The Twitter war between gangs of hackers and Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White has just escalated, spinning off social media and into real life.
Angered by the mixed-martial-arts promoter’s support for pro-copyright bills, hacktivist groups including UgNazi and Anonymous have been dogging him for days, twice taking down the UFC site. They’ve now unleashed a classic Anonymous prank on the hapless executive.
Dana White got pizza’d Friday night.
Having won rounds One and Two against White, the hackers just upped its game, sending 15 pepperoni pizzas prepaid to White’s home. For a man who subsists on whey protein powder, oatmeal, flank steak, and green beans, this has to be the ultimate insult.
White became a target of hackers after a UFC colleague defended the Stop Online Piracy and Protect IP Acts—better known as SOPA and PIPA—in a newspaper editorial. White’s organization backs the legislation, which is widely opposed by the Internet community, because it makes money by streaming fights online and is concerned about the effects of online piracy on its business.
It was not immediately clear if White was aware of the prank, as he’s been preoccupied with an upcoming UFC fight, and there’s nothing in his Twitter stream since the pies flew on their merry way. (White did not respond to a request for comment.)
He should feel vindicated, however, by all the attention. On the Internet you’re nobody till there’s a fake you, and now there’s a fake Dana White. It’s the Internet equivalent of being parodied by Weird Al.
Congratulations, Dana. Pie five, dude. I’ll bet you’re seriously cheesed. Here’s how the hack played out on Twitter: