Max Holloway and Dana White and the Different Approaches To Fighter Health and Safety
One of these is far different from the other...
Following Saturday's UFC 240 fight card, we heard two very different approaches to dealing with the potential damage UFC fighters suffer inside the octagon.
UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway could have booked himself an October matchup against Alexander Volkanovski after the event. Instead, the featherweight champion, who had just defeated ex-lightweight kingpin Frankie Edgar by decision, said he plans to undergo medical testing before agreeing to any fight.
"I look fine, I look great, but I'll wait to talk to my team and my coaches. I fought three title fights in seven months," Holloway said at the UFC 240 post-fight press conference. "I want to fight one more time this year, but we've got to take all the right tests and see and we'll go from there."
The 27-year-old, who has racked up more than four hours to octagon time as a featherweight cited his son and the recent deaths of two boxers as the reason he wanted to make sure he is healthy before he books his next title defense.
"I've got this little mini-me (his son, Rush) right here," said Holloway. "I'm trying to be able to walk and talk and be fine. We had some tragedies that happened, not in our sport, but in combat sports this past week that's pretty sad and we want to stay on top of it. My manager, my team, they all push me to go to the doctor. These guys look out for what's best for me and that's why I love them. I'm trying to stay around for a long time, not a good time."
At the same press conference, UFC president Dana White was asked how he could justify booking B.J. Penn in another contest. Penn is 0-7-1 in his past eight outings and hasn't had his hand raised since he defeated Matt Hughes in 2010. No other UFC fighter has had a longer winless skid.
"He's promised me that win, lose or draw, he'll retire after this fight," White said. "We'll see if he keeps his promise. He won't fight here, though. That I guarantee you. We won't be sitting here doing this again. That I can promise you."
It's hard to believe those words. White has been calling for Penn to retire since at least 2013.
When pushed on the subject, White shut down the line of questioning like an angry dad. Which come to think of it, he is.
"If all you people that are concerned are doctors, then give me a call. If you're not, then mind your own business," said White without noting that he is also not a doctor. White is also ignores the fact that it is the media's job to cover the good and bad of the sport and not just what he wants covered.
Penn has absorbed a UFC record 1,410 significant strikes to the head. During his winless skid, Penn has been outstruck 833 to 379 in significant strikes.
I don't pretend to know why White has agreed to allow Penn to fight again. However, I do know he isn't doing the 40-year-old any favors by booking him against Nik Lentz later this year.
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Reading Time:
Dig into this Charles P. Pierce story that is relevant today as it was when it was published in 2005:
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Movie Time:
This opening shot is amazing….the entire movie is a masterpiece: