Former NFL great Herschel Walker appeared on ESPN First Take on Tuesday and challenged UFC President Dana White to a fight. Walker’s hostility towards White stems from comments made by the UFC prez after Walker signed a deal with Strikeforce.
From Fightline.com:
“I think it’s ridiculous,” White stated about Walker’s signing during an interview on Inside The Ultimate Fighter. “People think we’re anti-competition? We’re anti-dumb competition. Doing stupid things like this, putting a 50 year old guy in the Octagon for the first time, and then going out there putting out press releases like it’s a big deal because you signed a 50-year-old Herschel Walker? Are you serious?”
Walker took White’s comments to heart, and had some comments of his own for White.
“Who ever made him the guy to measure athletic talent?” Walker asked the show. “I don’t think Dana knows anything about athletic talent.
“He knows about fighters, which is different,” Walker continued. “He’s running a show right now with heavyweights and I’ll put dimes to donuts, all the heavyweights on his show right now I will beat. That’s pretty easy to say.”
Walker went on to issue a challenge to the UFC President.
“Dana always tells people to put their money where your mouth is. Dana says I’m so old? Why doesn’t he step into the ring with me because he’s been practicing (MMA), as well?”
It sounds like Walker is biting off more than he can chew. I don’t know enough about the MMA to know who would take down whom, but I think it’s a safe bet that if Walker went against any of the UFC’s top fighters he might struggle. Other athletes-turned-MMA fighters have gone in the ring before, only to be dismantled quickly. But again, I don’t Walker’s fighting style, so I admit I’m talking out of my league here.
Either way, I’d pay to see a Walker-White clash. (Actually, I wouldn’t…but I’d at least watch the highlights.)
