White: DJ never got fan ‘love and respect’ he deserved

Welcome to our Community
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Feel free to Sign Up today.
Sign up

Wild

Zi Nazi
Admin
Dec 31, 2014
85,004
123,330


It’s no secret that Demetrious Johnson was never a popular UFC champion. In his record setting run atop the flyweight division, he headlined 4 PPV events. The top selling among those? His title defense against Chris Cariaso at UFC 178, which still only drew a paltry estimated 205,000 buys.

Why it is he never clicked, however, is a topic up for a bit more debate. Many fans and pundits have laid the blame at the UFC itself and their seeming inability to turn obvious talent into a marketable headliner. In a recent interview with TMZ sports, however, president Dana White put the focus squarely on the fans…


Dana White says Demetrious Johnson never got the ‘love and respect’ he deserved from fans
 

Joemacka

Bisping is GOAT
Oct 19, 2015
5,060
8,874
I wouldnt blame Dana, MM beat a bunch of guys that werent on his level and didnt want to challenge himself against someone like Dillashaw. Thats his fault nobody elses. Now just close down the 125 division.
 
M

member 603

Guest
For the umpteenth million time.... Dana you DUMB FUCK!!!! YOU are the PROMOTOR!!! PROMOTE HIM!!! If you did your fucking job, rather than only promoting Ronda, and blowing Conor as you allowed him to do whatever he wanted, your OTHER great champions would have had a better draw and respect from fans...... Instead you shit on him (like you do other fighters) and wonder why they don't make the numbers your chosen two made....... Go fuck yourself, and fucking overdose already and die while your banging out your side pieces you fat bald fuck.... FUCK DANA WHITE!!!
 
Nov 21, 2015
9,140
12,443


It’s no secret that Demetrious Johnson was never a popular UFC champion. In his record setting run atop the flyweight division, he headlined 4 PPV events. The top selling among those? His title defense against Chris Cariaso at UFC 178, which still only drew a paltry estimated 205,000 buys.

Why it is he never clicked, however, is a topic up for a bit more debate. Many fans and pundits have laid the blame at the UFC itself and their seeming inability to turn obvious talent into a marketable headliner. In a recent interview with TMZ sports, however, president Dana White put the focus squarely on the fans…


Dana White says Demetrious Johnson never got the ‘love and respect’ he deserved from fans
I'm going to go against the crowd here but I say this is 90% DJ's fault

He never gave we as fans any reason to care or be emotionally invested
in his fights. He always acted like he didn't care.

Interviewer - Who do you want to fight DJ?

DJ - Whoever is next. I don't care (Well if you don't care then I as a fan don''t really
care either. You aren't even emotionally invested and excited as hell for your own damn fight so
why in fuck all would you expect me to be?)



Interviewer - We see many long time Champions losing their belts in
huge upsets lately. Is that something that keep you up at night. Do you worry
about that. Does that make this next fight more intense for you?


DJ - Nope. A fights a fight. Just like any other. If I lose I lose. So what. (Awesome! You couldn't possibly
take away any more emotion I had or make me care any less about your fight then you have now)
 
Last edited:

Yossarian

TMMAC Addict
Oct 25, 2015
13,489
19,127
I wouldnt blame Dana, MM beat a bunch of guys that werent on his level and didnt want to challenge himself against someone like Dillashaw. Thats his fault nobody elses. Now just close down the 125 division.
It was a shallow and boring division. Only so many little people around.
 

Yossarian

TMMAC Addict
Oct 25, 2015
13,489
19,127
I'm going to go against the crowd here but I say this is 90% DJ's fault

He never gave we as fans any reason to care or be emotionally invested
in his fights. He always acted like he didn't care who he fought.

Interviewer - Who do you want to fight DJ?

DJ - Whoever is next. I don't care (Well if you don't care then I as a fan don''t really
care either. You aren't even emotionally invested and excited as hell for your own damn fight so
why in fuck all would you expect me to be?)



Interviewer - We see many long time Champions losing their belts in
huge upsets lately. Is that something that keep you up at night. Do you worry
about that. Does that make this next fight more intense for you?

DJ - Nope. A fights a fight. Just like any other. If I lose I lose. So what. (Awesome you couldn't possible
take away any more emotion I had or make me care any less about your fight then you have now)
He didn't have charisma either.
 

Enock-O-Lypse Now!

Underneath Denver International Airport
Jun 19, 2016
11,737
19,619
Every Card he headlined was weak IMO, that is why I never ordered or cared to watch Events headlined by MM.

I feel its the job of the promoter to get the fighters over - its his job to hype up the champions and give fans a reason to watch a certain fighter fight.

But we all know Dana doesn't want to do any of that ...that is why when he gets a "self promoter, big talker" fighter like McGregor he goes all in....Dana is all in because he doesn't have to do any work....just sit back and let the money roll in.
 
Nov 21, 2015
9,140
12,443
He didn't have charisma either.
Bingo!

Thats the thing... He's actually a funny charismatic dude.... When he wants to be

He just never gave a fuck about generating any emotion or excitement for his fights.

He literally came off as if he resented even being expected to generate
interest in his fights.

He acted as if he couldn't wait for the interview to be over. Which
in turn made fans want the interview to be over too

ie... "Get this dude the fuck off the stage and get someone on
thats excited cuz I want to be excited and have a good time!"

He's one of those. "My track record as a martial artist should be enough
for people to want to see me fight"

WRONG... Its NOT enough
 

Joemacka

Bisping is GOAT
Oct 19, 2015
5,060
8,874
I'm going to go against the crowd here but I say this is 90% DJ's fault

He never gave we as fans any reason to care or be emotionally invested
in his fights. He always acted like he didn't care who he fought.

Interviewer - Who do you want to fight DJ?

DJ - Whoever is next. I don't care (Well if you don't care then I as a fan don''t really
care either. You aren't even emotionally invested and excited as hell for your own damn fight so
why in fuck all would you expect me to be?)



Interviewer - We see many long time Champions losing their belts in
huge upsets lately. Is that something that keep you up at night. Do you worry
about that. Does that make this next fight more intense for you?


DJ - Nope. A fights a fight. Just like any other. If I lose I lose. So what. (Awesome! You couldn't possibly
take away any more emotion I had or make me care any less about your fight then you have now)
You are 100% correct. You cannot promote someone who doesnt want to be promoted. He didnt care to shit talk or sell a fight says he didnt care who was next to fight. Sorry but that shit dont interest me one bit. He didnt care who was next to fight until it was Dillashaw. People just like to throw Dana under the bus because hes a dickhead most of the time but i dont see how this is his fault.
 
Nov 21, 2015
9,140
12,443
You are 100% correct. You cannot promote someone who doesnt want to be promoted. He didnt care to shit talk or sell a fight says he didnt care who was next to fight. Sorry but that shit dont interest me one bit. He didnt care who was next to fight until it was Dillashaw. People just like to throw Dana under the bus because hes a dickhead most of the time but i dont see how this is his fault.
Dana is a real ass most of the time yeah, but you gotta give the guy something to work
with. Look how they got behind Colby Covington and that is probably the absolute cringey
most scripted fake self promotion I'v seen yet and still the UFC got behind him cuz he
was at least trying and acknowledged he needed to do his part in promoting

DJ simply never gave a damn or at least acted like he didn't give
a damn which has the exact same effect
 
1

1031

Guest
I will go against the crowd and say this isn't anyone's fault.
DJ has been the person he wants to be.
Much of (or most of) the UFC fan base, rightly or wrongly, wants pro-wrestling style charisma.
There was only so much Dana can do with such a situation.
 

BrunoMcGyver

Bruno no dey carry last
Dec 30, 2015
6,395
10,264
I wouldnt blame Dana, MM beat a bunch of guys that werent on his level and didnt want to challenge himself against someone like Dillashaw. Thats his fault nobody elses. Now just close down the 125 division.
He fought Dominick Cruz, who was the BW goat when they fought and like 6-7 inches taller and about 30 pounds heavier. Yes, I do agree he should`ve fought TJ, especially after beating Borg and clinching the record, but I find this notion that Mighty Mouse never challenged himself a bit ridiculous to be honest.
 
Last edited:

Leigh

Engineer
Pro Fighter
Jan 26, 2015
10,925
21,293
I totally get that DJ could have done more to promote himself. But he was the most dominant champion they had and they never gave him the push. It's an easy sell, really. It's not just lazy to under promote him, it's bad business.

"MOST DOMINANT CHAMPION OF ALL TIME(S)!!! The Mighty Mouse submits BJJ Black Belts, he takes down Olympic wrestlers and he bangs people out!!"

*run highlight reel*

Tito was the first guy to get the mega star treatment by Zuffa and can't put a coherent sentence together. His T shirts and grave digger routines were funny, admittedly.
 
M

member 3289

Guest
He fought Dominick Cruz, who was the BW goat when they fought and like 6-7 inches taller and about 30 pounds heavier. Yes, I do agree he should`ve fought TJ, especially after beating Borg and clinching the record, but I find this notion that Mighty Mouse never challenged himself a bit ridiculous to be honest.
He fought Cruz before the flyweight division existed. He was one of the top contenders at bantamweight and earned his shot by beating Kid Yamamoto and Miguel Torres (both savages at the time).

And he clearly wasn't interested in the Dillashaw fight, for whatever reason.

Could've been the memory of the loss to Cruz.
 

BrunoMcGyver

Bruno no dey carry last
Dec 30, 2015
6,395
10,264
He fought Cruz before the flyweight division existed. He was one of the top contenders at bantamweight and earned his shot by beating Kid Yamamoto and Miguel Torres (both savages at the time).

And he clearly wasn't interested in the Dillashaw fight, for whatever reason.

Could've been the memory of the loss to Cruz.
Exactly man. He didn’t just fight in a lower league that had flyweight fights. He fought at a weight class higher and held his own. Only when the UFC created the division he took the opportunity and went down.
 
M

member 603

Guest
I love how a dominant champion, who was the only fighter ever endorsed by Xbox because he's an avid gamer (and has done huge gaming events for them with great fanfare), didn't do enough to make himself popular in some of your guys eyes....... Maybe he should have worn a shiny shirt and sunglasses inside, while insulting other fighters, then he'd be great
 
Nov 21, 2015
9,140
12,443
I will go against the crowd and say this isn't anyone's fault.
DJ has been the person he wants to be.
Much of (or most of) the UFC fan base, rightly or wrongly, wants pro-wrestling style charisma.
There was only so much Dana can do with such a situation.
I'll agree with ya. DJ has been himself but he has to realize that
taking the luxury of being himself instead of promoting comes at
a cost.

He can't then be surprised or annoyed that the fans don't come out in
droves for him. Which for the most part he didn't complain about too much but
did voice his frustration. I'm good with that. Can't blame him too much.

On the WWE Charisma idea I don't think that's what he had to do. He didn't have
to put on a Conor or Chael schtick to sell a fight. Just show some of his personality
and act like he actually cared.

DJ was very cold emotionally and naturally fans were cold to his fights.

He is actually a funny dude when he lets it out.

He cracked me up when asked about what he thought about John Dodson
saying he was going to beat his face up. He said (Paraphrasing). . "Look at me, I'm
still prettier then a mutherfucker" and went on to crack everybody up.

If he simply woulda let that person out all the time I think things
in the UFC would have turned out differently for him

But alas... To ONE FC he goes...
 
Nov 21, 2015
9,140
12,443
I totally get that DJ could have done more to promote himself. But he was the most dominant champion they had and they never gave him the push. It's an easy sell, really. It's not just lazy to under promote him, it's bad business.

"MOST DOMINANT CHAMPION OF ALL TIME(S)!!! The Mighty Mouse submits BJJ Black Belts, he takes down Olympic wrestlers and he bangs people out!!"

*run highlight reel*

Tito was the first guy to get the mega star treatment by Zuffa and can't put a coherent sentence together. His T shirts and grave digger routines were funny, admittedly.
I think Dana tried that a few times. He would always say things like that about DJ.
I think they just wanted some kinda show and self promotion out of DJ when the cameras
were on and they didn't see anything from him they thought they could get behind

The TJ Dillishaw thing I think was the last straw for Dana. DJ really missed a huge
opportunity there. He should have been pushing for that fight and going on every MMA
show he could to promote that.

Thats what the UFC wanted and they never got it from him.

Just my 2 cents and how I see it anyway
 
M

member 3289

Guest
I love how a dominant champion, who was the only fighter ever endorsed by Xbox because he's an avid gamer (and has done huge gaming events for them with great fanfare), didn't do enough to make himself popular in some of your guys eyes....... Maybe he should have worn a shiny shirt and sunglasses inside, while insulting other fighters, then he'd be great
Did you buy his PPVs?
 

so long

Posting Machine
Dec 16, 2015
1,282
2,035
I personally was never drawn to him as a fan. Like others wrote above, he could be an interesting guy (I watched the JRE episode and he was entertaining), but in the cage, and especially post fight with that smug look on his face, sorry but no thanks.
That's my right to have my opinion, like it should be his right to be himself.

I personally never cared about his fights, I would 1.000x rather watch Phil Baroni watch paint dry, there's some personality and action! I don't care for fake trashtalk! but I found nothing about the guy engaging. Even after the suplex-armbar, which he *refused* to call "The Mousetrap".
Also the nickname is not neally sth. I could get behind, unless he was a heavyweight...
 
Nov 21, 2015
9,140
12,443
*If he had simply...*

But overall you have good insight on it and know more about than me.
Maybe he wants to nurture something in himself that people can't relate to?
LOL

I can always count on my buddy to keep my grammar in line.

It will be fun to see DJ in some new matches. I guess time will tell
how this move plays out for him