UFC President Warns Fighters Against EA Sports MMA

[Andy Chalk]

UFC President Warns Fighters Against EA Sports MMA

Ultimate Fighting Championship [http://www.ufc.com/] President Dana White has threatened to blackball UFC fighters who sign up for EA Sports MMA, saying, "EA doesn't give a [expletive] about mixed martial arts."

Rumors that White would take a dim view of any mixed martial arts fighter who agreed to appear in the upcoming EA Sports MMA EA Sports [http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/?go=forum_framed.frame&forum=1&thread=1482515&page=1&pc=3] very clear.

White said the UFC had previously approached EA Sports about establishing an MMA game franchise, but the offer was rejected. "EA Sports told us, 'You're not a real sport. We wouldn't touch this thing. We want nothing to do with this'," he claimed.

The UFC eventually threw in its lot with UFC 2009 Undisputed [http://www.thq.com], which sold over one million units in its first month of release. In light of that and the runaway popularity of MMA, EA is now looking for a piece of the action and White isn't happy about it.

"We put our asses on the line, THQ and the UFC, to make a videogame deal in the worst economy in the world. 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," he said.

"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 continued. "I'm not tap-dancing around this thing or whatever. I'm telling you straight-up, I'm at war with them right now. That's how I look at it."

He also made it clear that he expects that same level of anti-EA commitment from his fighters and any fighters who aspire to be in the UFC. A agreement has been worked out to allow five-time UFC champion Randy Couture to appear in EA Sports MMA but White implied that was a one-off deal, warning that any other fighters who take part in the game "won't be in the UFC."

PlayStation 3 [http://mma.easports.com/].

Source: MMAjunkie.com [http://mmajunkie.com/news/15490/ufc-president-dana-white-says-ea-sports-responsible-for-current-mma-video-game-war.mma]


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[Xan Krieger]

This is because EA only cares about the money and weren't willing to take a chance with it. Now they see it can work and they want a piece of the pie. I agree with Mr. White that if they're going to act like that only to come back when there is money to be made I wouldn't want to do business with them either.

 

[skitzo van]

remember kids beat the shit out of each other in life and NOT in a videogame.

 

[Capo Taco]

Impressive. I wish more people were like mr. White.

 

[Hazy]

This is because EA only cares about the money and weren't willing to take a chance with it. Now they see it can work and they want a piece of the pie. I agree with Mr. White that if they're going to act like that only to come back when there is money to be made I wouldn't want to do business with them either.

Well said Xan, Well said.

 

[Baby Tea]

Good for Mr. White (He sounds like a Bond villain)!
MMA not a sport? Well EA, you're retarded. And now it shows that you're retarded and greedy.
Stick it to the man, White!

 

[cobrausn]

I have no doubt he's angry (I would be too), but by allowing Couture in the game at all he revealed his real interest. He is more interested in assuring that the UFC gets a cut of the money for any role in any game.

 

[Xanadu84]

That's a whole lot more anger then I expected in an interview. I totally understand the decision to condemn EA, and not give them the time of day. Blacklisting fighters is a bit more extreme then I would have expected, but I think its within her right. I would not expect public comments to have so many explicative, though. It's kind of funny that EA were assholes, swallowed there pride for the sake of money, and are getting such a vicious backlash.

 

[TheTygerfire]

EA doesn't think that MMA is a legitimate sport, but ARENA FOOTBALL is the future of the sports world and deserves a game.

 

[snuffler]

UFC's style of MMA is the closest to a REAL sport that you're going to get in ANY fighting championship, be that as it may, boxing, wrestling or otherwise. YDI EA.

 

[Andy Chalk]

Dana White has two emotional states of being: Anger and mania. It's very difficult to tell them apart but most UFC watchers will agree that if he only had to be censored twice, he was really holding back.

Also, he's a dude.

That's a whole lot more anger then I expected in an interview. I totally understand the decision to condemn EA, and not give them the time of day. Blacklisting fighters is a bit more extreme then I would have expected, but I think its within her right. I would not expect public comments to have so many explicative, though. It's kind of funny that EA were assholes, swallowed there pride for the sake of money, and are getting such a vicious backlash.

 

[skcseth]

It's about damn time someone gave a big middle finger to EA.

 

[bjj hero]

a lot of people thing UFC is MMA so you'll struggle to get off the ground without them on board. Its a shame as there are some awesome fighters signed to other promotions.

EAs motives are more than a little suspect though.

 

[Jsnoopy]

Haha sweet sweet revenge. Classic!

 

[Mekado]

Heym, classic case of "this'll never work, this is sh*t" "hey, THQ did it, and it does work!" "oh yeah ? ok then we're in"

As people said, they didn't want to take a chance (surprising considering the tons of shitty games EA pulls out) but now that they *know* it works, they want in, i agree with giving them the finger.

 

[VoltySquirrel]

EA doesn't think that MMA is a legitimate sport, but ARENA FOOTBALL is the future of the sports world and deserves a game.

This times infinity.

 

[Martymer]

/applause

About time someone flips EA the finger. I understand that if you don't make money, you go out of business, but if you don't care about anything *but* making money, well... Get used to people hating you! This time it actually did come back and EA in the ass. Just wish it would happen more often!