UFC President Dana White said that he “was ashamed” of Saturday’s UFC 149 pay-per-view offering, according to Jose Rodriguez of the CALGARY SUN. The event “drew boos from the crowd and saw three consecutive, inactive fights lumber to decision.” White said, “We can count on one hand how many shows suck. (Saturday) is one more finger on that hand.” The card drew a C$4.1M "take at the door that eclipsed the previous Saddledome record held by The Rolling Stones.” White said, “We broke the gate record here and I’m embarrassed. The undercards delivered. They were awesome. The main card did not.” Despite lineup changes caused by injuries, White “felt confident” they had put together a solid card. He said, “I was so excited to stick this one up everybody’s ass that said this card sucked, and we didn’t" (CALGARYSUN.com, 7/22). YAHOO SPORTS’ Kevin Iole wrote UFC 149 had a “very lackluster main card.” Fans in Calgary and social media sites “blasted Dana White before the fight for what they perceived as a poor card.” White spent the week before the show "angrily defending his men.” But on Saturday, White “wasn’t shy about sharing his displeasure.” The crowd stuck around after the fight and “booed loudly to let White know what it thought of the company's first trip to Calgary.” Appearing on the post-fight show on Fuel TV, White said he was "not too excited about" how the card turned out. But said that he “wasn't nearly as upset with either” Renan Barão or Urijah Faber. The rest of the fighters “on the main card, though, felt White's wrath.” White said, "If the undercard didn't suck so bad, they wouldn't have been so (angry at) the main event.” Iole wrote White showing his anger “was good.” White “won’t accept cards like Saturday’s very well and lets the fighters know it in no uncertain terms” (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 7/22).
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE: In Calgary, Kristen Odland noted UFC Canada Dir of Operations Tom Wright had “nothing but good things to say about the city of Calgary and its reception of UFC 149.” Wright said, “It’s been remarkable all week.” He said that Scotiabank Saddledome was 70% “full of fans in time for the first fight -- none of whom seemed upset over issues over nailing down a main card which was hampered by various injuries.” Returning to Calgary “is definitely in the sport’s future.” Wright said, “Absolutely, we’ll be back. If we’re back here next year, I’m not sure, but I can guarantee, 100 per cent, UFC will come back to Calgary.” Odland wrote while Montreal and Toronto “are mainstay events for 2013, watch out for the UFC in Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Quebec City, and Halifax in the coming years (2013, 2014).” Wright said, “It’s really important we get across the country” (CALGARY HERALD, 7/22).
