Opinion: The UFC is on Autopilot

Dana White continues to expand his focus beyond the UFC. |📷: Ed Mulholland/Zuffa Boxing via GettyEditor's note: The views and opinions expressed below are thoseof the author and do not necessarily reflect the views ofSherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company,Evolve Media.* * *Nobody gets excited by the mundane. The same thing over and overgets tedious and tiring. Do those same things enough times and youend up on autopilot as you perform your duties.For the most part, you can cruise by in that mode, but there's areason there are real pilots in the cockpit. Small details can getmissed. Genuine warmth can be absent when human interaction isneeded. In general, care tends to fall by the wayside.While I could turn this into a tribute to the everyday person whogoes about their job and does it well, that doesn't necessarily fitthe scope of this site. But it does fit the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the overall quality of itsevents. Without a goal to shoot for, UFC events have become thedefinition of blasé. Now that the promotion is no longer looking toattract the most lucrative television deal it can, it appears tohave gone on autopilot. Of course, it has also teased us attimes.

UFC White House showed what Dana White's promotion can stilldeliver

For all the slings and arrows thrown at the organization this year,it cannot be denied that UFC Freedom 250— or, as I prefer to call it, UFC White House —was a booming success. There was the pageantry of the walkouts fromthe historic home of the U.S. president, featuring national heroesaccompanying the fighters. Then there was the action in the cage,featuring one of, if not the, greatest upsets in the history of thesport. UFC White House will be remembered as one of the greatestevents in MMA history.Of course, it's the lone bright spot in a year largely full ofdisappointment. With its broadcasting rights locked down byParamount for years, the UFC no longer needs to act like a showhorse. Thus, it has set itself to autopilot. The promotion has somuch talent on its roster that it can put together what is, by itsstandards, a mediocre card and it will still be the best MMA cardof the week by a sizable margin. Why try?Even worse, it's obvious Dana White has checked out, too. He's farmore interested in getting fledgling organizations like Power Slap,UFC BJJ and Zuffa Boxing off the ground. The fact that he isn'toperating full time as UFC president is further evidence that thecompany isn't putting forth its best effort.