Losses in combat sports are treated quite differently to those in team games. In a sport like football, there is usually a game every week. Hence, even though a team might face a loss, they can regroup, restrategize, and bounce back in no time.
On the other hand, a single loss in combat sports equates to months of hard work going down the drain. Fighters do not get a chance to better their performance after seven days and are forced to put in even more effort until they land a bout again. Despite that, Dana White recently shed light on why losses are treated differently in boxing as compared to the UFC.
Dana White recently joined Stephen A. Smith for an interview on ‘First Take,‘ where they discussed the upcoming bout between Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill. During the conversation, Smith pointed out that while the aura around a fighter reduces if he loses a boxing bout, it is not the same in the UFC.
White immediately seconded this fact and claimed that one of the main reasons behind this is how stat padding works in boxing. He even insisted that, unlike boxing, any fighter in the UFC can take on the best of the best since most want an engaging fight and do not care about the statistics.
“Well you’re absolutely right. I mean in boxing the way these records works is you would pad these records. And get these guys to a certain number where they’re undefeated with so many knockouts. Or there was someone great enough to do it. In the UFC there is no padding of records. You come right in and you start fighting the best of the best. At the end of the day, what people want to see are great fights.”
However, according to Dana White, there are a few exceptions to this rule. The UFC president used Jon Jones and Khabib Nurmagomedov as examples to highlight fighters who have remained undefeated despite facing the toughest challenges. It is also interesting to note that Jones does have a loss on his record, although Dana White does not consider it.
Dana White to announce Conor McGregor’s return at UFC 300?
UFC 300 is just a few days away, and the excitement surrounding the promotion is at an all-time high. Interestingly, excitement levels soared even higher a few days ago when Dana White posted a story of Conor McGregor walking towards the arena with the caption that said, ‘coming soon.’
While it is not a regular occurrence, the UFC usually uses its events as a platform to announce fights for upcoming PPV cards. Hence, considering White’s recent story, there is a very good chance that McGregor’s return will be announced during the event at UFC 300.
