ESPN’s response to Dana White slapping his wife falls short

On Monday, TMZ released a video of UFC president Dana White slapping his wife, Anne, while the couple was out on New Year’s Eve…

By: Trent Reinsmith | 9 months ago
ESPN’s response to Dana White slapping his wife falls short
Bloody Elbow 2.0 | Anton Tabuena

On Monday, TMZ released a video of UFC president Dana White slapping his wife, Anne, while the couple was out on New Year’s Eve in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. TMZ also released an interview where White spoke about the incident. While White had something to say, the UFC, Endeavor and TBS, who will broadcast White’s Power Slap events, have all been silent.

As for the UFC’s broadcast partner ESPN, it offered a statement to Bloody Elbow that left a lot to be desired.

When asked for comment ESPN, who is reportedly in its final year of a broadcasting partnership deal with the UFC, told Bloody Elbow they simply handle “distribution” of UFC content.

“UFC comms can best help you on your inquiry. Reminder: ESPN does the distribution and UFC produces the content,” ESPN responded via email.

The UFC, Endeavor, and TBS did not respond to our request for comment.

As for White, he told TMZ, “There was definitely a lot of alcohol involved, but that’s no excuse. I am making no excuses for this at all. It’s never happened before. It was the first time. I don’t know why it happened. My wife and I apologized to each other. We apologized to our kids.”

In 2014, in the aftermath of then-Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice assaulting his then-fiancée, White said, “There’s one thing that you never bounce back from and that’s putting your hands on a woman. Been that way in the UFC since we started here. You don’t bounce back from putting your hands on a woman.”

Support for survivors of domestic violence can be found from the following organizations:

If you or someone you know needs help regarding alcohol abuse, support can be found at the following sources:

USA – The Recovery Village – 833 554 1487

Canada – Wellness Together – 1-866-585-0445

UK – Drinkline – 0300 123 1110

Support for survivors of domestic violence can be found from the following organizations:

USA – The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

Canada – DAWN-RAFH Canada

UK and Ireland – Women’s Aid: 0808-2000-247

Rest of the World – HotPeachPages

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About the author
Trent Reinsmith
Trent Reinsmith

Trent Reinsmith is a freelance writer based out of Baltimore, MD. He has been covering sports for more than 15 years, with a focus on MMA for most of that time. Trent focuses on the day-to-day business of MMA — both inside and outside the cage — for Bloody Elbow.

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