Dana White, the UFC President, has said in no uncertain terms that he is not very happy with EA. So unhappy in fact that he is threatening to bar any UFC fighter that licenses their likeness to EA Sports’ MMA from future competition.

What could bring him to such a boiling rage you ask? Well aside from the fact that the UFC license currently resides with THQ’s UFC 2009:UNDISTUPTED, apparently EA were at one time in the past very rude to Dana White about his sport and he’s taken their change of tune quite personally.

Dana White quotes EA as telling him, “You’re not a real sport, we wouldn’t touch this thing. We want nothing to do with this.” Given that he obviously feels quite passionate on the subject, it isn’t too surprising that he would take offense.

Neither is it particularly surprising that EA should make a dramatic U-turn on the subject given the meteoric rise in popularity of the sport, as evidenced by the enduring chart positions enjoyed by UFC 2009. Jumping on this band-wagon is good business sense for EA even if, as Dana White says, “[They don't] give a **** about mixed martial arts.”

Threatening his own fighters with a competition ban still might seem a little OTT though.