What has the California Legislative Women’s Caucus said about UFC’s Dana White and the fight with his wife?
Despite what appears to have been a sincere apology from the UFC president, there are some things that are definitely too much to take back.
Following the disgraceful situation in which he was involved on New Year’s Eve, the UFC president now faces calls for his removal and truth be told, they well justified given what he’s known to have done and who is calling for it.
California Legislative Women’s Caucus call for Dana White’s removal
According to reports, there is at least one notable group that is currently calling for the UFC’s parent company to remove Dana White as its president. Indeed, the California Legislative Women’s Caucus shared a letter it wrote to Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel on Monday, in which it called on the company to remove White as UFC president. The demand comes after a video surfaced on the internet, of White slapping his wife at a nightclub on New Year’s Eve in Mexico. Regarding the group itself, the CLWC is a bipartisan group that is made up of 17 state Senators and 32 state Assemblywomen. Senator Nancy Skinner, from the East Bay Area, serves as the group’s chair, while assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, from the Sacramento area, is the vice chair.
“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 letter read, in part. “The hypocrisy is astounding. Enough is enough. It is time to remove Mr. White from his leadership role, to allow him and his partner to get the help they need while reminding the world of what Endeavor stands for and that violence against women is not a conduct that you condone.”
What has Dana White said about the New Year’s Eve incident?
It’s important to note that White has in fact admitted to slapping his wife on New Year’s Eve. In the video, which was recorded at a nightclub in the area of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, White’s wife is can be seen with her head in her hands before slapping White in the face. In response, White then slaps his wife in the face shortly before the situation dissipates, at which point the video comes to an end.
“There was definitely a lot of alcohol, but there’s no excuse,” White said. “I’m literally making no excuses for this thing at all. It’s never happened before. It’s the first time that it’s ever happened, and people are going to say what they’re going to say. It is what it is. And whatever people do say, it’s deserved. I deserve it. It happened. ...I don’t know why it happened. My wife and I have apologized to each other. We’ve apologized to our kids.” Incidentally, White has since promoted the launch of a new Power Slapping League which was actually postponed by a week after TBS - the broadcaster - learned of the video. Where Endeavor is concerned - ESPN as well - there has yet been no comment given on the situation.
What has the CLWC said in conclusion?
Given that neither Endeavor nor ESPN - the UFC’s broadcast partner - have said anything about White’s actions, one can imagine that that something is going to give. “In the days since the video was released, you have remained silent,” the letter also stated. “Your continued silence speaks volumes...Every day that Mr. White’s actions go unaccounted for, your silence becomes more piercing and troubling. At this point, thousands of young men, women, and adults worldwide have seen the video of Mr. White striking his wife. We have also seen his apology. What we have not seen is any consequences for his actions.”