Dana White Comments On New Year’s Eve Altercation With Wife, Possible Repercussions

Dana White has been embroiled in controversy after video of an altercation with his wife on New Year’s Eve was released, and he recently discussed the situation. The UFC head was seen on video at a nightclub in Cabo San Lucas getting in an altercation where he slapped his wife after she slapped him. The incident happened just after midnight and the video shows White leaning in to say something to Anne White, who reacted with a slap. White slapped her back.

The two were said to be very intoxicated, something White acknowledged in a response to TMZ. White said that it was no excuse for the situation, telling TMZ, “You’ve heard me say for years, ‘There’s never ever an excuse for a guy to put his hands on a woman,’ and now here I am on TMZ talking about it.”

The situation has caused some fallout for White, whose new series Power Slap was scheduled to premiere on TBS on Wednesday. TBS has delayed the premiere to next week. The show is produced by Lionsgate’s Pilgrim Media Group and has no connection to the UFC’s media deals with ESPN.

White discussed the situation ahead of a UFC media call, and you can see the video and some highlights below:

On the situation: “What happened on New Year’s Eve is mine, my mistake, not theirs. And obviously, nobody’s more about free speech than me. If somebody, if one of the fighters wants to come out and voice their opinion on it and and whatever it might be, then by all means. I’m sure you guys have seen the TMZ video and seen my interview. It was obviously a horrible personal experience and you know, there’s no excuses for it. [It’s] something that I’m gonna have to deal with and live with for the rest of my life.”

On people criticizing him over the altercation: “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 and people should not be defending me over this thing, no matter what. You know, all the criticism that I have received this week is 100% warranted, and and will receive in the future…

“Whatever that anybody has to say; everybody has an opinion on this, and they’re right to have their own opinions. I was very opinionated on this too [domestic abuse] and I still am. You know, it’s crazy that I’m sitting here even having this conversation with you guys.”

On the possibility of repercussions: “Yeah I mean, what should the repercussions be? You tell me. I take 30 days off? How does that hurt me? I mean, I told you guys when we were going through COVID. COVID could have lasted 10 years, I could sit it out, you know what I mean? It’s much like COVID actually, you know? Me leaving hurts the company. Hurts my employees, hurts the fighters, doesn’t hurt me. I could have left in 2016, you know what I mean? I don’t know, what’s the — do I need to reflect? No, I don’t need to reflect. The next morning when I woke up, you know what I mean? I’ve been against this, I’ve owned this. I’m telling you that I’m wrong.

“But listen, I mean, I’ve had we’ve had plenty of discussions internally with Ari [Emanuel], ESPN. Nobody’s happy. Nobody’s happy about this, you know? Neither am I, but it happened. And I have to deal with it and what is my punishment? Here’s my punishment. I gotta walk around for however long I live, is it 10.4 years or is it another 25 years, and I gotta — this is this is how I’m labeled now. My other punishment is that you know, 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. I mean, there’s a lot of things that I’m going to have to deal with for the rest of my life that are way more of a punishment than what, I take a 30-day, 60-day absence? That’s not a punishment to me. The punishment is that I did it and now I have to deal with it.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit ESPN MMA with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.