By now, even if you don’t follow MMA, you’ve probably heard the news regarding UFC President Dana White slapping his wife on New Year’s Eve. No matter if you care about the UFC or not, the story of White and the support he’s received despite his actions is news everybody should be aware of.
More from The Camp: Dana White is a hypocrite
One of the more disturbing aspects of the entire story is the relative silence from UFC’s corporate partners. According to Bloody Elbow, of the UFC’s 50 most prominent sponsors, 47 of them refused to comment when asked about the situation.
Allegedly, because they only handle “distribution” for the fight promotion, ESPN advised Bloody Elbow to contact the UFC, and Disney hasn’t said a word either.
The UFC itself kept quiet, as well as parent company Endeavor.
Even TBS, the broadcast home for White’s Power Slap League, didn’t issue a statement.
Here is a list of other sponsors that didn’t even make note of the incident, according to Bloody Elbow:
Jimmy John’s, Stake, EasyPost, Universal (Knock at the Cabin), Vechain, Howler Head, Crypto.com, Manscaped, Monster Energy, telecall, Grupo Souza Lima, Raid – Shadow Legends, Hudson Shipping, Peacock, Ricola, Meta, Allstate, DraftKings, Phillips, Dominos, Starbucks, BetRiver, Gatorade, Hilton, DoorDash, Marines, Buffalo Wild Wings, Popeyes, Hyundai, Capella.edu, Peloton, T-Mobile, Home Depot, Pizza Hut, Discover, Sony Playstation, Geico, Little Caesars, Safelite, Toyo Tires, Pepperidge Farms (Goldfish), Vrbo, Burger King, Frog Tape, Xfinity, Kellogg’s and Marvel.
Then, just last week, the most recognizable UFC fighter ever was accused of physically assaulting a woman on his yacht (this is not the first time Conor McGregor has been accused of such violence).
McGregor reportedly invited a woman he recognized from his Dublin, Ireland neighborhood to his boat in July 2022 while he was celebrating his 34th birthday at the Ocean Beach Club in Ibiza. The woman left the club and went to McGregor’s yacht with a group of people.
The woman claimed McGregor made racial remarks about her appearance on the yacht. The UFC fighter allegedly followed that up by punching her in the face, kicking her in the stomach, and threatening to drown her.
She jumped off the yacht to escape from McGregor and was rescued by a Red Cross boat. She claimed that McGregor appeared “possessed,” and that “he would have killed me if I hadn’t left the yacht.”
It’s the kind of story that leaves you speechless.
After learning that the woman had reported the assault to a Garda Station in Crumlin, Ireland, authorities in Ibiza began looking into McGregor.
Just like in its president’s situation, the UFC did not release any kind of statement on the incident.
It’s mind boggling how the two most important people in the UFC have seemingly gotten away with assaulting women scot-free without so much as a written statement from the promotion itself.
From Bloody Elbow: “These days, the UFC may only have an unwritten mission statement that reads: If we ignore it, it will eventually go away.”
Bloody Elbow is correct. It’s disgraceful.
It’s significant for two reasons. First, it sends a message to misogynists all over the world that it’s ‘okay’ to act violently towards women. As sickening as it sounds, the UFC has become a safe haven for misogyny. By not issuing statements, they are enabling people to feel as though they can express these heinous views without repercussions.
Here’s the proof:
The woman who stepped forward had her car set ablaze in Dublin last week.
Second, it defies the moral precedent that other major sports leagues have implemented. We’ve said it countless times, but if things like this happened in, say, the NBA or NFL, the consequences would have been severe.
Yet, the level of protection that exists for UFC’s most important people destroys any opportunity for repercussions. And not to mention the UFC’s corporate allies don’t seem to care about this disgraceful behavior.
Frankly, it’s disheartening and disgusting.
For the UFC to cleanse itself from these transgressions, action must be taken. But unfortunately, it’s a long road to reverberations. The corporate protection that exists for the promotion has proven to be bulletproof. One can only hope the UFC answers for its behavior in time, and the safe haven that’s been created for sexism and violence will be eliminated.
Follow Will on Twitter @WillyBeansMMA