“Thinks the same about McGregor, holding him hostage” – Dana White’s snipe at industry peer for failing to convert Ronda Rousey into superstar stirs up MMA bubble

Depositional inscription reveals Dana White claims he ‘turned Ronda Rousey into a star.’

“Thinks the same about McGregor, holding him hostage” – Dana White’s snipe at industry peer for failing to convert Ronda Rousey into superstar stirs up MMA bubble

Dana White claims high merit in turning Ronda "Rowdy" Rousey into a star (Source: Instagram)

UFC’s top honcho and taskmaster Dana White is ripe with incidences. From extended association into a sexual trafficking lawsuit drama. To cussing out prized fighter Jon Jones for money demands; he sees it all. The latter one comes in light of the UFC facing $1.6 Billion in damages as judges denied an appeal in an anti-trust lawsuit case. The Anti-trust lawsuit saw the unsealing of many in-house conversations of the promotion’s management on their fighters. The latest in the mix is Ronda Rousey.

In the recent cycle of leaked UFC-Bellator info, White put fellow promoter Scott Coker on blast in a deposition questioning him to help boost his ability to create stars. Specifically, the UFC CEO gibed Coker’s ability to “recycle” already recognizable names (Ronda Rousey) for his Strikeforce or Bellator organizations. Here’s what he said on the matter (h/t Bloody Elbow):

That’s Scott Coker’s MO. Scott Coker doesn’t build anybody, right? He doesn’t turn anybody into stars. He just takes old names and recycles them. He’s a — he — he’s a very, very bad promoter. Very bad at what he does....[some really great fighters from Mr. Coker’s Strikeforce promotion] That we turned into stars. When you have Ronda Rousey and you can’t turn her into a star, you should probably go open a restaurant or something...
Dana White said
YouTube video

White puts Rousey and 2-division champ Conor McGregor over undefeated Dagestani phenom Khabib Nurmagomedov in his Top 5 UFC GOAT list, as apparent from his sitdown on ‘GQ Sports‘ YouTube channel. Rousey’s ex-boyfriend Brendan Schaub also once revealed the UFC offering ungodly fight purse money for the superstar’s return to the octagon. Seemingly, White well understands the fighter’s preset worth. Hence, the fight bubble hasn’t taken well to his high notions of pride in turning Rousey into a superstar.

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A prominent reaction on X read – “He probably thinks the same about McGregor hence why he’s holding him hostage“. This comes in light of the Dubliner announcing a supposed return in International Fight Week (UFC 302), but White surpassing it anyway. Concurrently, it isn’t the only fan response.

Fight fans slam Dana White’s sense of pride in transforming Ronda Rousey into a star

UFC’s $1.6 Billion Anti-Trust Lawsuit recently got unsealed by Federal Judge Richard Boulware. The now-class-action affair was started from the claims of former UFC fighters Cung Le, Nathan Quarry, Jon Fitch, Brandon Vera, Luis Javier Vazquez, and Kyle Kingsbury acting as plaintiffs (Case No. 2:15-cv-01045-RFB-BNW).

The matter has gained all kinds of traction since then. From color commentator Joe Rogan reacting to the essence of monopoly. To Ex-UFC heavyweight Mark Hunt alleging misconduct on Dana White and then-UFC Chairman Lorenzo Fertitta‘s part. The current in the latest string of events in Ronda Rousey.

Fans react to Dana White's claims on Ronda Rousey's stardom
Fans react to Dana White’s claims on Ronda Rousey’s stardom (Source: UFC.go.com/Twitter)

White has claimed to have turned Rousey into a superstar. Here’s how the MMA community reacted –

At 12-2-0, Ronda Rousey (of Strikeforce fame) was an instant hit in the WMMA 135lbs class.

Even before that, she was the first American woman Olympic judoka to win bronze at the Summer Olympics. Rousey kicked off her pro-MMA run with ‘King of the Cage‘, and soon joined Strikeforce, becoming their last Women’s bantamweight Champion.
Fans have alluded to White knowing this before their acquisition by UFC.

https://twitter.com/MmaUnderdogs/status/1755590923742793918?s=20
https://twitter.com/TheDoctorShun/status/1755591582261158168?s=20
https://twitter.com/KingLouisxxiii/status/1755677228816363642?s=20
https://twitter.com/realmyola1/status/1755620027368452261?s=20

A handful of fans have sneered and downplayed Rousey’s resume before UFC as ‘not noteworthy‘. Most others, however, unanimously agree that White would not have put his stock in her if she wasn’t already a prominent star to begin with; thus making his self-assured beliefs moot.

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