By Tom Ivan
Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White says he is “at war” with EA after the publisher announced plans to release a mixed martial arts title.
According to White, EA previously turned down the opportunity to partner with the body on a game because the publisher said UFC was “not a real sport."
UFC subsequently teamed with THQ for UFC 2009: Undisputed, which has gone on to ship over two million copies.
"We put our asses on the line, THQ and the UFC, to make a videogame deal in the worst economy in the world," White told MMA Junkie. "We go out there and do this thing, and it's successful, and now [expletive] EA Sports wants to do a videogame. 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.”
In June EA Sports announced plans for its “next global franchise,” EA Sports MMA. The company said it would feature "a vast array of top fighters and fighting styles from around the world" when it debuted on next year on PS3 and Xbox 360.
White has now reportedly warned UFC fighters that they will be blacklisted if they attempt to sign over their likeness to EA’s new project.
"I'm not tap-dancing around this thing or whatever," he said. "I'm telling you straight-up, I'm at war with them right now. That's how I look at it."
That would be the only reason I would buy it after telling Dana they weren't making a game... I think EA are a bunch of pony farts anyway !! The games aren't really that good...