UFC president Dana White says there is no need for him to be punished by the organisation after being involved in a physical altercation with his wife.
Video footage emerged of the 53-year-old and wife Anne celebrating New Year's Eve in Cabo, Mexico, when a dispute seemingly broke out between the couple.
Anne White had her head in her hands before slapping her husband, who struck back with slaps of his own. The video emerged via TMZ, and White apologised via the US news outlet after the incident.
"What should the repercussions be? You tell me," White said when asked if he should be punished by the UFC. "I take 30 days off? How does that hurt me?
"I told you guys as we were going through [the COVID-19 pandemic], COVID could last 10 years, and I could sit it out. It's much like COVID, actually. Me leaving hurts the company. Hurts my employees. Hurts the fighters. It doesn't hurt me.
"I could've left in 2016 [when the company was acquired by Endeavor]. Do I need to reflect? I've been against this. I've owned this. I'm telling you that I'm wrong.
"Here's my punishment: I have to walk around for however long I live – and this is how I'm labelled now. My other punishment is that I'm sure a lot of people – whether it be media, fighters, friends, acquaintances – who had respect for me might not have respect for me now.
"There's a lot of things I have to deal with the rest of my life that's way more of a punishment than, what, I take a 30-day or 60-day absence?"
White, who has been UFC president since 2001, added that criticism of him for the altercation with his wife was "100 per cent warranted" and moved to discredit anyone defending his actions.
"One thing I do want to clarify in this thing that I didn't talk about on TMZ, because I didn't expect it or I didn't see it coming, is the people that are defending me," he said.
"There's never an excuse. There's no defense for this, and people should not be defending me, no matter what. All the criticism I've received this week is 100-per-cent warranted."
Dana and Anne have been married for 27 years and have three children together.
Casado hails Barcelona's 'incredible' offside trap after Clasico win
Marc Casado praised Barcelona’s daring high line following a resounding 4-0 Clasico victory against Real Madrid in LaLiga.
The win put an end to Madrid’s aspirations of a record unbeaten run in the league as they were unable to equal Barcelona’s streak of 43 games without loss between 2017 and 2018.
Instead, the Santiago Bernabeu witnessed a finessed Hansi Flick offside trap as the hosts were caught offside a whopping eight times in the first half, representing their joint most on record (since 2003-04) in a single LaLiga match, equalling their tally against Celta Vigo in March 2013.
They were ultimately caught out 12 times in total, and Barcelona midfielder Casado, who bagged an assist, was enamoured by his side's defensive display.
"It's incredible, to have the b**** to have the defensive line this high," he said in the mixed zone.
"We've been doing it all season, the defensive work of this team is spectacular. It's incredible and at the moment it's working for us."
His delight was unsurprising. Barcelona managed to nullify the Real Madrid threat with forward Kylian Mbappe caught offside eight times through the duration of the match.
It is the most by any player in a single game in Europe's top five leagues since Karim Benzema against Eibar in November 2018.
Barcelona were firing at the other end too, as Robert Lewandowski bagged a brace before Lamine Yamal and Raphinha doubled their margin of victory late on.
It means Barcelona now have 10 wins in 11 games so far this season under Flick, leaving them six points clear at the top of LaLiga.
Goalkeeper Inaki Pena, who came through the ranks at Barcelona, has been impressed by the turnaround in form since the coach's off-season arrival.
"I'm super happy now, I am a proper Culer. We suffered a lot towards the end of last season, it was a tough time," he told Barca's official media channels.
"Flick came in and just told us how much we had to believe in ourselves, on a personal level and on a collective level."
Both Casado and Pena came through La Masia, which remains a key source of talent for the Catalan giants.
"We know that this club always brings out very good players from the academy, I don't know how it happens but it always comes out. The work at La Masia is spectacular and that's why we arrive so prepared for the elite," Casado added.
“They’ll bear witness to a slaughter”- Blake promises dominant display in RFL Ocho main event on Saturday
Rough Fight League (RFL) Amateur Lightweight Champion Shiaeine ‘Da Great’ Blake says fans can expect him to make quick work of opponent Daron ‘Avatar’ Weir when the two lock horns in the main event of RFL Ocho at Funland in Hope Gardens in Kingston on Saturday.
‘Da Great,’ who has held the number one spot across three weight classes in the Caribbean, will be making his professional debut against Weir, an accomplished boxer, who is now stepping into the professional MMA scene after taking this fight on short notice.
“I envision him laying on the canvas within eight minutes looking up at me and wondering what went wrong,” Blake told Sportsmax.tv on Tuesday.
“Fans are coming out expecting a fight but they’ll bear witness to a slaughter,” added Blake.
Knowing that Weir is coming from a strictly boxing background and this being an MMA fight, one would think that the obvious play for Blake is to lean into a wrestling-heavy style on Saturday.
The 29-year-old has other ideas, however, noting that his ego has got the best of him ahead of their bout.
“Knowing that Daron’s style is boxing heavy, I’ve allowed my ego to get a hold of me and challenged myself to beat him primarily with boxing,” Blake said.
“I’ve prepared to beat him where he’s best at. Boxing is his hope, but there cannot be despair without hope so I’ll beat him where he’s best and watch him crumble,” he added.
Blake last fought at the IMMAF Pan American Championships in Monterrey in September, losing via kneebar submission to Mexico’s Diego Rangel in round two of their three-round fight.
That fight is in the past and Blake says he’s going into Saturday’s fight with a clear mind.
“The loss hasn’t really affected me mentally of physically. You win and you lose in sports. That’s given, analyze it, learn from it and move onward,” he said.
Rough Fight League 'Ocho' set to ignite Kingston with explosive MMA and Kickboxing showdowns at Hope Gardens
The Rough Fight League (RFL) Ocho is set to take place this Saturday, October 26, at Funland in Hope Gardens, Kingston, promising an action-packed night of mixed martial arts (MMA) and kickboxing. The event, which starts at 8 pm, will feature eight thrilling bouts, including two high-profile main events that fans won’t want to miss.
Headlining the card, Shiaeinie ‘Da Great’ Blake, a dominant figure in Caribbean MMA, will make his professional debut against Daron ‘Avatar’ Weir. Blake, who has held the number one spot across three weight classes in the Caribbean, will be tested by Weir, an accomplished boxer now stepping into the professional MMA scene. “We expect fireworks from that,” said event organizer Kyle Chin. Weir’s transition to MMA promises an explosive bout, as both fighters bring top-tier experience in their respective disciplines.
In another main event, Theron ‘The Iron Prince’ Rose Green will take on Jaheem ‘Imru Makonnen’ Morrison in an amateur welterweight championship fight. Rose Green, an emerging MMA star who has already made waves with wins in Trinidad and Jamaica, will face Morrison, a skilled kickboxer building a strong reputation in the sport. “It’s a classic wrestler versus striker match-up,” Chin explained, noting Rose Green’s well-rounded skill set, honed through international competition in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, beach wrestling, and MMA.
'Tank' Thompson
Adding to the excitement is Tyrece ‘Tank’ Thompson, the 2024 Pan American Super Heavyweight International Mixed Martial Arts Champion, who will be competing against Samuel Campbell. Thompson, fresh off his Pan Am gold, will look to continue his dominance in the super heavyweight division.
The event will also see the pro debut of Demar ‘Force’ Haslam, RFL’s 145-pound amateur champion, who will face Nakia Anderson in what promises to be another intense match. “It’s going to be an exciting night,” Chin said, emphasizing that the card will feature a mix of MMA and kickboxing fights, showcasing the depth of talent in the region.
This is the first major RFL event of the year, following the pandemic-induced hiatus. “We did have a level of consistency with seven events, but we are trying to return to that now,” Chin said, adding that the sport continues to grow in Jamaica. “Jamaica has always been known as a strong striking country. We have good boxing, karate, kickboxing, and now we are seeing an evolution in our game.”
With a new venue, a stacked fight card, and the return of some of Jamaica’s top combat athletes, Rough Fight League Ocho is set to be an unforgettable night for MMA and kickboxing fans.
Tickets for the event can be purchased at Jacana New Kingston, Jangas Soundbar, The Life Store and Jacana Manor Park.
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