During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani’s MMA show on ESPN, WWE Hall of Famer and AEW commentator Jim Ross commented on the main differences between WWE’s Vince McMahon and the UFC’s Dana White, and more. You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On Vince McMahon: “When McMahon walks into a room, oftentimes he sucks the air right out of it. And he does it because he likes it. He can, and he likes it. Dana can, and I’m sure he does in some deals, but just on a casual one-on-one basis, they’re nothing alike. Dana’s a lot more straightforward. Vince is very guarded, and I think that comes from decades and generations of his family in the wrestling business. All of those old promoters are guarded. The kayfabe, you can’t tell anybody what’s going on and all this other stuff, so Vince is more guarded.”
On Dana White: “Dana is very open. As you know, you talked to him a zillion times. To me — now, he might not be to you for a story you’re chasing that he’s not ready to tell you — but he’s pretty damned open and stuff, and that’s how I found him to be. He’s a good dude man. He’s the kind of guy all of us fans would dig having a beer with. He’s a funny guy, well rounded, loves football, so I love that. He loves MMA obviously, and I do too. So he’s great. On Tony Khan: Tony Khan, I told Tony when we go back to the hotel. I said, ‘I hope that you — I know that you have a memory that’s like the Rain Man. Tony don’t miss nothing, man. I said, ‘You got to spend about 45 minutes to an hour with one of the great entrepreneurs of American sports.’ No matter what anybody says about his demeanor or what they perceive Dana to be. Look what he — he and others — have built. It’s a major league man. Just his spirit is good to experience.”
