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UFC Issues Formal Statement Regarding Website Hack

Photo by Esther Lin via All Elbows.

When hackers angered by the UFC's support of unpopular anti-piracy legislation first took down UFC.com, UFC president Dana White was cavalier. He tweeted "I'm in the fight biz not the website biz. Who gives a ****?" Now that the company has had some more time, they've issued a formal statement on the matter:

"On Sunday, January 22nd, the UFC.com website was redirected by a criminal hacker to another website," a statement provided to MMA Fighting read. "The UFC website was quickly restored to the control of the UFC, and there is no evidence suggesting that any confidential information belonging to the company or its customers was compromised by the re-direction of the website. UFC representatives are continuing to investigate the matter and are working with law enforcement agents to prosecute those involved."

MMA Fighting's Ben Fowlkes took White to task for his response and answered White's hypothetical about who might care about the web site hack:

One answer might be: fans who have given the UFC their credit card information at some point in the past. Between online pay-per-view purchases, merchandise, and UFC Fight Club subscriptions, thousands of fans have no doubt passed important confidential information to the UFC through one of its websites, and those people might have liked a little extra reassurance from the public face of the company.

By comparison, after online shoe retailer Zappos.com was hacked earlier this month and the information for a reported 24 million accounts exposed, the company quickly sent out an email to customers to alert them to the situation and advise them to change their login and password information on any other site where they used "a same or similar password." Zappos also reassured customers that the "database that stores your critical credit card and other payment data was NOT affected or accessed."

MMA Payout points out why this issue may come back to haunt the UFC:

While the UFC will be concerned from an online security perspective, it should also look at it from a PR perspective. For the UFC, this may not be as easy as it seems. The UFC has been aggressive in its stance against illegal streaming and distribution of its fights. In supporting SOPA and PIPA, it sees legislation that can assist in its fight against online piracy. But, opposition to the laws, which include many young, internet savvy individuals - the same people that likely follow Dana White and many other UFC fighters on twitter, utilize social media and embrace the online community oppose the restrictions that would come with the proposed laws. We will see how SOPA and PIPA will evolve and if the UFC will continue to support it.

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I hate SOPA as much as the next guy

I’m not sure this is going to persuade the powers that be to end their support of the Bill, though.

"Today, a joke was murdered in cold blood" - Hendo_One-Shot

by dajulzta on Jan 24, 2012 2:02 PM EST via Android app reply actions  

And by this I mean the actions taken on the promotion's site.

I’m not dumping on your writing, Mr. Wilcox.

"Today, a joke was murdered in cold blood" - Hendo_One-Shot

by dajulzta on Jan 24, 2012 2:06 PM EST via Android app up reply actions  

the bill has been pulled in both the house and senate

even before the UFC wrote the op-ed. that’s the really curious part about it. It’s very rare for a company to come out strongly in favor of a deeply unpopular bill that’s already failed. Not a lot of #win in that approach.

Follow me on Twitter @KidNate

by Nate Wilcox on Jan 24, 2012 2:37 PM EST up reply actions  

I can’t keep up but unless something has happened in the last week…
SOPA Markup is to resume in February

And there’s also a similar bill in Europe called ACTA.

An annoying Fitch fan.
Captain of Season 1 BE Civil War Champions, the K-1 Level Predictions Team.
Season 2 Captain - Brock Lesnar's Cruelty-Free Pest Control

by Zachary Kater on Jan 24, 2012 3:03 PM EST up reply actions  

nope, you're right.

Its going to be a revised SOPA bill. Which, frankly, I don’t mind- there is absolutely a way to create a piece of legislation that isn’t unconstitutionally broad, while still keeping the internet functioning.

The government is going to pass some form of SOPA, so be prepared; but there’s no way it will be in its current form.

by Body Triangle on Jan 24, 2012 3:16 PM EST up reply actions  

actually you dont need any bill

when the fuck did people think losing freedoms was cool because it would “help us”? oh thats right. when they started watching jersey shore

by silent.bisonte33 on Jan 24, 2012 7:55 PM EST up reply actions  

I see this as Dana and Crew first having no clue that their site got hacked, second when they got a clue

they didn’t want to give ammunition to the group that hacked them. Thus I figure the nonchalant way of dealing with it. Its a no big deal approach because we can fix it right away. However this approach may not be effective and give people doubts in your ability to withstand this kind of sabotage.

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It would lead me to believe that @bisping must have pissed off @danawhite something fierce. RT @drjamezkelske: @danhendo just out of curiosity, if the #ufc comes to you and asks you to fight Bisping again how do you respond?" -Dan Henderson
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by Luke Thomas on Jan 5, 2012 1:40 PM PST up reply actions

by dandeman on Jan 24, 2012 6:07 PM EST up reply actions  

Just another example..

Of White being too arrogant for his own good. As much as people champion Dana’s “cavalier” attitude and straight-forwardness, it’s only a matter of time before he slips up big. The more cameras that follow him around, the more opportunities there will be for him to say something offensive, especially with him always running around hopped up on Red Bull with no sleep. It’s bound to happen, and it won’t be good when it does…

by TheBlackChip on Jan 24, 2012 2:08 PM EST reply actions  

Oh no… people might get offended at something? Alert the red cross!

Getting bent out of shape over a fight promoter lying is like getting upset that a hooker won't kiss you. It betrays a deep lack of understanding of the nature of the profession.

by Stanlee on Jan 24, 2012 2:13 PM EST up reply actions   2 recs

Pretty sure it was made clear from the beginning that it was a redirection, and not that the UFC website had been hacked, per say. There is a difference. One indicates that users never reach the real UFC.com, while the other indicates that the UFC.com servers have been hacked and actual data is at risk.

by Shnak on Jan 24, 2012 2:17 PM EST reply actions  

Denial of Service attacks

Have no risk of taking confidential information.

Cecil People's Champs
Still the head conductor of the Charles Oliveira hype train.

by Stiff Jab on Jan 24, 2012 2:22 PM EST reply actions  

Exactly

Anyone complaining about credit card data has no idea what they are talking about. And who wants to follow a twitter account that issues scripted company tag lines? If u don’t want a dose of reality why do you follow him?

by TheMushroomWizard on Jan 24, 2012 2:52 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions  

It's up to the UFC to reassure their customer base

And not assume they know their information is not effected.

Bloody Elbow Grappling Editor.
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by KJ Gould on Jan 24, 2012 3:21 PM EST up reply actions  

Is redirecting a website the same as a DoS?

I didn’t take enough schooling for this stuff. I thought a DoS just flooded a server in order to make it impossible for other legitimate users to connect through DNS.

An annoying Fitch fan.
Captain of Season 1 BE Civil War Champions, the K-1 Level Predictions Team.
Season 2 Captain - Brock Lesnar's Cruelty-Free Pest Control

by Zachary Kater on Jan 24, 2012 3:05 PM EST up reply actions  

You are correct

They are claiming a DNS redirect.

Which doesn’t explain the Twitter hijacking.

Jab, jab, towards, short, fierce.

by asa on Jan 24, 2012 3:36 PM EST up reply actions  

This is going to come back and bite the UFC in the ass

Their already suffering PPV numbers will suffer more due to the fact that they support SOPA/PIPA.

by Dr Mcsexy on Jan 24, 2012 2:23 PM EST reply actions  

If you’re not buying PPV events because of some political BS, then you’re not a very big MMA fan…

by Shnak on Jan 24, 2012 2:26 PM EST up reply actions  

Hopefully you’re not justifying pirating, the problem that caused these ridiculous bills, as a solution for their stance on the laws.

An annoying Fitch fan.
Captain of Season 1 BE Civil War Champions, the K-1 Level Predictions Team.
Season 2 Captain - Brock Lesnar's Cruelty-Free Pest Control

by Zachary Kater on Jan 24, 2012 3:07 PM EST up reply actions  

Yeah, there’s nothing wrong with that, but I’m not sure it would actually help, other than giving moral satisfaction for not directly contributing to a company that supports something you don’t approve of.

An annoying Fitch fan.
Captain of Season 1 BE Civil War Champions, the K-1 Level Predictions Team.
Season 2 Captain - Brock Lesnar's Cruelty-Free Pest Control

by Zachary Kater on Jan 24, 2012 3:21 PM EST up reply actions  

See, in my opinion, that's the problem.

While obtaining content against the distributor’s wishes may constitute pirating, or even theft, the truth is that its theft only in the old sense of the word.

I said it before, but the internet has drastically changed the business paradigm. Particularly, its affected content distributors and creators. Supporters of SOPA typically fall under the category of “Entrenched content producers/distributors”, who are seeking to protect their old business model. That’s a model that, in the internet age at least, no longer functions.

So yes- technically, it is piracy. But these businesses have to find a way to deal with it in a new way.

No, I don’t support “piracy” per say; but I do support businesses adapting without throwing people in jail.

BTW- this is not meant to be snarky! Just a (hopefully) informed opinion.

by Body Triangle on Jan 24, 2012 3:20 PM EST up reply actions   2 recs

It’s an interesting debate. Especially when you think of a situation like MegaUpload which got shut down. Corporations want to complain that their “property” is being “stolen”, but for some reason can lead the government to effectively destroy users of that site’s personal property without any repercussions.

The idea of labeling the redistribution of digital content as stealing isn’t something I really agree with.

An annoying Fitch fan.
Captain of Season 1 BE Civil War Champions, the K-1 Level Predictions Team.
Season 2 Captain - Brock Lesnar's Cruelty-Free Pest Control

by Zachary Kater on Jan 24, 2012 3:24 PM EST up reply actions  

bingo.

For me, labeling it as “stealing” has really changed the terms of the debate. In my opinion, it really shouldn’t be labeled as such.

Megaupload is a particularly interesting case. While they were distributing copyrighted content, the reason they were taken down wasn’t due only to their copyright infringement. Megaupload was engaging in a vast array of criminal enterprises, namely, money laundering.

One of the guys was arrested in New Zealand in his 30mil+ castlemansion. Insane!

by Body Triangle on Jan 24, 2012 3:28 PM EST up reply actions  

Not only that

But he locked himself in a panic room with a shotgun. Pretty crazy stuff.

by MemphisMike on Jan 24, 2012 4:09 PM EST up reply actions  

Shit, I keep forgetting about the money laundering. I guess that example doesn’t really cut it then.

In all fairness to Zuffa though – they have done a better job at transitioning the way they deliver their product to meet technological demands, than a lot of other current industries which also complain about piracy. Zuffa had free FB fights, a way to order and watch events online (even with extra capabilities that TV subscribers can’t use like multiple audio streams), and even watching events from your iPhone. But they make their mistakes as well… SOPA support is not the first. Their crusade to pull down every Youtube video showing any of their footage is ridiculous.

An annoying Fitch fan.
Captain of Season 1 BE Civil War Champions, the K-1 Level Predictions Team.
Season 2 Captain - Brock Lesnar's Cruelty-Free Pest Control

by Zachary Kater on Jan 24, 2012 4:46 PM EST up reply actions  

Their crusade to pull down every Youtube video showing any of their footage is ridiculous.

This one really bothered me. A VERY large part of the reason that I’m such a huge MMA fan right now, is that when I was just getting into this sport, I was able to look up historic fights and see them for myself. I could hear a name like Wanderlei Silva and go see for myself why he’s such a badass. It’s entirely because of this that within a few weeks of my getting into the sport, I could easily converse with long time fans of the sport. I found every big name I could, looked up their records on Wikipedia, and set to work educating myself through their old fights.

Without means of seeing those old fights for free, I would have never become the fan I am today, and I wouldn’t be buying PPVs now.

Even having the option to buy them wouldn’t have worked, as I was a very broke college student at the time. Thankfully those years of sacrifice have paid off and landed me a nice job, so I can afford PPVs now, but had the free option not been there, I would never have gotten hooked.

by Shaun32887 on Jan 24, 2012 7:12 PM EST up reply actions  

I’ll go to a bar to watch it, or I download it the next day off of my fav torrent site. If you think that is stealing, than so be it. It doesn’t stop me from sleeping at night.

If I lived in the UK, i’d be watching it on TV and not paying $60 for it.

I’ve spent probably 1000s of dollars on PPVs, I’ve been watching MMA since the first UFC. I always buy the PPV, but sometimes you need to make a moral stand.

If anyone thinks this isn’t going to have an effect, thats fine, keep filling their pockets, but i’m done.

Sheeeeeeeee-it

by Clay Davis on Jan 24, 2012 4:21 PM EST up reply actions  

BE would be boring as shit

if we weren’t allowed to post pictures and gifs from the internet.

by av1o3 on Jan 24, 2012 6:18 PM EST up reply actions   2 recs

Anything based on user made content would most likely end up shutting down.

The North remembers...
Would you like Freys with that?

by iiowyn on Jan 25, 2012 12:15 PM EST up reply actions  

I can stop paying for PPVs and just watch in a bar to protest.

I bought a shitload of PPVs in 2011, and I’m sure a bunch of you have as well. Just go to Buffalo Wild Wings or some other place that doesn’t charge cover instead. They’re already paying the UFC a set amount of money for the PPV whether you go there or not.

follow me on twitter @polyh3dron

by Rob Young on Jan 24, 2012 3:15 PM EST up reply actions  

I agree with you all about SOPA and PIPA, but if you stop buying PPVs it won’t get Zuffa to withdraw their support for the bills, and who cares if they support it? Zuffa’s support of the bills will have NO BEARING on whether or not said bills pass. Basically, I understand the principle but don’t see an effective end-result.

I would have a horseshoe surgically implanted in my ass just so Brock would pull it out and beat me over the head with it while I pleasure myself.

PS: Melvin and I say: Please visit the
Daniel James Miller Foundation and donate.

by Machiel Van on Jan 24, 2012 3:22 PM EST up reply actions  

Lol I just restated what Zach said above (didn’t read that first, whoops)

I would have a horseshoe surgically implanted in my ass just so Brock would pull it out and beat me over the head with it while I pleasure myself.

PS: Melvin and I say: Please visit the
Daniel James Miller Foundation and donate.

by Machiel Van on Jan 24, 2012 3:24 PM EST up reply actions  

I can't agree there.

If, as the Supreme Court has held, money = speech, then you are implicitly speaking by withholding money from Zuffa. Zuffa’s support of the bill WILL have bearing on whether or not it passes- maybe not a lot, but some. If people tried to withdraw business from all of its supporters, I’m willing to bet they would change their tune. At the very least, it would force their executives to discuss the matter.

by Body Triangle on Jan 24, 2012 3:30 PM EST up reply actions  

Zuffa’s support of SOPA and PIPA is just inherent to their business model; I’d be extremely surprised if they backed down. It would take several abysmal PPV buyrates, and more importantly, they’d have to be able to establish that it was a direct result of people protesting their support of the bills. I just don’t see that happening at all.

I would have a horseshoe surgically implanted in my ass just so Brock would pull it out and beat me over the head with it while I pleasure myself.

PS: Melvin and I say: Please visit the
Daniel James Miller Foundation and donate.

by Machiel Van on Jan 24, 2012 3:39 PM EST up reply actions  

When I first learned of SOPA and PIPA, I just expected Zuffa to support them so I didn’t care. It was just a no-brainer.

I would have a horseshoe surgically implanted in my ass just so Brock would pull it out and beat me over the head with it while I pleasure myself.

PS: Melvin and I say: Please visit the
Daniel James Miller Foundation and donate.

by Machiel Van on Jan 24, 2012 3:40 PM EST up reply actions  

Right, but that doesn't mean you can't try to influence them.

Just giving up and saying “well, I might as well buy because they won’t even know why I’m not”.

They would be counting on that.

by Body Triangle on Jan 24, 2012 3:49 PM EST up reply actions  

You have to influence them in the only way we can.

And thats with our $$.

That is all Zuffa cares about. Its obvious since the support these bills. The whole internet be damned if it can make Zuffa another buck

Sheeeeeeeee-it

by Clay Davis on Jan 24, 2012 4:15 PM EST up reply actions  

this is more than just political BS, boss. you’re thinking small.

'Would you kindly head to Ryan's office and kill the son of a bitch?'
-Atlas

by Victor Rodriguez on Jan 24, 2012 5:21 PM EST up reply actions  

SOPA & PIPA...

Sounds like two hippie chicks…

Visit fiveouncesofpain.com

by RECE ROCK on Jan 24, 2012 2:24 PM EST reply actions  

You’re on fire today, that’s like the fifth comment I’ve rec’d

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by BROCKLESNAR!!!!! on Jan 24, 2012 6:55 PM EST up reply actions  

"I'm not in the website biz..."

yeah no shit your web site is mediocre at best.

Visit fiveouncesofpain.com

by RECE ROCK on Jan 24, 2012 2:25 PM EST reply actions  

“I’m in the fight biz not the website biz. Who gives a ****?”

Who gives a shit? How about the fans who have shared their credit card information to buy merchandise or to buy online PPV’s? Even for Dana, what an absolutely embarrassing response. Fowlkes hit the nail on the head.

"Referees, be sure to step in and stop the fight on time tomorrow, because I might get carried away in the moment and my many punches may end up destroying my opponent." - Tatsuya "CRUSHER" Kawajiri

by andrew861 on Jan 24, 2012 3:02 PM EST reply actions  

Who gives a shit?

As someone who became a Fight Club member to get “exclusive” access to pre-sale tickets last Oct. (only to have the card changed hours after purchase, the promise of a refund that never came, and being out $80 to get seats likely worse than I would have gotten at the general public Ticketmaster sale) I give a shit. Having my credit card info stolen or having to go back and change my password on every site I’ve used my credit card on in the last year would just be the icing on the cake of the miserable experience that is UFC Fight Club.

And I don’t know that much about hacking, but I’m pretty sure DNS attacks and a full-on infiltration of your server’s security are two completely different things.

by medium seen on Jan 24, 2012 3:18 PM EST reply actions   2 recs

I'm not a DW fan

But I agree with you. It would be good to him.

"To me in this sport, it’s fighting, it’s mixed martial arts, and I feel there’s too many athletes and not enough fighters…I think these people going in taking these sports enhancement drugs, they’re not real fighters, they’re athletes. I’m a fighter. I’m a real fighter. That’s all I did my whole life." - BJ Penn

by Triangled on Jan 24, 2012 3:36 PM EST up reply actions  

Strike 2 for Dana.

Strike 1 was the Fox debut debacle throwing Cain under the bus like that was so unprofessional and on your network tv debut none the less. Now this his angry tirade of tweets to fans and personal insults. Can’t wait to see what strike 3 will be.

by nickrodamous on Jan 24, 2012 5:13 PM EST up reply actions  

pictures in women's lingerie?

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by Earl Montclair on Jan 24, 2012 5:33 PM EST up reply actions  

Provocative pictures.

With his bald head dipped in oil George Costanza style. For real strike 3 probably did happen ages ago but this is post fox deal. Kinda like how it took forever for them to give fastest KO to ludwig Zuffa likes to re-write history.

by nickrodamous on Jan 24, 2012 7:10 PM EST up reply actions  

I’m pretty sure strike 3 happened ages ago.

"Referees, be sure to step in and stop the fight on time tomorrow, because I might get carried away in the moment and my many punches may end up destroying my opponent." - Tatsuya "CRUSHER" Kawajiri

by andrew861 on Jan 24, 2012 5:40 PM EST up reply actions  

This is actually a very good point.

Think about how much better Dana would be at his job is he was NOT ALLOWED to voice anything within 5 minutes of it coming to mind.

Twitter delay would be easy; one of his aides could write a program that would store all of his comments, and then 5-10 minutes later, he’d have to re-read the comment and click “Approve to post.”

My god, it’s brilliant.

I need to tell Lorenzo.

by Shaun32887 on Jan 24, 2012 7:20 PM EST up reply actions  

Dana needs to hire that little creep with the mohawk that was always following Brock around with a briefcase.

Then we can finally know what the hell he does. Brock probably doesn’t need him anymore.

Oh no you didn't.--Nick Ring

by NickRingp4pGOAT on Jan 25, 2012 12:34 PM EST up reply actions  

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