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[Cat--Smasher]

Dana White: UFC fighters turning down fights are 'worried about losing'

"[Turning down fights] is a lot more normal for guys who are worried about losing," White told MMAmania.com in a media scrum following the UFC 154 post-fight press conference in Montreal. "Guys who feel like they're in a position where they lose, you know what I mean? You're either fighters of you're not.

"You come out and you fight and put it all on the line and if you win, you win. If you lose, back to the drawing board. I mean that's the business that they're in. But, you turn down a fight then you turn down a fight."

While the UFC boss considers turning down a fighter regardless of the circumstances to be a black and white issue, Kongo seems to think otherwise.

"I did NOT REFUSE to FIGHT Roy Nelson," Kongo wrote on his official Twitter account. "I REFUSED to TAKE A FIGHT on SHORT NOTICE. Which is NOT THE SAME AT ALL."

White says the December bout with Nelson was the second fight offer in a row the Frenchman has turned down.

To White, it doesn't matter what Kongo's reasoning for turning down the fight is, was or will possibly be in the future. He simply just does not like this precedent of his athletes trying to pick and choose, believing it goes against what makes fighters, "fighters."

"Listen, if you turn down fights, I'm going to (expletive) say it," said White. "And if you turn down a fight at least admit you turned down a fight.

"He turned down a fight, whether it's on short notice or not, he turned down a fight."

Dana White: UFC fighters turning down fights are 'worried about losing' - MMAmania.com

[cnlclink]

Dana should just let it go...I am with Kongo, if he doesn't think he can be ready to fight properly because of short notice then who is to say otherwise. Who wants to watch a fight with someone that isn't ready to fight. If Dana wasn't so hard on his fighters that lose a fight or two you may have more people willing to take a short notice or a far tougher (higher level too) than they are ready for. It's not like these guys are playing poker with millions of dollars already in their pockets, they can get seriously hurt and may never fight again. I'm with fighters.

[v3xi]

Dana is being a huge prick about this. There is obviously some beef between them behind the scenes. I'd like to see him treat Anderson Silva this way but hes obviously two faced.

[Qball1974]

.............. and then getting cut on a dime.

[K1NG P3NN]

Kongo, I don't agree with you often...but this is one of those times.

[krayven]

Originally Posted by Qball1974

.............. and then getting cut on a dime.

This. Hmmmm, there's no guarantee of any kind of job security what so ever unless you're a Dana favorite, why wouldn't guys jockey for favorable fights from time to time? It IS a business at the end of the day

[rivethead]

...I'm not sure what his point is.

Stating that they're worried about losing is almost as obvious as stating that dana only cares about money.

rh

[Sniggles]

Dana the passive aggressive vagina.

[lwbrewer]

Dana eats, drinks, and sleeps UFC so he thinks everybody does that wants to stay. To bad Dana's job doesn't need a 8 week training camp to get ready. If so he might change his opinion. Second thought it's DW he won't change probely only get worse.

[joeodd2]

Ask demarqous johnson about the ufc taking care of company men who take short notice fights...