Okay, let me tell you what went down when I got really deep into that whole Dana White and Francis Ngannou thing. It wasn’t just watching fights, you know? It kinda spun off into my own stuff.
So, I started off like most folks, just watching the UFC, enjoying the big heavyweight clashes. Ngannou was a beast, right? Hard not to watch him. And Dana, well, he’s Dana. Always loud, always running the show his way. I followed the press conferences, the interviews, all that jazz.
Then the contract talks got nasty. Man, that’s when I really leaned in. I found myself spending hours reading articles, watching clips on YouTube, scrolling through forums. People were taking sides, yelling online. It was like a soap opera but with way more punching power involved.
Getting sucked in
I was tracking every little update. What Dana said. What Francis said, or didn’t say. The money talk. The freedom talk. All of it. At first, it was just entertainment, something to chat about with buddies. But then, something started clicking, or maybe, unclicking, in my own head.
- I started seeing parallels. Maybe not exact, but the feeling.
- This whole thing about value, about being told your worth versus knowing your worth.
- The push and pull between the big company guy and the talent.
It was weird. I’m sitting there, watching these millionaires argue, and I’m thinking about my own job. My own boss. The way things were run where I worked. I’d been feeling kinda stuck, you know? Like I was just a cog, doing my thing, but not really getting what I thought I deserved, not having much say.
Making a change
Watching Francis walk away from that belt, from that money, because he wanted control, wanted respect… it hit me hard. Seriously. I thought, “Damn, this guy has guts.” He bet on himself. Big time.
So, I started thinking. Really thinking. What was I doing? Was I happy? Was I valued? Was I just gonna keep grinding away hoping things would magically get better? Watching Dana dig his heels in, watching Francis stand his ground – it sort of forced me to look at my own situation without the usual excuses.
I didn’t just quit my job overnight or anything crazy. But I did start doing things differently.
First, I actually sat down and wrote out what I wanted. Like, really wanted. Not just more money, but what kind of work, what kind of environment. What was non-negotiable for me?
Then, I started looking around. Casually at first. Just seeing what was out there. Updated my resume, talked to a few contacts. It wasn’t about rage-quitting; it was about seeing my own value, just like Francis was fighting for his.
I even had a conversation with my boss. Not confrontational, but honest. Laid out what I felt my contributions were, what I was looking for. It didn’t exactly go fireworks, but it changed the dynamic a bit. They knew I wasn’t just gonna sit quiet anymore.
Where I landed
Long story short, I did end up moving on a few months later. Found a place that felt like a better fit, where I felt more respected, more in control of my own stuff. It wasn’t because of one single Dana vs Francis press clip, obviously. But that whole public drama? It was definitely the kick in the pants I needed to stop just watching other people’s fights and start paying attention to my own.
It’s funny how you can watch sports or entertainment and suddenly find it reflecting right back at your own life. That whole saga taught me you gotta know your worth and be willing to stand up for it, even if it means walking away from something familiar. Sometimes you gotta bet on yourself.
