Gay Fighters in the UFC? 'Come Out,' Says Boss Dana White
Dana White, the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a brutal mixed martial arts organization, has denied accusations that he or the organization is anti-homosexual.
In a press conference, White denied allegations by the Culinary Union chapter of Las Vegas that his previous harsh language filmed in 2009 meant that the UFC tolerated anti-homosexual behavior.
"You're dealing with human beings," said White. "Everybody makes mistakes and everybody does things that are wrong sometimes…We do the best we can do.”
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He added, “How do you really think that we could possibly police 375 fighters and try to control everything they say?”
White could be referring to the comments by UFC fighter Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira said.
Nogueira’s comment to Portuguese press: “I have no prejudice against the gays, but I wouldn’t train with someone who’s gay…I would have no problems having a gay student in my academy, but I would rather not train with him."
White said that the “holier-than-thou approach” of the Las Vegas Culinary Union demands that every organization be responsible for the words and actions of those involved. The UFC president claimed that their demands are unrealistic; as there’s no way to monitor private actions of 375 separate individuals all the time.
Plus, White asserted he is in no way anti-homosexual.
“That's the 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,” said White.
White also maintained that in addition to being false, the Culinary Union’s attack on the UFC is really a way to get at the people who own it – the Fertita brothers.
The relationship between the Culinary Union and the Fertitta brothers is a complicated one. The Fertittas own a gambling company called Station Casinos, which the Culinary Union’s workers want to become a part of.
Because they have been locked out, the Culinary Union has criticized a variety of businesses the Fertitta brothers own, including Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC.
This has included putting pressure on the network airing the UFC’s MMA fights to drop them.
So far it hasn’t worked.
“I'll tell you right now, if there was a gay fighter in the UFC, I wish he would come out,” White said Thursday.
