UFC's Dana White Apologizes for Slapping Wife at Nightclub on New Year's Eve: 'There's No Excuse'

Jason Duaine Hahn
·3 min read
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Dana White interacts with media during the UFC 282 Media Day at UFC Apex on December 8, 2022, in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.
Dana White interacts with media during the UFC 282 Media Day at UFC Apex on December 8, 2022, in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.
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Dana White slapped his wife during a physical altercation on New Year's Eve, he confirmed to TMZ after the outlet obtained footage of the incident.

The longtime UFC president and his wife, Anne, were visiting a nightclub in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on Dec. 31 when the altercation occurred.

In footage published by TMZ, Anne is seen slapping Dana after he leans in to say something. Moments later, Dana is seen slapping her back before attempting to slap her once more. People near the couple helped to separate them.

Dana and Anne told TMZ that they had been drinking heavily before the incident. UFC did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

"You've heard me say over the years, 'There is never, ever an excuse for a guy to put his hands on a woman,' and now here I am on TMZ talking about it," White, 53, told the outlet. "My wife and I have been married for almost 30 years. We've known each other since we were 12 years old. We've obviously been through some s— together. We've got three kids."

"This is one of those situations that's horrible, I'm embarrassed — but it's also one of those situations that right now we're more concerned about our kids," he continued. "We have three kids and obviously since the video popped up, we've shown the kids the video, and we're more focused on our family right now."

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Dana and Anne White during Rande Gerber's Reopening of Whiskey Sky at Whiskey Sky in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.
Dana and Anne White during Rande Gerber's Reopening of Whiskey Sky at Whiskey Sky in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.

Denise Truscello/WireImage

Dana maintained that the altercation was the "first time it's ever happened."

"I'm literally making no excuses for this thing at all. It's never happened before," he said.

"People are going to say what they're going to say and it is what is," Dana continued. "Whatever people say is deserved. I deserve it."

In a separate statement to TMZ, Anne said, "things got out of control, on both sides."

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"Dana and I have been married for almost 30 years," she said. "To say this is out of character for him is an understatement. Nothing like this has ever happened before. Unfortunately, we were both drinking too much on New Year's Eve and things got out of control, on both sides."

"We've talked this through as a family and apologized to each other," Anne continued. "I just hope people will respect our privacy for the sake of our kids."

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In 2014, White said you "don't bounce back from putting your hands on a woman," after NFL player Ray Rice allegedly assaulted his fiance, according to The Guardian.

Endeavor, UFC's parent company, saw its shares fall more than 7 percent after news of the altercation was published, per CNBC.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.