The beef between Dana White and Josh Gross goes back a long time. I truly don’t remember an era in MMA history when they ever got along, but veterans of sports journalism claim it existed. Unfortunately, any amends that were made in the past 3+ years were deposited into a cryogenic freezing locker (where they’ll remain until the sun eats the earth) following this weekend’s episode of ‘Outside The Lines’ which criticized every aspect of the UFC’s salary structure and the fighters’ reluctance to speak out for fear of repercussions. While the broadcast made good points comparing the income disparity of the UFC with that of all other sports franchises (NHL, MLB, NFL, NBA), ESPN failed to acknowledge that professional MMA is in its infancy, and the UFC has only been profitable for approximately six years. Each year, salaries escalate, and there is a direct correlation between performance and subsequent discretionary bonuses. In any case, Lorenzo doesn’t appreciate ESPN criticizing the UFC while some of their own contracted boxers don’t earn enough money to buy themselves an iPhone. Here’s the footage that ESPN didn’t air during their Sunday morning special. Keep in mind this was released by UFC.
