UFC President Dana White Should Be Held Accountable for Slapping His Wife

Will White suffer any consequences for his actions—and if so, to what extent?

Welcome to The Weekly Takedown, Sports Illustrated’s in-depth look at MMA. Every week, this column offers insight and information on the most noteworthy stories in the fight world.

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Editors' note: This story contains accounts of domestic violence. If you or someone you know is a survivor of domestic abuse, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or at https://www.thehotline.org/

Dana White was wrong. There is no other way to put it.

White, who is UFC president, was captured on video slapping his wife during a New Year’s Eve party on vacation in Mexico. TMZ released a clip of the incident Monday, and it shows White’s wife, Anne White, slapping him across the face and Dana quickly responding by slapping his wife in the face.

When the video was released, Anne and Dana White issued statements to TMZ.

Anne White told TMZ, “To say this is out of character for him is an understatement—nothing like this has ever happened before. Unfortunately, we were both drinking too much on New Year’s Eve and things got out of control, on both sides. We’ve talked this through as a family and apologized to each other.”

White expressed remorse for his actions, stating, “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.”

White issued an apology after a video was released of a physical altercation with his wife, Anne :: John Locher/AP

More than any fighter, White is the face of the UFC. His fearlessness and bravado embody a certain ruggedness and maverick spirit, one that has been strongly championed by millions of fight fans. He is an incredible promoter, constantly providing fans with a reason to believe in his product. He can be combative, whether that is with fighters, media or athletes and promoters from different companies and sports. All of that has endeared White to his fan base. But he crossed a line when he hit his wife.

Whether he will be able to overcome it is unknown.

High-ranking officials at both ESPN and Warner Bros. Discovery are horrified with his actions, Sports Illustrated has learned. ESPN is UFC’s broadcast partner, and outside of a few instances, the global media conglomerate has been eerily quiet in its news coverage of the White incident. Warner Bros. Discovery is the television partner for White’s new Power Slap project, which was originally scheduled to premiere next week on TBS but will now air on Jan. 18, according to MMA Underground's John Morgan. The overwhelming majority of the people competing in Power Slap are not recognizable to viewers, and the show leans heavily on White’s on-air presence. Though the timing is horrendous to roll out a show called Power Slap, it is still set to premiere Wednesday.

While it appears White still has enough support from important people at ESPN and Endeavor, UFC’s parent company, there is a tenuous balance to his power. He apologized for his behavior, but this action will endure as a permanent stain. Perhaps there are ways White can turn this ugly negative into something positive, possibly through a combination of donations, volunteering or even ensuring that stricter rules are put in place for fighters who commit domestic violence. There needs to be accountability here, typically one of White’s stronger qualities. Yet how and whether that unfolds, including a potential suspension, is yet to be determined.

Again, White was wrong. But this is a world full of second chances, especially with finances at stake, so it would not be shocking if he remained UFC president. Money and morality, unfortunately, exist in two entirely different domains. But that works both ways. If sponsors choose, temporarily or permanently, to disassociate from the UFC because of White, then that would play a significant role in White being suspended or removed entirely.

Multiple unanswered questions dominate the situation. Does White receive a second chance? If he does, will he be accountable in a long-term approach to his mistake? Ultimately, will there be consequences to his actions?

There are no answers, at least not yet. But either through silence, statements or actions, that will not be the case much longer.