UFC boss Dana White as we speak issued a grovelling apology after a video emerged of him slapping his spouse of 26 years within the face throughout an argument in a nightclub on New 12 months’s Eve.
White, 53, stated there was ‘no excuse’ for hitting his spouse Anne, who he shares three youngsters with, throughout their drink-fueled trip in Cabo San Lucas.
The daddy-of-three stated he was ’embarrassed’ by his habits as scores of followers known as for him to resign from his function as president of the UFC for slapping his spouse.
White, who has an estimated value of $500million after constructing the UFC up into a worldwide money-spinning franchise, informed TMZ throughout his apology: ‘You do not put your fingers on a girl, ever.’
UFC boss Dana White as we speak issued a grovelling apology after a video emerged of him slapping his spouse of 26 years within the face throughout an argument in a nightclub on New 12 months’s Eve
Video from New 12 months’s Eve exhibits the couple, who’ve been married since 1996, and their pals in a VIP space above the dance ground of El Squid Roe in Cabo San Lucas.
Footage exhibits White showing to say one thing to Anne, who reacts by slapping him. He then slaps her again earlier than the pair are break up up by their pals.
He informed TMZ in an interview following the incident and amid requires him to resign: ‘My spouse and I had been out Saturday evening on New 12 months’s Eve. Sadly that’s what occurred.
‘I’m one of many guys who says there’s by no means, ever an excuse for a man to place his fingers on a girl and now right here I’m on TMZ speaking about it.
Video from New 12 months’s Eve exhibits the couple, who’ve been married since 1996, and their pals in a VIP space above the dance ground of El Squid Roe in Cabo San Lucas. Footage exhibits White showing to say one thing to Anne, who reacts by slapping him. He then slaps her again earlier than the pair are break up up by their pals
Pictured left to proper: Lorenzo Fertitta, Teressa Fertitta, Anne White and Dana White
‘That is a type of conditions that’s horrible. I’m embarrassed. We’ve got three children and for the reason that video popped up, now we have proven the children and we’re extra targeted on our household proper now.
‘Persons are going to have their opinions on this and folks’s opinions could be proper, particularly in my case. You do not put your fingers on a girl, ever.’
His spouse Anne informed the information outlet: ‘To say that is out of character for him is an understatement – nothing like this has ever occurred earlier than.
‘Sadly, we had been each consuming an excessive amount of on New 12 months’s Eve and issues bought uncontrolled, on each side. We’ve talked this by way of as a household and apologized to one another.’
Now, White is going through calls to step down from his function as president of the UFC.
One individual tweeted: ‘Dana White ought to instantly resign and by no means be seen once more. He actually slapped his spouse on digicam. Think about what he does behind closed doorways.’
White has been married to his associate Anne for 26 years and the couple have three youngsters
One other tweeted: ‘Appalling. Dana White must be charged with assault and instantly resign from UFC. Violence towards girls isn’t okay.’
The footage of White slapping his spouse comes as a 2014 interview resurfaced during which he claimed you’ll be able to ‘by no means bounce again from placing your fingers on a girl’.
Within the 2014 interview, White was reacting to a video of former Baltimore Ravens operating again Ray Rice abusing his spouse.
Talking to FOX Sports activities Stay on the time, White stated: ‘It is a robust one. To start with the video is horrifying. Completely horrifying. You are speaking a few man who’s been within the struggle enterprise since he was 19 years outdated. It’s the most annoying factor you’ll ever see.
‘The factor that is simply as dangerous because the punch is that he exhibits no regret after he does it. You recognize, should you did one thing in anger and also you go, ‘Oh my god. What did I do?’ There’s none of that with this man. I do not know all of the ins and outs of what Roger Goodell did or knew or the way it was dealt with nevertheless it’s positively dangerous. I can let you know this: I would not need to be Roger Goodell.
White – who has headed up the UFC since 2001 – beforehand stated there could be no means again for fighters who had been violent to girls
‘We have been human beings in letting these guys, different guys make up for what they’ve accomplished and are available again. There’s one factor that you simply by no means bounce again from and that is placing your fingers on a girl. Been that means within the UFC since we began right here. You do not bounce again from placing your fingers on a girl.’
White’s marriage has largely been shielded from the general public, though his mom, June, wrote in a salacious 2011 e-book that he had ‘turned his again on his household and pals who had been there for him when he wanted assist and help.’
Dana and Anne reportedly met in eighth grade in Nevada, and though he would transfer backwards and forwards between the Las Vegas space and Maine, the 2 dated in highschool previous to their 1996 marriage.
Their courtship got here throughout a tough time in White’s life, as he dropped out of two schools and held a string of low-paying jobs laying asphalt and dealing as a bouncer.
He would finally begin a fitness center within the Boston space, however returned to Las Vegas after allegedly being threatened by infamous mobster White Bulger and his affiliate, Kevin Weeks.
To this present day, White claims he would not why Bulger and Weeks felt they had been owed cash, however he took their threats significantly sufficient to relocate again to Nevada.
‘He principally stated, ”You owe us cash,’ White stated, in response to NBC Sports activities. ‘It was like $2,500, which was like $25,000 to me again then, and stated, ”You owe us cash.”
‘It was really a man named Kevin Weeks … he is Whitey’s right-hand man,’ White continued. ‘… principally stated I owed him some cash, and I did not pay him. This went on for some time and someday I used to be at my place and I bought a name and so they stated, ”You owe us the cash tomorrow by 1 o’clock.’ I actually hung up the cellphone, picked up the cellphone and known as Delta and purchased a ticket to Vegas.’
Bulger would later be captured in 2011 and was killed in jail at 89 in 2018.
Within the years since, White has admitted to wagering giant quantities of cash, together with dropping $1million on the 2007 Jermain Taylor-Kelly Pavlik boxing match.
White (pictured in Las Vegas in September 2022) stated he had no excuse for his actions and stated he was ’embarrassed’ in regards to the clip
‘I used to be in Cabo, stress-free having enjoyable,’ White stated, as quoted by TalkSport. ‘That ruined my enjoyable. Ruined my entire journey.’
He was additionally implicated in a sex-tape scandal, during which an unique dancer allegedly recorded a sexual encounter between the 2 in Brazil. The dancer additionally claims she and White had been having an affair throughout his marriage.
Her boyfriend would allegedly use that alleged affair to extort cash from White, leading to a legal case towards the person.
White was later sued by the boyfriend, who claimed White provided him cash to plead responsible to expenses of extortion. White has denied the accusation.
In accordance with the criticism, White gave the unique dancer $10,000 to have intercourse with him, however the lawsuit was finally dismissed in October of 2020.
