cnn
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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White said he does not expect punishment after video surfaced of him in a physical altercation with his wife earlier this month. White made the comments Wednesday at a media day for UFC Fight Night 217.
Asked if he expects there will be repercussions from the company, White said: “What should the repercussions be? You tell me. Do I take 30 days off? How does that hurt me?
“Me leaving hurts the company, hurts my employees, hurts the fighters. It does not hurt me.
“What is my punishment? This is my punishment: I have to hang around as long as I live… and that's how they label me now.
“The punishment is that I did it and now I have to face it.”
In the video, obtained by TMZ, White and his wife, Anne, are seen arguing before exchanging slaps at a nightclub in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on New Year's Eve. Neither White nor his wife face legal charges for the incident.
White claims discussions had been held between him, Endeavor CEO and UFC owner Ari Emanuel, and broadcaster ESPN about what action was appropriate.
“We've had a lot of internal conversations – with Ari, with ESPN – no one is happy,” the 53-year-old said. “No one is happy about this. Me neither. But it happened”.
White also said he was not looking to make excuses for his behavior and reiterated his stance on domestic violence.
“There's never an excuse… There's no defense for this and people shouldn't defend me for this, 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 president of the UFC.
“Given Mr. White's previous comments against intimate partner violence, we believed that Endeavor and the UFC shared this commitment to safety, respect and responsibility,” the letter says.
“And yet, we saw the video of UFC president Dana White hitting his wife at a New Year's Eve celebration… We were horrified. It was alarming to say the least. In the days since the video was posted, you have remained silent.
“We call for the immediate removal of Mr. White as president of the UFC.”
CNN contacted Endeavor for comment but did not immediately get a response.
When reached for comment, ESPN gave only a brief statement saying, “We have been covering the story on our platforms since it broke and will continue to do so.”
TBS has delayed the premiere of a Dana White 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.
