UFC president Dana White has a simple message for fighters dreaming of competing in the world-famous octagon: Don’t do business with EA Sports.
In an edict that started as a rumor on internet message boards, White stated after Saturday’s historic UFC 100 event that he was "at war" with the popular video-game developers and that those that side with EA Sports will find themselves out of the UFC’s good graces.
But perhaps surprising to some, White insists it was EA Sports that fired the first salvo in the still-developing controversy.
"It’s easy to sit on the other side of the table and judge me on how I react to stuff like this," White said. "But let me tell you what I’ve been in the trenches for almost 10 years, and I’ve been dealing with all these businesses, and EA was one of them."
EA Sports holds the publishing rights for several of the market’s most successful sports-related video games, including the Madden NFL, FIFA, NASCAR and Tiger Woods PGA series. White said the UFC had hoped to join the ranks of those titles, but the California-based EA Sports declined to discuss the possibility.
"EA Sports told us, ‘You’re not a real sport,’" White said. "’We wouldn’t touch this thing. We want nothing to do with this.’"
With EA Sports passing on the rights to the UFC’s video game license, rival software company THQ elected to partner with mixed martial arts’ biggest promotion. The company’s first effort, "UFC Undisputed 2009," has shipped approximately 2 million units since its May release according to White, and the fiery exec is upset that EA Sports is now changing their tune with the recent announcement of a forthcoming "EA Sports MMA" title.
"We put our asses on the line, THQ and the UFC, to make a video-game deal in the worst economy in the world," White said. "We go out there and do this thing, and it’s successful, and now [expletive] EA Sports wants to do a video game. Really? That’s not what you told us a year-and-a-half ago.
"You told us you’d never be in business with us. They wouldn’t even take a meeting because mixed martial arts disgusted them. This wasn’t a real sport. Boy, they got over that real quick, didn’t they?"
White views EA Sports’ tactics with obvious disapproval, and he’s made it clear that any fighter who signs over their likeness to the new project will be blacklisted from the UFC.
"I’m not tap-dancing around this thing or whatever," White said. "I’m telling you straight-up, I’m at war with them right now. That’s how I look at it."
While former UFC champion and currently contracted UFC fighter Randy Couture is expected to appear in the EA Sports offering a matter White says the company worked through with "The Natural" during a recent court appearance the UFC president said not to expect that trend to continue.
"You won’t be in the UFC," White said about additional fighters who sign with EA Sports.
Despite reports that Nick Diaz, Mohammed "King Mo" Lawal, Jason "Mayhem" Miller and Jake Shields all potential targets to fight for the UFC in the future have agreed to appear in the EA Sports title, White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) he’s not sure who the software company has secured for the upcoming MMA game.
But White remains firm in his decision, and he believes he’s doing it for the right reasons.
"You know what the difference is?" White asked. "I’m in the mixed martial arts business. EA isn’t.
"EA doesn’t give a [expletive] about mixed martial arts. They made that very clear."
(this article out of yahoo! sports news is credited by John Morgan, MMAjunkie.com)
Do you believe Dana White’s actions and statements about UFC fighters losing their job if they sign a deal with EA are justified? If you ask me, Dana made all the right moves that EA hasn’t. EA had its chance, passed on the opportunity to licensce the UFC, and now we don’t have to worry about them making the one and only half-*** mma videogame as they have with the other sports franchise games that they have developed. Too bad for them. For those that have played UFC Undisputed, I think we’re fairly satisfied with what THQ has done and we don’t need a generic mma game to satisfy our need for any other competition out there.
greekgod person…most of the UFC fighters have or will likely appear in Undisputed or future UFC games by THQ. if they decided to run with EA’s program, wouldn’t that make them just as selfish if not more so as Dana White since they’re almost guaranteed money from appearing in a UFC game under THQ? In the end, they’re doing this UFC/THQ project to benefit themselves as well as the company that’s been paying them as fighters since day 1. Dana White is just making sure they opportunity stays within the ‘family’. Why would they want to screw themselves over?
greekgod person…most of the UFC fighters have or will likely appear in Undisputed or future UFC games by THQ. if they decided to run with EA’s program, wouldn’t that make them just as selfish if not more so as Dana White since they’re almost guaranteed money from appearing in a UFC game under THQ? In the end, they’re doing this UFC/THQ project to benefit themselves as well as the company that’s been paying them as fighters since day 1. Dana White is just making sure the opportunity stays within the ‘family’. Why would they want to screw themselves over?
You’re definitely proving a valid point. Dana White is already a multi-millionaire. Why would this ‘war’ with EA have any affect on how Dana signs his checks to his fighters? It won’t. If anything, he’s protecting his own assets. He’s protecting his fighters from hurting the same company that signs their paychecks. Why would Dana want anything to do with a company that pretty much spit in his face and called the UFC a ‘fake’ sport? Blatantly disrespectful and Dana White is just returning the favor by saying "that’s just too bad. you had your chance and you ruined it. now watch as THQ and the UFC shine under the limelight." EA has no perspective on mma. Dana White, the UFC, and THQ do. Game, set…match. I don’t even know why EA even bothers…aren’t they too busy trying to ruin the other sports industries with their lack luster effort to make a solid game? Look at how much has changed in the NFL genre of Madden since 2003. A little change here and there and *BAM*…new game. EA is lazy. Their sports games may sell like hot cakes but it’s only a matter of time before people start to catch on and say…these guys aren’t giving us the best bang for our buck. Dana White won’t let that happen no matter how much money EA decides to throw at him.
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