UFC President Dana White insists the combat sport will never go 'woke'
Topics: Dana White, Sport, UFC, US News, Politics, Donald Trump
Rachel Lang
Featured Image Credit: Fox. The Photo Access / Alamy Stock Photo
Topics: Dana White, Sport, UFC, US News, Politics, Donald Trump
Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White has revealed his MMA league will never go 'woke'.
Sitting down with Fox News' Unfiltered With Dan Bongino, White revealed UFC has seen a huge spike in fans in the wake of Covid-19 and 'woke' culture.
"When all the Covid-19 bans were being lifted, it grew our business, I don’t know, like 70 per cent or something like that, because we were the only thing to watch," White said on Fox News.
Dana White: We don't do anything woke over here at all.pic.twitter.com/EufOwNwFIe
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) April 17, 2023
He added: "And, yes, we don’t do anything woke over here."
White went on to reveal the surreal moment in which former US President Donald Trump dropped by UFC 287 despite being in the midst of an indictment in New York over alleged hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.
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White revealed that the crowd reaction to the 45th President of the United States was beyond compare.
"It’s insane, you know, if you think about this, I’ve been doing this for, like, 23 years," White told Bongino.
"When you’re walking with Trump, it’s a whole 'nother level, man.
Legends @ufc pic.twitter.com/6hDLUXQ8KN
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) April 9, 2023
"The entire place erupted. Everybody was going crazy, and it was fun."
White's comments come months after the UFC boss was last in the press in the wake of his New Year's wife slap fiasco.
White made headlines after TMZ released a video of the UFC bigwig hitting Anne White during a New Year’s Eve altercation at a Cabo San Lucas nightclub in El Squid Roe, Mexico.
But the head honcho of the MMA powerhouse revealed he will not kowtow to calls for him to step down.
He says living with shame and the loss of respect after what he has done is enough punishment.
"It was obviously a horrible personal experience. And, you know, there’s no excuse for it. It’s something that I’m gonna have to deal with and live with for the rest of my life," he said, according to a video of the full media conference shared by combat sports channel The Mac Life.
"Nobody’s happy about this. Neither am I, but it happened, and I have to deal with it.
"What is my punishment? Here’s my punishment: I have to walk around for however long I live...and this is how I’m labeled now."
White, who in 2014 labeled domestic violence as 'something you don't bounce back from', went on to add what his other punishment is.
"My other punishment is 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," he said.
"The punishment is that I did it, and now I have to deal with it."
But at the end of it his wife slapping furore, fans have one thing to give them peace of mind... at least he's not - gasp - woke.