KO TKO
18-01-2008, 23:27
“Scotland is definitely in our plans for the future. This last year when we went into the U.K., we went to a different place every time. Scotland is next. We’ll be there soon. I guarantee it.”
White did clarify though that the expansion into Europe, at least at this time, isn’t because it’s lining the promoter’s pockets, saying, “I don’t think there is anything profitable about the European market right now. We’re getting our ass kicked over there.
“But the bottom line is, and I'm always yapping about the boxing promoters and how they don't spend the money to build their sport and secure the future of the sport, for this sport to grow, we need to move out to Europe.”
It hasn’t been easy though as White reflected, “When we first bought this company ... inDemand pay-per-view, DirecTV and EchoStar were our three options. Everybody said there is no way this is going to get on free television, etc., etc.”
But he does believe that there are characteristics of mixed martial arts that appeal globally. He feels that the sport has the potential to be much bigger, on a worldwide scale, than possibly any other sport in the world and that is a large part of his reasoning for the UFC’s European invasion.
“Look at the NFL. There's nothing bigger in this country than the NFL,” White stated. “They've been spending billions of dollars trying to break into Europe and they can't do it, because nobody gives a (expletive) about football in Europe. They didn't grow up playing football, they don't know about it.
“I take two guys and put them in the Octagon and they can use any martial art they want. It translates through all different cultural barriers, language barriers... people love fighting.”
He continued, “I think that this thing can be global. I think that this thing can be the biggest sport in the world. I already know it's the most exciting sport in the world.”
courtesy of MMAWEEKLY.COM
Zou leuk zijn als er straks ook een UFC evenement zou komen in Nederland.
White did clarify though that the expansion into Europe, at least at this time, isn’t because it’s lining the promoter’s pockets, saying, “I don’t think there is anything profitable about the European market right now. We’re getting our ass kicked over there.
“But the bottom line is, and I'm always yapping about the boxing promoters and how they don't spend the money to build their sport and secure the future of the sport, for this sport to grow, we need to move out to Europe.”
It hasn’t been easy though as White reflected, “When we first bought this company ... inDemand pay-per-view, DirecTV and EchoStar were our three options. Everybody said there is no way this is going to get on free television, etc., etc.”
But he does believe that there are characteristics of mixed martial arts that appeal globally. He feels that the sport has the potential to be much bigger, on a worldwide scale, than possibly any other sport in the world and that is a large part of his reasoning for the UFC’s European invasion.
“Look at the NFL. There's nothing bigger in this country than the NFL,” White stated. “They've been spending billions of dollars trying to break into Europe and they can't do it, because nobody gives a (expletive) about football in Europe. They didn't grow up playing football, they don't know about it.
“I take two guys and put them in the Octagon and they can use any martial art they want. It translates through all different cultural barriers, language barriers... people love fighting.”
He continued, “I think that this thing can be global. I think that this thing can be the biggest sport in the world. I already know it's the most exciting sport in the world.”
courtesy of MMAWEEKLY.COM
Zou leuk zijn als er straks ook een UFC evenement zou komen in Nederland.