Unveiling Dana White as a playable character in the new UFC video game really is genius marketing.
For those of you who are into that sort of thing, there's a video game out by the name of EA UFC 3. On Thursday evening, the promotion's president Dana White was announced as a playable character.
White's inclusion is not exactly out of the ordinary. In the past, the franchise has included likenesses of celebrities as playable characters including Mike Tyson, Bruce Lee and presumably others that I'm not arsed Googling.
If nothing else, this may boost sales among fighters on the UFC's roster and beyond. We're sure the likes of Al Iaquinta and Ben Askren would really get a kick out of, well, kicking Uncle Dana upside the head.
https://twitter.com/ufc/status/974336238495780864
That head turn is... something else.
Regardless of your stance on video games or the UFC, you have to admit this is a genius marketing move. Do a quick search on social media and you'll find that the Dana White avatar is being talked about, a lot.
The big question that, at the very least, some of you will want to find out is how highly is White rated in the game. The answer, which MMA Fighting journalist Shaheen Al-Shatti has generously provided, is very highly.
https://twitter.com/shaunalshatti/status/974344605209526272
White is listed as a light heavyweight in the game. His striking is better than that of the current belt holder in that division Daniel Cormier. In fact, he's on par with kickboxing legend Gokhan Saki in this department.
According to the game, he's a better grappler than arguably the greatest fighter ever Anderson Silva. He also has the same health as Alexander Gustaffson, who went the distance with both Cormier and Jon Jones. His stamina is greater than former light heavyweight king Lyoto Machida's.
Remember folks, it's just a game. In real life, Dana White is actually a far superior striker than Gokhan Saki.
