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http://mmajunkie.com/news/16415/dana-wh ... afraid.mmaUFC president Dana White today continued his recent media tour and stopped by "Jim Rome Is Burning" on ESPN, where he addressed Herschel Walker's recent challenge.
Last week on an episode of "ESPN First Take," Walker, a 47-year-old former NFL great who recently signed with Strikeforce, challenged White to a fight after the UFC executive criticized the signing.
"Dana always tells people to put their money where your mouth is," Walker said. "And I'll tell Dana that since he says I'm so old, why doesn't he step in the ring with me because he's been practicing (MMA), as well?"
White, though, didn't let up on the criticism.
"Herschel Walker, I guess he's out there now saying he wants to fight me and everything else," White said. "Listen, I'm 40 years old, OK, and I'm too old to fight. You're 47. You're way too old to fight.
"Would you say that Herschel Walker was a great football player? Absolutely, right. Now, why did he retire from football? He was too old. So now you think you're young enough to fight and in good enough shape?"
However, Rome, a longtime MMA supporter who devoted a lot of time to last week's Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson vs. Roy Nelson "TUF" fight, wondered if any part of White wanted to accept the challenge.
"I'm 40 years old," White joked. "I'm doing everything I can to motivate myself to go into the gym and run on the treadmill everyday. Do I want to fight Herschel Walker? No, I don't want to fight Hershel Walker. Am I disrespecting Herschel Walker in any way? I've meant him many times. He's a very nice guy. I like him. But he has no business fighting."
White also criticized CBS for promoting Walker (though the organization and network have not specifically stated that he'll fight on a CBS card).
White also wondered if Walker's pro MMA debut, tentatively slated for early 2010, will even come to fruition.
"I want to see what athletic commission sanctions him to fight," White said in jest.
White: Emelianenko "not afraid"
White also fielded Rome's question about why Fedor Emelianenko, who recently signed a three-fight deal with Strikeforce, turned down an offer from the UFC.
While White has previously said the Russian great and former PRIDE champion is scared to compete against the world's best fighters, he backed down from that claim today and instead pinned the blame on the fighter's management.
"Fedor is not afraid to come over and fight or do any of that stuff," White said. "He's got nutty managers. These guys are from Russia. They come into America and try to strong-arm (us) into some deal that we won't want.
"Go do that to the butcher down the street in Russia. It doesn't work here in the United States. If this guy wants to come and put himself up against the best fighters in the world, he'll eventually make it to the UFC."
"Jim Rome Is Burning" airs weekdays at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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“He who attacks must vanquish. He who defends must merely survive. "
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