CNN
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President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Dana White said he does not expect punishment after a video surfaced of him having a physical altercation with his wife earlier this month. White made the comments at media day for UFC Fight Night 217 on Wednesday.
Asked if he expected repercussions from the company, White said: “What should the reaction be? You tell me. I take 30 days off? How does that hurt me?
“My leaving hurts the company, hurts my employees, hurts the fighters. It doesn’t hurt me.
“What is my punishment? This is my punishment: for as long as I live, I have to wander … and now I am labeled as such.
“The punishment is that I did it, and now I have to deal with it.”
In the video, obtained by TMZ, White and his wife, Anne, appear to argue before exchanging slaps at a nightclub in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on New Year’s Eve. Neither White nor his wife are facing legal charges for the incident.
White claims that there was a discussion between himself, Endeavor chief executive and UFC owner Ari Emanuel, and broadcaster ESPN about what action was appropriate.
“We’ve had a lot of discussions internally — with Arie, with ESPN — nobody’s happy,” the 53-year-old said. “No one is happy about it. Neither am I. But it happened.”
White also said he was not trying to make excuses for his behavior and reiterated his stance on domestic violence.
“There’s never an excuse … so there’s no defense and people shouldn’t defend me over this thing, no matter what.”
On Monday, the California Legislative Women’s Caucus wrote an open letter to Emanuel and Endeavor calling for White to be replaced as UFC president.
“Given Mr. White’s past comments against domestic partner violence, we believe that Endeavor and the UFC share this commitment to safety, respect and accountability,” the letter read.
“And yet, we’ve seen the video of UFC president Dana White, where he hits his wife at a New Year’s Eve celebration … we’re shocked. It was alarming to say the least. You have been silent in the days since the video was released.
“We are calling for the immediate removal of Mr. White as UFC President.”
CNN reached out to Endeavor for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
When contacted for comment, ESPN provided only a short statement: “We have been covering the story on our platforms since it broke and will continue to do so.”
TBS has delayed the premiere of Dana White’s reality series Power Slap: Road to the Title by one week to January 18. TBS and CNN are part of the Warner Bros. Discovery Network.
