No sport in the past half-century has grabbed public attention as quickly and intensely as mixed-martial arts. And Dana White and his league, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), have been at the forefront from the beginning. Fight after fight, the pay-per-view dollars come pouring in, and someone ends up face-down in a pool of blood. Or something close to it.
And men will go on beating the hell out of other men, according to White; that's what has made him his millions. But women smacking up other women–not in his ring. At least, that's what he told TMZ.com early this morning.
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While leaving a club, bar or late-night workout, when posed the question, White told one of the many paparazzi trailing him out the door that women would “never” fight in the UFC. White followed the response with a chuckle, so that may not be an iron-trap rejection, but it doesn't bode well for the future of female MMA.
A few women star in an opposing league, Strikeforce, but the league, as well as every other MMA-entertainment entity, fails to rival the success of UFC. Gina Carano is one of the biggest female names in MMA, though she recently lost her title to Cris “Cyborg” Santos.
In a 2008 Forbes.com story about the UFC's founders, the estimation was made that the league is worth nearly $1 billion.
Sure, the men's action is faster and more gruesome, but would it really sway any viewers from watching a few women–some of whom appear equally as fierce as their male counterparts–do their thing in the octagon? We think not.
How long before White changes his mind?
