SB Nation User Blog: DJ Soma

Dana White named the #4 on SI's "Decades Outsized Personalities" List

DJ Soma — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:08:44 -0000

They even say the UFC is now "Mainstream"

4. Dana White

If you're reading this list and you don't know who White is, I'm afraid you're sitting on the wrong end of the demographic curve. You may not like White's product (mixed martial arts) and you may not like the man himself, but you should be acutely aware of him for the simple reason that his UFC has become mainstream. White stands at the fore as an active general, someone who is as brilliant at marketing his sport as he is abrasive. He curses. He picks fights. He launches over the line, as when he employed YouTube to go off on a sportswriter he didn't like by using homophobic slurs. (He later apologized, sort of.) It's impressive that White's and the UFC's success comes in spite of that -- or, perhaps, partially because of it, these days.

Brock Lesnar to require major surgery?

DJ Soma — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:39:53 -0000

According to TMZ.com (quoting Dana White), Lesnar has an intestinal disorder that will require major surgery. Could this be the end of the Heavyweight champ?

Brock Lesnar is so sick, he'll be going to the Mayo Clinic so doctors can figure out what to do -- but it will probably require major surgery ... UFC Prez Dana White tells TMZ.

White tells us Lesnar -- the UFC heavyweight champ -- is "very, very sick" with some sort of intestinal disorder, although listening to White, it sounds a lot more serious than that. White says the condition will require "major surgery."

And, White tells TMZ, "There's a possibility Lesnar will never fight again."

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2009/11/16/brock-lesnar-dana-white-mayo-clinic-mono-ufc-wwe/

Chris Leben test's positive for Stanzanol

DJ Soma — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 21:22:59 -0000

I saw alot of articles about Leben's "fantastic transformation" but it looks like we may now know why. I find it interesting that since the fight was in the UK the UFC itself is the one who is handing out the punishment...

Dave Meltzer is reporting...

http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=An8vzcyJeVoY2TvzMQIaqxs9Eo14?slug=dm-espnmma110308&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Chris Leben became the first high-profile fighter suspended by the Ultimate Fighting Championships for failing a drug test, when results came back positive on Monday for the steroid Stanazolol in a test administered after his three-round loss to Michael Bisping on Oct. 18 in Birmingham , England.

The UFC suspended Leben for nine months and fined him one-third of his undisclosed fight purse.

Several UFC fighters, including champions like Tim Sylvia, Sean Sherk and Josh Barnett, had been suspended and forced to relinquish their championships after positive tests administered by both the Nevada and California State Athletic Commissions.

Because UFC events held in the United Kingdom are not under the auspices of a commission, the UFC’s vice president of regulatory affairs, Marc Ratner, who for years headed the Nevada commission, performs many of the duties normally associated with an athletic commission for those events.

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“I am obviously disappointed with Chris, who has made great strides getting his life back on track,” said UFC president Dana White. “To his credit, he has taken responsibility for his actions and is accepting the punishment that has been handed down. But as always, the UFC puts the safety of its athletes first and foremost, and we won’t tolerate anyone using performance enhancing drugs in our organization.”

“I’ve really done everything I can to turn my life around,” said Leben.

“And this is a huge setback for me. But it’s something I will have to deal with. During my time off from fighting, I want to speak to kids about the dangers of using performance enhancing agents and let them know it just doesn’t get you ahead in life. Of course, this is a hard hit for me monetarily, but more so this is embarrassing for me and for all my fans.”

UFC tested all 22 fighters at UFC 89 both before and after their matches.

White said that Leben admitted to him using the drug, also known as Winstrol V, but believed it had enough time to clear his system. Leben, 18-5, one of the company’s most well-known fighters stemming from his appearance on the first season of Ultimate Fighter, said he used the drug shortly after his win over Alessio Sakara in March. While usually clearing your system in about three weeks, Stanazolol can show up in tests for several months