UFC president "at war" with EA

July 14th, 2009, 21:05 Posted By: wraggster

Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White has declared he's at war with EA Sports after the company allegedly refused a meeting to discuss making a game based on the UFC on the grounds it's "not a real sport".

THQ subsequently partnered with the US based mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation and the company's first effort, UFC Undisputed 2009, has shipped approximately two million units since its May release.

Now EA Sports is planning to release its own rival title, a move that MMA Junkie reports has angered UFC boss White.

"EA Sports told us, 'You're not a real sport,'" White said. "'We wouldn't touch this thing. We want nothing to do with this.'

"We put our asses on the line, THQ and the UFC, to make a videogame deal in the worst economy in the world," White added. "We go out there and do this thing, and it's successful, and now [expletive] EA Sports wants to do a video game. Really? That's not what you told us a year-and-a-half ago.

"You told us you'd never be in business with us. They wouldn't even take a meeting because mixed martial arts disgusted them. This wasn't a real sport. Boy, they got over that real quick, didn't they?"

White is now reportedly ready to blacklist any fighter signing their likeness over to EA from the UFC. Currently, former UFC champion Randy Couture is expected to appear in the title after a court battle with the UFC, but White says others won't be following suit

"I'm not tap-dancing around this thing or whatever," concluded White. "I'm telling you straight-up, I'm at war with them right now. That's how I look at it."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...at-war-with-ea

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