Dana White is a hypocrite

And yet, he might get off scot-free.

It’s tough to be Dana White right now. It’s tough to like Dana White right now. It’s tough to feel anything other than disgust for Dana White right now. 

Simply put, Dana White laid hands on his wife. The commissioner of a major global sports organization was caught on video, in a nightclub, slapping his wife across the face.

And there might be absolutely nothing done about it. 

This situation is a massive problem for the UFC. The global MMA promotion just had its best year, extended its streaming deal with Disney (ESPN+), secured multiple new advertising deals, and continues to smash attendance records and PPV numbers. Now, the powers that be within the company, its parent company Endeavor, and Dana White himself have to determine a new course for the ship. 

But this isn’t surprising. What 53-year-old man gets so drunk in Cabo San Lucas (weird) that he slaps his wife? Is this the guy holding his finger over the proverbial nuclear button? The one in control of the UFC? This isn’t just a one-time behavioral screw-up. 

The question isn’t “should he be fired for this?”, it’s “why hasn’t he been fired sooner?”.

The most recent PR dumpster fire

On the morning of Jan. 3, 2023, TMZ posted a leaked video of Dana and his wife, Anne, having a verbal altercation in a nightclub in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on New Year’s Eve 2022. After some back and forth, as seen in the footage, Anne seems to swipe at Dana, to which Dana responds by slapping her across the face. Clear as day, Dana White laid hands on his wife. 

The public outcry has been unlike anything the UFC or Dana has ever seen before. With many calling for his departure, this PR nightmare could severely destroy the image of the UFC if not dealt with properly.

The Irony

In September 2014, Dana White said the following in an interview with Fox Sports live, before the UFC was widely popular, had a massive streaming deal, and was bought for $1 billion (social media is having a field day with this):

“There’s one thing that you never bounce back from and that’s putting your hands on a woman. Been that way in the UFC since we started here. You don’t bounce back from putting your hands on a woman.”

Dana has previously cut fighters for being charged with domestic violence. The most recent case was Italian prospect Luis Pena in October 2021. When asked about it at a press conference, Dana responded, “Well, I mean, this was a bad case. We knew that he had problems before that we were trying to help him with. This is a pretty nasty one. This one had to happen.”

However, more well-known fighters have gotten off without issue. Most notoriously perhaps is Conor McGregor who has been accused of rape in Ireland. Another prominent UFC cash cow, Jon Jones, was arrested for striking his fiancé in 2021. Both remain with the promotion. 

In any other sports league, with any other person at the helm, those involved in heinous crimes against women get excommunicated immediately. It doesn’t matter how much they’re worth. But what did Dana do? He turned a blind eye (more than twice), only to cut ties with other fighters that weren’t as popular. Dana then used those announcements as opportunities for sound bites that are coming back to haunt him today. 

Now imagine the commissioner of the NHL, NFL, or NBA being accused of these actions. They would more than likely resign before being let go.

What now?

In previous controversies, Dana has cleaned his act up. In 2009, he not only expressed regret for using a homophobic slur against a reporter, but he also devised a plan of action. Since then, the UFC has made sizeable financial contributions to LGBTQ causes. It is the world’s most gay-friendly sport, along with the WNBA. 

The same must be done for this occurrence. Dana White has a massive audience. He can reach a lot of people. Attaching his name to efforts working to combat violence against women can be a powerful force for good. All Dana needs to do is step down, step far away, and lead from the sidelines, because this was the straw that broke the camel’s back. 

Whether you like Dana White or not is your prerogative, but there’s no ignoring the obvious: If Dana White remains the president of the UFC, then the promotion would in turn be giving domestic assault a thumbs up.

Follow Will Everett on Twitter @WillyBeansMMA