There has been an uproar over UFC President Dana White‘s actions on New Year’s Eve and growing public clamor for him to be penalized for his actions. The California Legislative Women’s Caucus recently called for the removal of Dana White as UFC president for slapping his wife while intoxicated during their vacation in Mexico.
Since then, White has apologized for his actions and his wife, Anne, claimed that it was uncharacteristic of the UFC president to act out like that.
The letter was sent to Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel by Senator Nancy Skinner and assembly member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry. The Fertitta brothers sold a majority stake in Zuffa, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, to Endeavor Group in July 2016. The American holding company acquired the remaining UFC shares and entered into an agreement to acquire a 100% controlling interest in the UFC in 2021.
The political women’s advocacy group, comprised of 18 state senators and 33 assembly women, posted the letter on their website’s homepage and on Twitter:
“We are appalled by the violent conduct of @ufc President Dana White captured on video on NYE. Read our letter to @Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel calling for White’s removal here.”
The letter centered around Dana White’s stance on domestic violence in the past and how he failed to stand by his values, which was “alarming, to say the least,” according to them:
“Given Mr. White’s previous remarks against domestic partner violence, we believed that Endeavor and the U.F.C. share this commitment to safety, respect, and accountability. You yourself have written extensively about the need to speak out and act when we see things that are not in line with our values.”
“The head of a major sporting organization cannot claim to be for the safety of women while a video of him striking his wife continues to circulate online without a response from you. The hypocrisy is astounding. Enough is enough.”
Check out the tweet below:
Stephen A. Smith believes Dana White should be punished for his actions
A video of Dana White slapping his wife on New Year’s Eve while on vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, has stirred a heated debate on the internet.
TMZ posted a video showing White engaging in a confrontation with his wife while visibly intoxicated. Anne White slapped the UFC president first, and White retaliated by slapping her back.
Stephen A. Smith addressed the issue on the latest episode of the weekday morning sports debate First Take, claiming that White should be punished for his actions:
“You do not put your hands on a woman if you’re a man. Dana White knows that. He has spoken out against men who have put their hands on women before and whatever punishment you would exact in these circumstances to somebody else is what he should apply to himself.”