Scott Coker is no Bob Arum...

http://mmajunkie.com/news/21280/ufcs-dana-white-strikeforces-scott-coker-is-no-bob-arum.mma

LAS VEGAS – Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker may consider Dana White a Don King-type promoter.

But White, president of the UFC, said Coker is foolish to think of himself as another kingpin boxing promoter, Bob Arum.

White today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) he has major beef with Coker's recent comparisons to their boxing-world counterparts.

"He [expletive] wishes he was Bob Arum," said White, who talked to MMAjunkie.com while in Las Vegas for "The Ultimate Fighter 13" open tryouts. "Are you [expletive] me? Bob Arum put on some of the biggest fights in boxing history, and Bob is actually successful and made money.

"For you to compare yourself to [expletive] Bob Arum is hysterical. You can call me Don King or whatever you want. But calling yourself Bob Arum is a [expletive] joke."

Coker made the comparisons in a recent interview with BloodyElbow.com. The longtime combat-sports promoter, who's navigated Strikeforce's rise as one of the world's most visible promotions and one of the few organizations to air on network television, thinks White sometimes steals the spotlight from his fighters.

"Dana is kind of like the Don King," Coker told BloodyElbow.com. "He's out there, and he's out promoting his brand, as well as the company brand and the fighter brand. I'm more of a very direct business man. The guy I really liked wasn't Don King. To me, it's OK being the Bob Arum. In a lot of Bob's early fights, you didn't even know who promoted the fights. The fights were amazing, they were great, and they were focused on the athlete. That's been my philosophy too. The stars of the show are in the cage."

No one's doubting Arum's reputation; his accomplishments with Top Rank Boxing speak for themselves. But White has a problem with Coker comparing Strikeforce's event offerings with the type of super-shows Arum has promoted during his more than four decades in the sport.

"Bob Arum has put on some of the biggest fights in history, and he's been incredibly successful," White said. "[Coker] has done neither."

At the same time, and with what he said is all sincerity, he hopes Strikeforce continues promoting its shows, which currently air on Showtime and occasionally CBS.

"We couldn't care less (what they're doing)," White said. "But we don't want them to blow their brains out and go away. We need these guys to exist. Listen, whether they want to believe it or not, they're the small show. They're a feeder show. Whether they want to believe it, that's what they are. We need them."

In fairness, few MMA organizations ever find the type of success Strikeforce has. The organization soon hosts its 40th show, officials often get their top stars featured in the mainstream press, and Strikeforce successfully has co-promoted with the Japanese-based DREAM promotion. Additionally, the organization has developed and resurrected the careers of some world-ranked talent, and it also landed highly sought-after free agent Fedor Emelianenko after the UFC couldn't.

White, though, isn't exactly ready to offer his congratulations, especially because Strikeforce thus far has been unable to produce the pay-per-view windfalls and mainstream attention the UFC has.

"When you're a tiny little feeder show and hanging on by the skin of your teeth, and you compare yourself to Bob Arum, are you kidding me?" he said. "What a [expletive] joke."

I'll just say, I agree

"Dana is kind of like the Don King," Coker told BloodyElbow.com. "He's out there, and he's out promoting his brand, as well as the company brand and the fighter brand. I'm more of a very direct business man. The guy I really liked wasn't Don King. To me, it's OK being the Bob Arum. In a lot of Bob's early fights, you didn't even know who promoted the fights. The fights were amazing, they were great, and they were focused on the athlete. That's been my philosophy too. The stars of the show are in the cage."

1)Based on this quote, Coker is not trying to compare his success to Arums, only about how he goes about his business, ie behind the scenes.

2)Dana is as abrasive as always, and actually sounds a bit threatened by SF's existence.

But is it a good way to conduct this business? It's fine to only talk up the fighters themselves and leave out the brand if you can keep the fighters but what happens when a top name fighter in your company leaves?

neither one of them are like Arum or King

lets say wait till there in their 70s still making money

I agree with capt. Coker was not comparing himself to Arum in the sense Dana was saying....and i'm sure Dana knows that.

Quote :

"We couldn't care less (what they're doing)," White said. "But we don't want them to blow their brains out and go away. We need these guys to exist. Listen, whether they want to believe it or not, they're the small show. They're a feeder show. Whether they want to believe it, that's what they are. We need them."

AKA :

They have half of the relevant HW division but I don't want you to know.

I don't know, seems like a direct comparison to Arum, stays low-pro but but puts on amazing fights, so I'd agree with Dana's response.

And Dana is threatened by SF? really? 4 or 5 SF Campions have said they wish to fight in the UFC, I don't know if Cavalcante has ever said it.

LA Arum is anythgin but low profile if you actually know his history

Read article

LA wrote:

I don't know, seems like a direct comparison to Arum, stays low-pro but but puts on amazing fights, so I'd agree with Dana's response.

And Dana is threatened by SF? really? 4 or 5 SF Campions have said they wish to fight in the UFC, I don't know if Cavalcante has ever said it.

i was talking about this , cause Arum was basically King before King came around, in a way, King is the black Arum that new how to use the black part

i agree this is just dana having fun taking shots at Coker, Cokers stuff gt taken out of context a little but lets face it guys

Danas the big fish, Coker views himself as the number 2, thats all this shit talking is about right know,

Dana can't really afford to anoint his competition either. Also, Coker is a guy who has a 15 year career as a kickboxing promoter is still a recent player in the major league MMA market. I am sure Dana respects him as a business man but I am also positive Dana resents guys who I am sure he feels are trying to cash in on what he has spent all this time building.

Birdofthad wrote:

LA wrote:

I don't know, seems like a direct comparison to Arum, stays low-pro but but puts on amazing fights, so I'd agree with Dana's response.

And Dana is threatened by SF? really? 4 or 5 SF Campions have said they wish to fight in the UFC, I don't know if Cavalcante has ever said it.

i was talking about this , cause Arum was basically King before King came around, in a way, King is the black Arum that new how to use the black part

i agree this is just dana having fun taking shots at Coker, Cokers stuff gt taken out of context a little but lets face it guys

Danas the big fish, Coker views himself as the number 2, thats all this shit talking is about right know,

But that is a response to the article where Coker compares himself to Arum as a promoter, Arum is not brash and outspoken when promoting fights like King. Arum is brash in other ways, but lets the fights sell the fights most of the time. Personally I don't see it out of context, it reads like he meant it, Dana is compared to King, Coker compares himself to Arum, but hasn't put on anything near the fight Arum has yet, and that's where Dana is right.

Wolfgangsta wrote:

Dana can't really afford to anoint his competition either. Also, Coker is a guy who has a 15 year career as a kickboxing promoter is still a recent player in the major league MMA market. I am sure Dana respects him as a business man but I am also positive Dana resents guys who I am sure he feels are trying to cash in on what he has spent all this time building.

I agree with everything but Dana not being able to afford to appoint his competition, why not? He's the big show, Coke/SF is the 2nd Org, above what he calls feeder, but stil not close to on par.

LA wrote:

Wolfgangsta wrote:

Dana can't really afford to anoint his competition either. Also, Coker is a guy who has a 15 year career as a kickboxing promoter is still a recent player in the major league MMA market. I am sure Dana respects him as a business man but I am also positive Dana resents guys who I am sure he feels are trying to cash in on what he has spent all this time building.

I agree with everything but Dana not being able to afford to appoint his competition, why not? He's the big show, Coke/SF is the 2nd Org, above what he calls feeder, but stil not close to on par.

It's not smart in the fight business when you're selling PPV's, and the other guy is not, to acknowledge you're on similar playing fields.

Dana is Vince McMahon and Coker is Paul E. Dangerously from ECW.

SlickMoneyXL wrote:

Dana is Vince McMahon and Coker is Paul E. Dangerously from ECW.

Your mother was a groupie for Queen, now let the grown ups talk.

Why you hatin' on dickmonkeySM like that, that is probably a better comparison than Bob Arum.

I don't see why either guy is looking to compare themselves with the clowns who KILLED boxing, especially when one was teaching Tai Bo, and the other Thai Kwon Do when they both half ass stumbled into the fight game.

LudoCain wrote:

SlickMoneyXL wrote:

Dana is Vince McMahon and Coker is Paul E. Dangerously from ECW.

Your mother was a groupie for Queen, now let the grown ups talk.

It makes me feel good that 1 post from me gets you this mad.

Don't mistake a mildly annoyed retort thats equally as dumb as the post that brought it on for anger. It just makes Me feel good to know that your not just playing at being too stupid to come back with anything.

LudoCain wrote:

Don't mistake a mildly annoyed retort thats equally as dumb as the post that brought it on for anger. It just makes Me feel good to know that your not just playing at being too stupid to come back with anything.

You mad. Idc what u say.