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[Cat--Smasher]

UFC boss Dana White confirms move to Hard Rock was retaliation for credit cut at Palms

White on Saturday confirmed to MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) the accuracy of a report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal, which stated he cut ties with the venue when his credit limit was cut in half.

"I had a little beef with the Palms, and I ripped the UFC out of there," he said with a chuckle.

UFC boss Dana White confirms move to Hard Rock was retaliation for credit cut at Palms | MMAjunkie.com

[KevoOnTheRadio]

Seems legit.

[Sakara=Excitement]

Fuck 'em.

[Cat--Smasher]

Revealed: Truth behind Dana White / The Palms fall-out - Fighters Only

According to a friend of White’s, The Palms cut his credit line because he “he kicked their asses by winning BIG a few times within a short period of time so they chopped his limit )he's aggressive in his bets) in half. This isn't the first casino that has done this to him and I doubt it'll be the last.”

White responded by pulling all UFC events from The Palms. Prior to the fall-out, The Palms and its 2,000 seat arena had been the venue of choice for TUF Finale events. They have now been moved across town to a rival casino.

Local newspaper The Las Vegas Review-Journal followed up on the story this week and found out that not only was this version of events apparently accurate but that a senior executive from The Palms had been sent to Zuffa HQ to do some damage limitation.

According to the report, “Palms president Joe Magliarditi showed up in the lobby of UFC headquarters on Monday, apparently on a mission to defuse a conflict with UFC president Dana White.” The report featured a quote from Dana White who said, “We [he and Magliarditi] had a face to face, a sit-down, and we had a good conversation.”

Further, “White was on a huge run, then lost more than a third of it. When he asked for more credit, he was abruptly informed of the downgrade. Several veteran gaming executives who spoke on the condition of anonymity said most gamblers would consider that beyond bad form.”

This is said to have left White, a decade-long customer of The Palms, absolutely furious. He wrote the company a letter there and then informing them that all live UFC events were henceforth being withdrawn from their premises.

The LVRJ report states that White “is known as a highly disciplined blackjack player who, when he won early, would walk away. That practice is known to drive casino operators crazy, especially in these budget-slashing days.”

[joeodd2]

Good for Dana, I used to play blackjack and it's hard to walk away when you go up so big early. If that's the reason why they cut his credit, I can understand him not playing there, but to make a business decision based on a personal grudge is just unprofessional and sends signals to potential business partners, like Fox Sports and other companies. It's just not smart....one has to wonder how many opportunities has the UFC missed out on because of Dana White's personality?

[rivethead]

I'm calling bullshit on the version from dana's friend. If he was on a "huge run" but only lost a third of it, why would he need additional credit?

That would be entirely different than if they changed the betting limit on the floor, but again, if he had chips on the felt, he wouldn't have needed any additional credit.



Regardless, I see this as a petty emotional move, not a strong business decision.

rh

[KevoOnTheRadio]

Bjorn Rebney please pick up the white courtesy phone. Bjnorn Rebney, white courtesy phone.

[The Donosaur]

Eh as much as I dislike Dana most of the time, I don't have a problem with this. There are some situations where it's alright to use your power to your advantage. The casino screwed Dana, and he returned the favor.

[GangGreenWarrior]

It just seems like colossally poor business sense to piss off anyone who brings you a substantial amount of business. I'm sure after every UFC event at the Palms, a majority of the audience stumbles back to the Casino portion of it and proceeds to lose lots of money. Additionally, if your competition is beside you and all around you, you better do everything you can to keep your business partners happy. It's not like the UFC suffers any loss of revenue by moving their event down the strip.

[The Donosaur]

Originally Posted by GangGreenWarrior

It just seems like colossally poor business sense to piss off anyone who brings you a substantial amount of business. I'm sure after every UFC event at the Palms, a majority of the audience stumbles back to the Casino portion of it and proceeds to lose lots of money. Additionally, if your competition is beside you and all around you, you better do everything you can to keep your business partners happy. It's not like the UFC suffers any loss of revenue by moving their event down the strip.

I completely agree