UFC CEO Dana White has launched a tirade against MMA media, questioning their qualifications and criticising their coverage of the sport.
White’s combative relationship with the media is well-documented.
He appears to believe journalists are unworthy of demanding answers from him.
White’s Rant: ‘What the F*ck Have You Ever Done?’
White sat down for an interview with David Senra and explained why he gets so mad dealing with media members.
“My biggest problem with the media? Who the f*ck are you and what the f*ck have you ever done? Nothing,” said White. “You’re nobody, and you’ve never done anything ever. Nobody’s ever depended on you for a paycheck. Who are you to criticize anybody?”
White referenced a press conference in Winnipeg, saying, “I was just saying at the press conference in Winnipeg on Saturday, you have all these people on the internet. Talking about what we should be doing with our business. I said, “Holy sh*t, you guys are fucking brilliant. PFL, Bellator, One FC, many, many other failing companies. Why don’t they just f*cking hire you guys? You guys have the answers for everything, right?
“I can’t even read this shit because it’s so dumb. And I realize these guys know nothing about this business, yet these are the people that are covering it. It’s fascinating to me that anybody listens to any of these people.”
Conflating Media and Criticism
White appears to be conflating several types of media members and content creators to make his point.
He also seems to view journalism as criticism.
By lumping all forms of media together, he can attempt to devalue journalists’ work by painting them as uneducated critics.
Echoes of Anti-Expert Sentiment
White’s critique that journalists haven’t started a company and therefore aren’t capable of reporting on it echoes a sentiment we often hear from coaches and athletes who don’t think non-athlete journalists can properly understand their sports, which is patently untrue.
Much of the work of journalism is to find the answers that people like White don’t want to provide, and his common tactic of bullying them and denigrating their coverage works in certain circles but signals to others that there’s a reason to keep digging (especially when there’s a lot to dig into).
And the more people like White attempt to warp reality to meet their needs, the more it makes good media members want to ask tougher questions.