Top Rank Promotions head honcho Bob Arum is not done taking shots at the UFC and its fighters. After putting them on blast about the recent drug-test failures, the 84-year-old promoter also criticized the company after its recent $4 billion sale.
"Most fighters obey the rules. It’s probably more necessary in MMA because they appear to be unconcerned with the testing," Arum said during the Crawford-Postol pre-fight presser in Las Vegas. "What the hell? As long as the tests come out after the fight, right? Everybody’s collecting money. Just saying."
"You’ve got MMA, just sold for billions of dollars. Good luck to them. And for some reason they can buy off lobbyists so they’re not subject to the Muhammad Ali Act like promoters are in boxing – just saying."
It did not take long before Arum’s statements got to Dana White, which had rightfully riled up the outspoken UFC president. White responded to Arum’s statements through a series of text messages he sent to MMA Junkie.
"Does anyone give a (expletive) about Bob Arum or what he thinks? I didn’t know he was still alive!!?"
Arum has always been vocal about his staunch opposition and disparaging of everything MMA. His most recent sweeping generalization was that MMA fans were all Donald Trump supporters.
White, of course, had a response to this statement, wherein he brought up a decade-old interview of Arum predicting the UFC’s downfall.
"I remember a bitter, fat, red, alcohol-abuse-faced Arum chirping about the ‘oodles of money’ the Fertittas were going to lose on the UFC. Arum is the biggest dirtbag in all of sports. I look forward to sticking around and continuing to kick his ass in every aspect of our business."
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