Dana White says he would consider promoting Gina Carano vs. Cris Cyborg fight
November 14, 2008 by Sam Caplan
After repeated statements to the media indicating that he was not a fan of female MMA, it appears UFC president Dana White could be softening his stance.
During an interview with Jon Anik of ESPN.com’s “MMA Live,” White responded to a question about a proposed superfight between Gina Carano and Cris Cyborg by expressing a potential desire to promote the bout.
However, if White does a full 180 and promotes a female fight, do not expect it to take place under the UFC’s banner, but for it instead to be a part of its sister promotion, the WEC.
“I wouldn’t be opposed to it,” White responded when asked by Anik about promoting Carano vs. Cyborg. “And if I did do it, I’d probably do it in the WEC.”
That’s a drastic change from how White responded to questions about Carano in the days following reports that ProElite had executed massive layoffs in anticipation of a potential shutdown.
“I think Gina Carano is a talented fighter, I think she’s a star,” White was quoted as saying during a post-UFC 90 press conference. “She should have been the main event (on Oct. 4). My thing with women fighting is that there’s just not enough good women out there to create a whole division. Could I do some one off fights here and there, yeah, but that’s not really what we do.”
I always said that WEC should be the place for women’s MMA in the Zuffa world.
That separates the UFC and WEC brand even more than the lower weight classes, I feel.
How about the oft-speculated mid-summer PPV? With Faber getting a title shot against either Brown or whomever should Brown drop the title between now and then, a Miguel Torres fight, and Carano/Cyborg, that’s definitely a PPV I’d buy.
i agree sergio and i think that they could easily create a division for women that would be as deep as most of their other divisions.
btw, nice pic, great movie…..actually great quasi-trilogy (director wise)
yeah, good call about the PPV sell with those 2. and it is nice to see Dana budging a bit on women in MMA. would definately be a good call for WEC to pick it up, and it is refreshing to see that Dana understands that (well, hopefully he does).
crap, i hit submit too soon. i meant to add that it is a good thing they patched things up with Randy, because it seems Gina looks to Randy for his input (she recently said something about not working with Affliction because of their situation with Randy), and the WEC makes logical sense for both parties
Saying that Dana isn’t a “fan” of womens MMA is misleading. Like you quoted in later, he merely doesn’t think it makes sense for the UFC, business wise.
It’d be great if the WEC added a womens division. Maybe they’d be professional enough to avoid a “towelgate” fiasco.
finally! I’ve been saying WEC needs to pick up a women’s division since before EXC folded. Cmon Zuffa, DO IT!
Agreed. WEC and female mma is a natural fit…and Gina/Cyborg NEEDS to happen.
My take is this….
Dana knows that Gina is worth $$$ so its a good way to add big names to the UFC
There are several potential super fights out there for the ladies. I would love to see Tara LaRosa in the mix and Dana is the guy to make it happen.
As for EliteXC… the are technically not dead yet so until its official we are all just guessing.
I’m sure I’ve missed a few things Dana has said in the media, but when I hear him talking about woman’s MMA it’s never because he doesn’t like it that he won’t promote it. It’s because there isn’t enough girls to make a legitimate division. I think this is a justifiable point if the UFC is about working the divisions and not just individual fights. Until there are more women in a single weight class you won’t see a regular promotion of their fights.
With the state of woman’s MMA as it stands right now one off “Super Fights” are the best they can hope for. And I don’t see those in the UFC any time soon.
While you all are glad handing Dana W., I believe it was Always his intention to bring women into MMA, just via the WEC rather than letting them go to StrikeForce. I believe that it was the latest turn of events in the Showtime vs. ProElite XC that forced Dana to reveal his position that he was open minded to Women’s MMA. His motive all along was to collect them on the cheap after all of the contracts went belly up, buy them and immediately move them to the WEC. Now with what’s going down and so they don’t lose hope, he came out to let them know he’s in their corner.
Dana “Machiaveli” White.
NICE PLAY!
Jay K.
Sam, he said he’d do a one off fight in the previous statement. That isn’t a 180.
I have been talking about this fight for quite some time. Surely Dana White recognizes that Cyborg would most certainly defeat Carano, unless Carano defeats herself by being unable to make weight–a definite possibility.