Dana White admits he can't wait for 2020 to be over despite record-breaking year for UFC

Dana White admits he can’t wait for 2020 to be over despite record-breaking year for UFC… but warns ‘it’s going to be a lot of the same s***’ in 2021 with the Covid-19 pandemic still rife across the US

  • UFC president Dana White hailed a ‘great year’ for the sport despite Covid chaos 
  • But he admitted he couldn’t wait to put 2020 behind him after pandemic woes
  • He said UFC had broken records ‘in almost every category except live gate’
  • White predicted the ‘same s***’ for 2021 but promised ‘awesome fights’ 

UFC president Dana White has admitted he is looking forward to putting 2020 behind him despite a successful year for the sport that saw them ‘break records in almost every category’. 

White has managed to make UFC thrive during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic by putting on his Fight Island event in Abu Dhabi, with PPV sales still flooding in.

Fans have been able to tune in to contests like Tony Ferguson v Justin Gaethje and Stipe Miocic v Daniel Cormier, while also witnessing lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov’s farewell fight against Gaethje.

UFC chief Dana White is looking to put 2020 behind him despite a great year for the sport

UFC chief Dana White is looking to put 2020 behind him despite a great year for the sport

Fans have been treated to some top fights during the pandemic including Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Justin Gaethje

Fans have been treated to some top fights during the pandemic including Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Justin Gaethje

But while White acknowledges that the year was a knockout for UFC, he insists it had been ‘horrible’ on a personal level and was eagerly awaiting the new year – although predicted ‘a lot of the same s***’ in 2021. 

‘Yeah, it’s funny, because every time we’ve been talking through this year I’ve been telling you, “I can’t wait for this year to be over,”‘ he told reporters, as reported by MMA Junkie. ‘I don’t know what I expected for 2021, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to be any different. It’s going to be a lot of the same s*** next year.’ 

‘This year was a great year for us,’ he explained. ‘We had a great year, great fights – business has never been better. We broke records this year in almost every category, except live gate. So 2020 was a horrible year in many ways for us personally and professionally, but it was a great year for the UFC.’

White praised the sport for putting on 'nothing but great fights' during a difficult time

White praised the sport for putting on ‘nothing but great fights’ during a difficult time 

White pointed to the example of Ferguson v Gaethje in May, which was one of the first major events in sport to be put on while the virus was causing havoc around the world – hailing ‘nothing but great fights’.

‘The first fight in Jacksonville, Florida, when no other sports were going, we had Ferguson and Gaethje. It’s been a good run, and we’ve had nothing but great fights this whole year. 

‘It’s been a fun year of fights, considering everything being shut down and all the stuff that we went through this year. … There’s been some good stuff and a lot of young talent that has emerged this year.’

Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno fought to a thrilling draw on the weekend to cap off the last PPV of the year and White is already looking ahead to some ‘awesome fights’ in 2021. One of the first major bouts will see the return of Conor McGregor against Dustin Poirer on January 23. 

He pointed to Tony Ferguson v Gaethje in May - one of the first major events to be put on during the pandemic

He pointed to Tony Ferguson v Gaethje in May – one of the first major events to be put on during the pandemic

He promised 'awesome fights' in 2021 but vowed to concentrate on himself and his family

He promised ‘awesome fights’ in 2021 but vowed to concentrate on himself and his family

‘Tonight was our last pay-per-view of the year and I just wanted to get through this and put 2020 in the rearview mirror, he added. ‘You guys know, you can already tell how next year’s shaping up. We’ve got awesome fights next year.

‘I don’t know how the rest of the world is going to be, and I’ve already sort of set my mind. I’m in a place where I don’t give a s*** what goes on with the rest of the world. 

‘This is the only world that I have to focus on and think about, and take care of my people, my family. Whatever, man. I’m just focused on what’s going on here, so yeah, that’s my attitude going into 2021.’

source: dailymail.co.uk