Dana White straight addressed and defined his controversial apply of selling sure fighters over others based mostly on their potential marketability. Throughout the dialogue about accusations of favoritism, White didn’t deny the apply however as a substitute framed it as a elementary a part of combat promotion.
Dana White Confirms the Existence of ‘Dana White Privilege’
Dana White defined:
“Right here’s the stupidity of Dana White privilege. If you deliver guys that there are some who assume may develop into world champions, everyone desires to develop into a world champion. Effectively, there’s individuals who assume you could have a a lot better likelihood than others do. So that you prop these folks up and put them in positions the place you possibly can see what they’re able to doing. Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey. Anybody that comes with Dana White privilege, that’s simply combat promotion.”
White‘s rationalization reveals that what critics name favoritism, he considers primary enterprise technique. The UFC president identifies potential marketable fighters and offers them with high-profile alternatives to check their skills towards elite competitors. In his view, fighters like McGregor and Rousey weren’t given undeserved benefits however relatively obtained the possibility to show they might develop into world champions.
What Is Dana White Privilege?
The idea of Dana White privilege has existed as a casual criticism inside the combat sports group for years. The apply entails the UFC president allegedly giving sure fighters preferential therapy via favorable matchups, precedence reserving, prolonged title shot alternatives, and higher promotional help in comparison with fighters with out his backing.
Sean O’Malley represents one of the crucial mentioned trendy examples of the privilege in motion. Regardless of having zero consecutive title protection wins, O’Malley obtained a bantamweight title shot towards Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 in 2023. Earlier than that combat, O’Malley confronted Petr Yan at UFC 280 for a primary contender matchup regardless of having just one UFC win. Sterling brazenly known as out the favoritism earlier than their combat, saying he needed O’Malley to pay for “all his Dana White privilege.”
Jorge Masvidal skilled privilege in a unique method. With out ever turning into UFC welterweight champion, Masvidal obtained consecutive title pictures at Kamaru Usman at each UFC 251 and UFC 261, in accordance with sources. After his spectacular five-second knockout of Ben Askren, the timing of those title alternatives coincided with Masvidal’s rising star energy relatively than a conventional ascent via the rankings.
The British fighter Paddy Pimblett additionally falls beneath scrutiny relating to Dana White privilege. Pimblett obtained a co-main occasion slot on the light-weight division towards Jared Gordon at UFC 282, and each fighters from Liverpool obtained matchups that strategically constructed their data earlier than difficult extra severe competitors.
Different fighters talked about throughout completely different time durations as beneficiaries of the privilege embody CM Punk, Chael Sonnen, Michael Chandler, Colby Covington, and Bo Nickal. Every fighter’s case presents its personal circumstances, however the sample stays constant, the UFC constructs conditions designed to maximise a fighter’s probabilities of visibility.
The mechanism behind the privilege operates on an easy precept. The UFC controls matchmaking, title shot allocation, promotional assets, and occasion placement. White, as president, makes remaining selections on these issues. When he believes a fighter possesses industrial enchantment alongside athletic expertise, the group can systematically present that fighter with optimum circumstances to succeed.
Critics argue the system undermines meritocracy inside the sport by prioritizing marketability over reputable achievement. Fighters with out Dana White backing should compile extra spectacular resumes, string collectively longer successful streaks, and wait longer for alternatives, even when their precise expertise match or exceed privileged rivals.
