UFC boss Dana White's “power slap” sport is a gateway for right-wing extremist politics, warns MSNBC

Liberal and moderate voters need to pay more attention to the CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship Dana Whiteargues MSNBC columnist Ja'han Jones, who writes for Joy-Ann Reid's The ReidOut Blog. Jones warned that the UFC boss is “among the most influential forces in conservative media” and is targeting “young people” through the company’s partnership.Power slap“, which streams on the conservative video platform Rumble. It is a collaboration that the progressive medium Media Matters has described as a “gateway for right-wing extremist actors”.

“Power Slap”, owned by White himself, is not an independent gateway for right-wing extremist companies. But Media Matters' Justin Horowitz explained, “Rumble knows that kids and Generation Z are big fans of UFC and martial arts. “Power Slap offers them an easy way to lure those viewers into the right-wing fever swamp.”

Once young people get on Rumble to watch “Power Slap,” they are exposed to content from white nationalists, QAnon conspiracy theorists and, of course, Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump.

White has been known as a controversial figure for some time. A long-time supporter of Donald Trump (the UFC boss supported Trump in both 2016 and 2020), he told the Pivot Podcast in 2021 that he joined Trump because the businessman previously helped the UFC (all the racism and misogyny were therefore fair). Trade).

“That brand was so bad that venues didn’t even want us. Arenas didn’t want us,” White said. “We had a hard time finding venues. Trump literally called us. He said, 'Come to me and host the event here.' We will receive you at the Trump Taj Mahal.' We get there, the best setup for us. He showed up at the first fight and he was there until the last fight, we were there both times.”

White added: “He’s always been a solid guy to me. Then he calls me and says he's running for president. He said, “If you don't want to do this, I completely understand, but I would be honored if you spoke for me at the National Republican Convention.” Everyone told me not to do it… Everything, what this guy did for me, am I going to tell him no? That's not me.”

White came under fire before the start of the reality series “Power Slap” on TBS when he slapped his wife on New Year's Eve in 2023. A video of the incident was widely shared by TMZ. While White told reporters, “There are no excuses for this” and “It's something I'll have to deal with and live with for the rest of my life,” White also admitted that he would not receive any further punishment for the act.

Several former UFC fighters took issue with White's exemption. Ramsey Nijem, who was suspended in 2019 after testing positive for marijuana, tweeted semi-arcastically: “When I was suspended for nine months for weed I think that would have been a better punishment.” [being] known as a weed consumer. That's the punishment, commissioners. Since I’m known as a weed user, I’ll have to live with it for the rest of my life.”

When I was suspended for nine months for weed, I think the better punishment would have been being known as a weed user. This is the punishment that commissioners call for being a weed user, and that is what I have to live with for the rest of my life.

— Ramsey Nijem (@RamseyNijem) January 12, 2023

White also made waves when he remained at the helm of the UFC following the company's merger with World Wrestling Entertainment in April 2023, forming TKO Group Holdings under the Endeavor agency and CEO Ari Emanuel.

In November 2023, White removed all Peloton bikes from the UFC gym after comedian Theo Von told him that the company had required the comedian to delete an interview on his podcast with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In a profanity-laced rant, White said, “My boys are going to get the pelotons out of the gym today.” He later followed up to reveal that they had disappeared.

In January, White defended Sean Strickland after the fighter spewed homophobia over a UFC microphone following a fight. Despite Strickland's vile three-minute rant against the LGBTQ+ community, White insisted that free speech was the most important element.

White said: “Yeah, boys can say whatever they want. We have freedom of expression. I don’t agree with what Sean said, but I won’t stand in people’s way when they say what they want, even if I don’t agree with them.”

Dana White to a Canadian reporter: “A leash? …I don't fucking tell anyone else what to say or think. And none of them are on a leash… Free speech, bro. People can say whatever they want and they can believe whatever they want.”

pic.twitter.com/gwcDlLvJYR

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 21, 2024

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