Apparently UFC president Dana White is not a fan of EA Sports. In fact, he claims he and UFC are “at war” with EA. This announcement comes just after the UFC 100 match on Saturday. White wants it to be well known that anyone who sides with EA in this face-off will not be favored by the UFC.

Evidently, EA passed on the video game rights to the UFC franchise some time ago. “EA Sports told us, ‘You’re not a real sport,’” White said. “‘We wouldn’t touch this thing. We want nothing to do with this.’” THQ took up the rights instead, helping to publish UFC Undisputed 2009, which has shipped over 2 million units since May.

Now that EA is putting their marketing and publishing power behind the upcoming EA MMA, White is furious. “You [EA Sports] told us you’d never be in business with us. They wouldn’t even take a meeting because mixed martial arts disgusted them. This wasn’t a real sport. Boy, they got over that real quick, didn’t they?”

White went on to say that any MMA fighter who signs their likeness rights away to EA will be blacklisted from UFC competition. “I’m not tap-dancing around this thing or whatever,” White said. “I’m telling you straight-up, I’m at war with them right now. That’s how I look at it.”

I have to question what kind of game EA Sports hopes to get out of EA MMA now that White will not allow UFC fighters to participate in its creation. Sure, there are other MMA franchises, but none have the popularity or name recognition of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. One thing is certain: competition only drives developers and publishers to make a better product, so gamers will be the real winners in this heated battle.

(Thanks to Jeff, AKA xI3 3 A S Tx, for the heads up on this one.)