Dana White should pat himself on the back for proving you can get millions of people to care about women in pro sports.
Saturday night, I spent my money to buy UFC 261, and I couldn’t be happier with my purchase. It was an incredibly entertaining time, and it also occurred to me that White has done something nobody else has ever seemingly accomplished. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
He’s made people care about women athletes as much as their male counterparts.
Rose Namajunas teared up after winning the strawweight title at #UFC261 @espnmma pic.twitter.com/KsnCTYOIOS
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 25, 2021
The fight card last night featured female fights in the second highest and third highest slots. Rose Namajunas defeated Weili Zhang and Valentina Shevchenko defeated Jessica Andrade.
From start to finish, both fights were electric ahead of Kamaru Usman fighting Jorge Masvidal.
THUG ROSE ????
Rose Namajunas regains the UFC strawweight title at #UFC261 pic.twitter.com/P20isdLr4D
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 25, 2021
Why were two of the top three fights on the card between women? Because people give a damn. Not only do they give a damn, but outside of Usman/Masvidal, Rose fighting Weili and Shevchenko fighting Andrade were hands down the most hyped fights of the night.
Has a WNBA game in the history of the league ever come close to matching the intensity of a regular season NBA game? The answer is no.
Yet, White has built a product so incredibly successful that female athletes in the UFC are just as interesting and fascinating as the men. There’s not a single other sport in the world where that’s true. For example, Shevchenko has earned north of $1.4 million since 2019. Why? People will spend their money to watch her perform.
We all love this dance from Valentina Shevchenko after the win.#UFC261 pic.twitter.com/w3NoyCGYOh
— Akki (@Akkiakki1137) April 25, 2021
On the other side of the coin, The women’s national soccer team and WNBA players love talking about money as if they’re owed something for simply playing. UFC fighters prove that if you’re great enough and generate interest, you’ll get paid at an insanely high level.
US Soccer’s Megan Rapinoe at the White House:
“I’ve been disrespected and dismissed because I am a woman. I’ve been told that I don’t deserve any more than less because I am a woman. Despite all the wins, I’m still paid less than men who do the same job that I do.” pic.twitter.com/QC7N2g4OJp
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) March 24, 2021
Look no further than Ronda Rousey for proof of that fact. A few years ago, she perfectly explained that she got paid millions because she generated massive interest. It wasn’t just a random act of kindness from White.
UFC’s Ronda Rousey 2015:
“I think that how much you get paid should have something to do with how much money you bring in. I’m the highest paid fighter not because Dana wanted to do something nice for the ladies. They do it because I bring in the highest numbers.”#EqualPayDay pic.twitter.com/R4b2ChbY2Z
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) March 24, 2021
So, while WNBA players and soccer players preach without accomplishing much, the women in the UFC are getting paid and people are tuning in for the action. You just love to see it, and White and the organization deserve major props.
