Dana White: Probably gay fighters in the UFC, it’s 2012 who cares?
The Las Vegas chapter of the Culinary Union, which represents hospitality industry workers in Las Vegas, has been trying to…
The Las Vegas chapter of the Culinary Union, which represents hospitality industry workers in Las Vegas, has been trying to gain a foothold in Station Casinos, a hotel and casino chain owned by brothers Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, who also own 81% of UFC parent Zuffa.
To pressure Station Casinos, for years the union has been criticizing their other businesses, most notably the UFC. The union funds lawmakers who oppose legalizing MMA in New York, recently called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether Zuffa is a monopoly, and accused the UFC of being an anti-gay organization. In a letter to sponsor Anheuser-Busch and an online petition to broadcast partner Fox, the union and its allies cited statements by White and fighters such as Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira as proof that UFC has “a history of tolerating homophobic conduct.”
At the UFC 137 pre fight press conference, UFC president Dana White responded to the charges of bigotry.
The most notorious example of White’s use of unfortunate language was in 2009 when he took offense at a piece by then Sherdog reporter Loretta Hunt, in which she cited an unamed manager, and noted the source wished to remain anonymous,
A furious White denied the veracity of the article (“absolutely f——retarded”), impugned the professionalist of the reporter (“dumb f—— bitch”) and questioned the integrity of the anonymous source (“faggot”).
The remarks caused a furor; White quickly apologized.
“I hurt people that I didn’t intend to hurt and when you do something like that, yes, I believe that you should say you’re sorry,” White told ESPN.com Page 2 columnist Mary Buckheit “I never intended to hurt anybody in the gay community, or be malicious, or look like a hateful guy. I never meant to hurt anyone in the gay or lesbian community at all, in any way, shape or form. I would never do that. I was speaking to Loretta Hunt. I didn’t mean to bring those people into this, it had nothing to do with them and for that, I’m sorry.”
“I’m not defending myself to people who don’t know me and are all of a sudden all over me. I’m not homophobic and I’m not anti-gay. I used a word that I shouldn’t have used and I hurt people.”
“I went on the attack and I ended up attacking someone I didn’t mean to. I absolutely, positively meant to attack the reporter, Loretta Hunt from Sherdog. Absolutely.”
“At the end of the day, the worst thing for me is that I don’t want anybody thinking that it’s cool to say that word especially now that I know the word ‘faggot’ is as powerful as the n-word. I don’t want these kids out there watching me and thinking it’s cool. I don’t want that.”
White also issed a video apology and the issue simmered down until the union, in a convoluted attack on Station Casinos, attacked the President of the UFC, for his language.
White has again reached out to the media to apologize for use of the term “faggot” in 2009, and to respond to the charges that the organization as a whole is tainted by remarks like Big Nog saying he wouldn’t want to roll with a gay man.
“if you guys look at all the stuff that I’ve said over the last 10 years — some of it stupid, some of it whatever — that’s the one that bothers me. That’s the only one that bothers me. The fact that these losers from the Culinary Union can go out and say that I’m a homophobe and things like that … because it’s the furthest thing from the truth. I think enough of you here know me that if I was, I’d tell you I was and I’d tell you why I was.
“It’s not true, and it’s something that these guys can throw up on a cute little website. I said it to Ariel (Helwani) last time he asked me: I don’t give a f— what these guys do or what they write or what they say. Make a TV show about me too. Make three more websites about me. You don’t bother me. You don’t hurt me. I could care less what the Culinary Union thinks of me. I don’t care. They have nothing to do with my world. That’s their beef with the Fertittas.
“Guys, put some money up. Start a TV show. Do whatever you want. You guys don’t faze me. You don’t affect me. I could give a s— about you.
“Focus on something else. Focus on making your people that are in this casino right here busting their ass every day, that you’re taking this union money dues, and spend it something worthwhile other than me.”
“Rampage is a nut. Dude, Nick Diaz is a nut. We’ve got some guys that are nutty.”
“I love when you get these organizations that try to, I guess I’d call it the holier-than-thou approach. You know, really? So when these guys make mistakes and things happen and bad things happen, you want to point the finger at them and say this whole organization is bad and these are bad people because these are things that (they) have done. F— you, ok?”
“How do you really think that we could possibly police 375 fighters and try to control everything they say?”
“The thing that Nogueira said down in Brazil, you know? And I’ll tell you right now, if there was a gay fighter in UFC, I wish he would come out. I could care less if there’s a gay fighter in the UFC. There probably is and there’s probably more than one. I mean, it’s 2012. Give me a break.”
“Give me a f—— break and be honest. Come on. We’re all human beings. We all make mistakes sometimes. It doesn’t mean that the UFC is bad and we’re unfit for children and all this other stuff.
“Tell you what: Out of the 375 guys, we’ve got a few lunatics; some guys that are nutty; and then we’ve got 300 and something that are incredible, awesome human beings who are inspirational to kids and adults and whoever else is a human being.”
“So I don’t like playing all that s—. I just don’t give a s— what the Culinary Union has to say or anybody else that wants to come out and says negative things about us. Because anybody that’s been around the sport long enough knows it’s not true.”