UFC president, Dana White is winding down the biggest year in the sport. Two of the three most profitable pay-per-view cards in MMA history happened in 2016 under his watch, with a third likely contender just around the corner in the form of UFC 205. He helped facilitate the record-breaking $4B sale of the UFC, and profited mightily from that endeavor. To call him a success story is a bit of an understatement.
The MMA community, once a small, tight-knit family, has grown exponentially over the last several years, and is now enjoying plenty of mainstream coverage, seen most recently in Men's Fitness Magazine's latest with the muscled up leader of the sport's largest promotion.
Men's Fitness Magazine is no stranger to featuring UFC athletes in their publications, and this will mark the second time White has graced their cover, the first being the UFC Workout II edition from 2008. This current November release, dubbed the "Special Success & Big Muscle" issue, features White flexing in his usual tight, black t-shirt with hand wraps and a scowl as his only accessories.
Lest I forget, the title of their feature article with him is: Dana White, the UFC's Warrior King
The magazine has released a behind the scenes video short from his photoshoot, and includes a brief Q&A with the 47-year-old, which I've transcribed for those of you that can't open media at your jobs. The questions/topics (in bold) are as they appeared onscreen, and haven't been changed.
You can watch the video via this link:
http://www.mensfitness.com/life/entertainment/behind-scenes-dana-whites-november-2016-cover-shoot
Dana White stays in shape: Boxing, Cardio, Lifting Weights
"I like to box. I still box every day, I do some cardio and I love to lift weights. I have to have a goal, whether it's reps or weight, there has to be some type of goal for me.
Fighters bodies and weight has evolved a lot over the last several years, in that these guys are starting to cut closer to their weight. Weight cutting has always been a part of the fight game. I'd like to think that we're getting better at it, and that it's evolving."
Two fighters from any era?
"Two fighters from any era...I'd throw a Mike Tyson in the mix. I'd like to see Tyson and Chuck Liddell. Over the last 16 years, I've seen so many great fights, it's hard to pick just one. The heavyweight championship, Alistair Overeem vs. Stipe Miocic was awesome, I mean it's everything you want in the heavyweights. Both guys get hurt, and then the champion, Stipe Miocic, defends his title in his hometown.
I'd have to say that I'm most proud of the fact that we did everything we said we would do. Sixteen years ago, me and my partners, the Fertitta brothers, set out to build this thing into a global sport, and we believed it could be the biggest sport in the world. We've achieved most of the things we've said, and we're continuing to grow the sport every day."
Would you change anything going back?
"If I could go back in time, I wouldn't have changed anything, because obviously, it's paid off. Look at what we've done. Look at what we created. Look at what we built. I wouldn't change anything."
For those hoping to see the cover, the best we can do is offer the post from the Men's Fitness twitter account.