• UFC

White explodes over fighters avoiding their team-mates

ESPN staff
October 21, 2010
Dana White still believes Fitch would fight Kosheck

Warning: Video contains explicit language

UFC president Dana White has delivered an explosive verdict on fighters who refuse to face their team-mates, telling ESPN: "It's f****** ridiculous".

ESPN revealed on Tuesday that Jon Fitch categorically stated he would not fight American Kickboxing Academy team-mate Josh Kosheck, even if it was for the welterweight title. And on Wednesday, there were further quotes from Jon Jones saying he would rather stay as the light-heavyweight division's No. 2 than fight Greg Jackson colleague Rashad Evans.

White is keen to knock such thoughts on the head, knowing that it would stand in the way of MMA fans seeing some of the best match-ups the sport has to offer. And he told the fighters in question that it would be embarrassing for them not to fight their mates.

"It's f****** ridiculous. It's embarrassing," White told ESPN. "I think it's embarrassing to say 'I won't fight somebody because I train out of the same camp'.

"These guys train so hard, they put so much time and energy into it, why would you not want to fight somebody to prove you're the best in the world?

"It's not personal, it's business. It's the business we're in. You hear it from the AKA camp, you hear it from the Jackson camp, it drives me completely crazy, it's completely unprofessional, and it's f****** ridiculous."

Fitch explained that he would even move up to the middleweight division if Koscheck began to dominate at 170lbs, but White retains a belief that both men would step up if the situation arose.

"We'll see what happens with Koscheck and St-Pierre. If Koscheck wins the title, Fitch is going to move to 185? I doubt it. I actually think Fitch and Koscheck would fight each other."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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