“Behind the scenes, fighters are a very paranoid bunch of people” - Dana White talks about the makings of a legend in the UFC

Dana White recently opened up about how a fighter becomes a legend in the UFC and revealed what it's like dealing with fighters as a promoter.

White has certainly dealt with a who's who of fighters over the years and has tough conversations with them when he believes it's time for them to retire. In a sport like MMA, especially in the UFC, fighters are protective of their spot in the rankings because it affects the trajectory of their respective careers and determines whether they will earn a title shot.

While speaking to Lex Fridman, the UFC CEO brought up that fighters tend to have trust issues because they are under the impression that there is always an ulterior motive. He mentioned fighters embracing challenges and used Dustin Poirier as an example of a veteran fighter who fought a younger fighter outside the top 10.

"Behind the scenes, fighters are a very paranoid bunch of people, they're very paranoid. And there's been this theme with fighters where, 'They're [UFC] trying to get me beat,' right?...Everybody was saying when we made that fight with [Benoit] Saint-Denis that [Dustin] Poirier was in big trouble. That's awesome, that helps build the entire thing. And then, Poirier does what he did that night, that's what makes fu**ing legends." [40:46 - 43:05]

Dana White refuted the notion of fighters claiming the promotion is against them as he believes what Poirier did was legendary.

Check out the full interview:

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Dana White opens up about the success of 'The Ultimate Fighter' season one

Dana White recently opened up about the success of season one of 'The Ultimate Fighter' and noted that it was a real turning point for the promotion when they were on Spike TV.

The first season was a gamble by the promotion as they looked at different ways to spark interest and expand their fanbase during a time when they weren't financially set like they are now. During the aforementioned interview, the UFC CEO shared his thoughts on the finale and what the Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar bout resulted in. He said:

"Stephan [Bonnar] and Forrest Griffin got in there and just went toe-to-toe in this unbelievable slugfest live on free television when cable still mattered. And what I heard was, at the time, the numbers just started climbing, then you got a razor-thin decision...We give them both contracts, the place erupts, it couldn't have been a more perfect fight at the most perfect time." [1:06:17 - 1:07:00]