Promoter War: The Update

What a week we witnessed. 

It was well publicized that Affliction CEO Tom Atencio is training for his second pro fight, happening in Mississippi later this month. Atencio, however, drew criticism from many for not being forthcoming with firm plans for his 3rd pay-per-view event. While at a press conference to promote his fight, Atencio attempts to bait UFC king Dana White into a duel:

I’ve been seen in front of the cameras before as far as the business side, but it’s time to fight. I’m doing something Dana White won’t do and that’s fight. He talks like a fighters, so why doesn’t he fight? I’m stepping up to the plate and win, lose or draw I attempted it. I don’t ever think he would fight.”

Then, a few days later Atencio called out his rival Dana officially in an interview with Sherdog:

I’ve said it multiple times. I would like to fight him. I’m not Tito Ortiz and I don’t think that fight was ever, ever going to go off. So, I just think I’m an everyday guy like him, hardworking, so we’re both promoters. I think if he’s willing to act like a fighter, why not fight? Sometimes he comes off as a tough guy, and I think it’s just time to either step up or, you know, quit being a bully.

Dana didn’t hesitate to respond. In an article yesterday on Cage Writer, White couldn’t help but be amused.

If I were him, I’d want to fight me too. I’m the guy who is killing all of his hopes and dreams. At the end of the day, I stepped up and said I would fight Tito and he was a fighter who people cared about. But why would I fight this goof? He’s neither a fighter nor a promoter. He’s a fucking loser. That’s all he is.

Dana, always the benevolent conqueror, offered some advice for his fiesty foe:

When I was $44 million in the hole, the last thing I was doing was leaving the office and going out to train for a joke of a fight. I was in the office and trying to find a way to make this thing work. Why would I waste one second of my day worrying about this fucking guy? He should be worried about the millions and millions of his bosses, or his partners’ money, whoever it is, that he’s burning.

The bout is obviously unlikely, and damn near impossible since hearing the news of larger than life promoter Gary Shaw takes Kimbo from the cage into boxing. Without $kala $r in the MMA mix, we can kiss our dreams of a good old-fasioned circus act goodbye. Hopefully we’ll still get see this freak show:

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