forgiving, and fun. Props to Dana for being Dana.

by kyfm621 on Feb 4, 2009 10:56 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I hate all the sportspeople-are-role-models shit, so respect to Dana for cutting Neer some slack.

by brad23 on Feb 4, 2009 11:32 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

You know what’s awesome? I’ve heard more people call for a lifetime ban of a cornerman using Vaseline than for a fighter driving drunk within weeks of a fight.

by subo on Feb 4, 2009 11:48 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

the legal authorities will handle Neer

Policing the sport is our business, not policing the rest of their lives.

"the spirit of your average dumbass with overblown rhetoric"

by Kid Nate on Feb 4, 2009 11:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

By “our” you mean?

by George Lucas on Feb 4, 2009 11:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Tin foil as headwear went out of style

about half a century ago, but good on you for keeping the revival moment ‘alive,’ as it were ;)

There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

by misterjonez on Feb 5, 2009 12:33 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I didn’t mean it like that MMALogic thing, I was just wondering who Nate thinks has the authority or responsibility for policing the sport. “Our” implies more than just the regulators- does he also mean the journalists, bloggers and fans?

by George Lucas on Feb 5, 2009 1:11 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

by our I mean the fans

and I include myself among that group. Do I have your permission?

"the spirit of your average dumbass with overblown rhetoric"

by Kid Nate on Feb 5, 2009 8:41 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t see the fans having any more or less obligation to police MMA than they do in expecting people not to drive drunk.

Anyone who uses their fandom as an excuse to limit their sense of injustice to a cage or a ring does the sport and the world around them a huge disservice.

by George Lucas on Feb 5, 2009 4:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Your families life is at risk when someone greases up in the cage.
Drunk driving is someone else’s problem.

by mythbuster on Feb 5, 2009 5:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And the NSAC will handle the Vaseline issue.

by iiowyn on Feb 5, 2009 12:10 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Keep in mind Kid Nate has made Vaseline-gate his own personal GSP witchunt. Who cares if Neer could have taken innocent lives, Georges St. Pierre had a small amount of grease applied to his back after the first round for god’s sake!

by ufc4 on Feb 5, 2009 12:24 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You guys are being unfair

and overreactive to Nate’s post.

I wouldn’t say that Kid Nate is making it a witch hunt. What he’s saying is that it taints the sport and the purity of MMA (which I agree – it does).

Money, glory and power will taint anything and MMA is no different. Its up for people such as the media to keep those who obtain them in check as much as possible (and judging by the current economic crisis America and the world as a whole has done a pretty poor job of that).

by rainmaker6 on Feb 5, 2009 6:16 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

thanks

those guys are being assholes.

"the spirit of your average dumbass with overblown rhetoric"

by Kid Nate on Feb 5, 2009 8:45 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Wheres your warning?

by mythbuster on Feb 5, 2009 10:24 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

sadly

being mean to Kid Nate isn’t a banning offense here at BE. If they start namecalling though….that’s a paddlin’!

"the spirit of your average dumbass with overblown rhetoric"

by Kid Nate on Feb 5, 2009 10:27 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I meant your warning for calling people assholes.

by mythbuster on Feb 5, 2009 10:41 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

THat's the fun part about...

being on the staff. We just have to accept that we probably shouldn’t have said certain things. But in the end…we always get to be right.

Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.

by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 5, 2009 10:48 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

exactly.

"the spirit of your average dumbass with overblown rhetoric"

by Kid Nate on Feb 5, 2009 12:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

also

Note that I said they were “being assholes” not that they are assholes. Thats a fine but important distinction my ex-wife pointed out to me once.

"the spirit of your average dumbass with overblown rhetoric"

by Kid Nate on Feb 5, 2009 12:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

YES!

That works for everything the wife says to me. Not so much things I say to my wife. “Hun, you’re being a…” “…don’t you finish that Brent.” “…sorry.”

Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.

by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 5, 2009 12:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

again

if it happens in the cage its a matter for the fans, promoters and commission.
if its a legal matter, that’s not my concern — as long as the crime is beneath a certain threshold of horror.

"the spirit of your average dumbass with overblown rhetoric"

by Kid Nate on Feb 5, 2009 8:45 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

^ that

Kuwabara Kuwabara

by J. B. Maddox on Feb 5, 2009 6:01 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

even Kizer admits the rules need to be clarified

"the spirit of your average dumbass with overblown rhetoric"

by Kid Nate on Feb 5, 2009 8:44 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Dana has a soft spot for people with drinking problems

Did anyone watch the Ultimate Fighter? haha

But then you have to consider, how many of these guys got into fighting by getting drunk and brawling?

by ryanwk628 on Feb 5, 2009 9:22 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Ugh...

I wanted Neer fired SO badly. A SECOND drunk driving arrest (including high speed evasion of police…INCLUDING continuing to run after the cop car rammed him in an attempt to PIT him) is not a “mistake.” Sure…people make mistakes every day. He endangered the lives of hundreds if not thousands of innocent civilians…not to mention the policemen and women.

It’s basically attempted murder in my eyes and I hope he gets beaten or choked unconscious and bounced out of the UFC and ends up fighting for twenty bucks on bar shows.

Nate, you’re wrong in your “policing the rest of their lives” thing bro. Your reaction to the GSP thing is that it could “end the sport” if it became the norm. A) The sport is not more important than human lives and B) I’m pretty sure enough guys pulling this shit has just as much potential to seriously damage the sport as some vaseline on the back. We aren’t the NFL…we don’t get to do the “ah…that’s just Pacman Jones” thing with these guys. We don’t have the cred in the public eye.

Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.

by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 5, 2009 12:35 AM EST reply actions 2 recs

I’m pretty much with Nate on the GSP thing, but I’m completely with you here.

by FRANKIE on Feb 5, 2009 1:40 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed with Frankie

I’m with Nate on the GSP thing – but i’m with you here too.

by rainmaker6 on Feb 5, 2009 6:16 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Fertittas are too busy worring about Station's Bankruptcy

to police their organization right now

Gimme 1 Round!

by skwirrl on Feb 5, 2009 8:17 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

oh you're probably right

it just didn’t set off my alarms. Same with steroids. I’ll let booting Josh Neer from the sport be your crusade.

"the spirit of your average dumbass with overblown rhetoric"

by Kid Nate on Feb 5, 2009 8:47 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

YAY!

I have a crusade!

Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.

by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 5, 2009 10:47 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

What pisses me off is Vaseline-Gate has completely overshadowed Burp-Gate…

Clay had monstrous burps inbetween rounds 1 and 2 which were classic… and now it won’t even be a foot note in history.

DAMN YOU PHIL NURSE!!!!

by mmalogic on Feb 5, 2009 12:57 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Don’t forget the schoolyard bully style he was using with the full nelson move.

by iiowyn on Feb 5, 2009 1:18 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If we stop beleiving Guida exists, will he go away?

Kuwabara Kuwabara

by J. B. Maddox on Feb 5, 2009 6:00 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I wish

Though using the full-nelson to stack Diaz was probably the coolest thing he has ever done before or will ever do in the future in MMA.

Gimme 1 Round!

by skwirrl on Feb 5, 2009 7:44 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

that is an excellent point

wonder if its judo chop worthy….

"the spirit of your average dumbass with overblown rhetoric"

by Kid Nate on Feb 5, 2009 8:48 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Aren't attacks against the spinal column

illegal in the UFC? I was so confused about that while I was watching…I mean, I was stoked that someone was pulling out a good ol’ fashioned full nelson for establishing dominance, but I thought back/neck cranks got made illegal a few years ago?

There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

by misterjonez on Feb 5, 2009 7:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Strikes to the spine are banned.

I don’t think neck cranks are banned, I just don’t think anyone does them.

by Phildo on Feb 5, 2009 10:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I really thought the wording I found a few months ago

was ambiguous on the point, using the actual word ‘attack’ when referring to maneuvers targeting the spinal column. But now when I look, all I find is the strikes to the spine rule.

Huh.

There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

by misterjonez on Feb 7, 2009 1:26 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah we were losing our minds when we seen him putting the full nelson on Diaz. I wonder why that wasn’t a “Turning Point”

"My job is a decision-making job, and as a result, I make a lot of decisions." --George W. Bush, The Decider, Lancaster, Pa., Oct. 3, 2007

by lovingmma25 on Feb 5, 2009 10:33 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

About overshadowing

I didn’t get the chance too (because comments were closed!) but I jsut wanted to say I thought your MMA is sacred post was great. Many people didn’t like it and there was a lot of hate, but although I didn’t agree with everything you said I felt the passion behind the post and I like it a lot. Keep it up!

by rainmaker6 on Feb 5, 2009 5:39 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

thanks man

some of these guys don’t seem so grateful for my work.
lol.
they can of course, eat shit, drive drunk, take steroids and drink red bull on an empty stomach while watching the secret over and over again.
: )

"the spirit of your average dumbass with overblown rhetoric"

by Kid Nate on Feb 5, 2009 8:51 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs