Dana White Will Not Be Punished For Domestic Violence Incident
At UFC Vegas 67 media day, UFC President Dana White answered questions regarding his New Year’s Eve domestic violence and explained why he is not being formally punished.
White was caught on camera slapping his wife in Cabo, Mexico while celebrating the holidays. The video has surfaced online and White has understandably received backlash from various media members, celebrities, and organizations.
Moving forward, White does not plan to formally punish himself as he believes the reputation that comes with committing domestic violence is more damaging than formal repercussions.
“What should the repercussions be? You tell me. I take 30 days off?” White asked. “How does that hurt me? Me leaving hurts the company. Hurts my employees. Hurts the fighters. Doesn’t hurt me. I could have left in 2016. Do I need to reflect? No, I don’t need to reflect. The next morning when I woke up … I own this. I’m telling you that I’m wrong.”
“I’ve got to walk around for however long I live — is it 10.4 years or another 25 years? — and this is how I’m labeled now. My other punishment is that I’m sure a lot of people, whether it be media, fighters, friends, acquaintances who had respect for me might not have respect for me now. There are a lot of things I’m gonna have to deal with for the rest of my life that are much more of a punishment than, what, I take a 30-60-day absence?” Quote via New York Post.
White also added that people should not be defending him or his action.
“One thing I do want to clarify … is the people that are defending me. There’s never an excuse. I’m sure you guys have read some of the same stuff that I’ve seen. There’s no defense for this. People should not be defending me, no matter what. All the criticism that I’ve received this week, and will receive in the future, is 100-percent warranted.” Quote via New York Post.
White’s comments have seemingly closed the books on potential repercussions for the UFC president. It has been speculated how Endeavor and ESPN would react to the incident and if they will take action. According to White, it looks like they are content with letting him stay in command of the UFC without a formal punishment.
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