“This is Not a Career” – Dana White Slams Fighters for Passing on Fights

Dana White is a firm believer in continuing to run ship come what may. It is evident from his perseverance in organizing UFC 249 and securing a private island to host fights. Now the UFC President opened up on a possibility of a second lockdown and implied he has planned for the same. Here, he reasons out by implying that he doesn’t want his athletes to miss out on a few crucial months of their careers. In this vein, he even indirectly slammed a few fighters. 

Dana White says everyone needs to take every opportunity they get

Whilst addressing the media ahead of the UFC’s Blaydes vs Volkov Fight Night, White shed light on the lives of professional athletes. He says, “When you’re a professional athlete, you have a very small window of opportunity. A very limited amount of time. You know?”

Furthermore, the UFC President talks about the ongoing fighter pay debate. A whole host of fighters with Jon Jones and Jorge Masvidal in the lead have echoed the lopsided revenue distribution model. 

“We get into this money shit and stuff that’s going on right now, everybody acts like this is a f**king career. This isn’t a career, this is not a career. This is an opportunity.”

White has spent 20 years at the helm of the UFC. He is aware of how a promising career can change and momentum can get snatched away in a split second. In this regard, he says, “Anything can happen at any given moment, the knee can blow out. Your back. Your this, your that. Covid-19, who the hell knows what’s coming down the pipeline? So you have to take every opportunity that you can get.”

Gilbert Burns is one of the fighters who is making the most of every opportunity that he gets. The Brazilian is set to compete in his 3rd fight behind closed doors. Earlier, he beat Demian Maia in March and Tyron Woodley in May.  

Now he will fight Kamaru Usman for the 170 lbs division belt on July 11 at Fight Island. Had the UFC shut shop and waited for the virus to diminish, ‘Durinho’ would have continued to languish at 6th in the Welterweight rankings. 

What are your views on Dana White’s comments? Should certain fighters make the most of being able to compete and take the opportunity with both hands?