Dana White, domestic violence and the UFC's 2023
Will recent domestic violence incidents be that catalyst for all-around change for the UFC in 2023? Nah, but maybe yeah...
Holy fuck, you take a week’s holiday over New Year’s and the MMA world just proceeds to shit itself in real time like it just ate a fistful of soggy old prawns left over from Christmas.
Let’s try and make some sense of what’s been the most scathing news week for the sport - in particular the UFC - in recent memory, and take stock of where the industry leader stands as we kick off what looks to be an eventful 2023.
Above all else, the news of Phil Baroni’s arrest for the alleged murder of his girlfriend hit the MMA community like a truck. An unspeakable tragedy that no-ones family should have to endure, it’s alleged that Baroni beat his partner to death in Mexico earlier this week. It’s sadly ironic that another gut-wrenching case of domestic violence has marred a sport that's roots are based on respect and honour.
Details seem to be few and far between, but words can not express the gravity of this situation, and I offer my sincerest sympathy to the family of the woman and hope they receive some form of justice.
Baroni’s peers offered a mixed bag of reactions on social media, including condolences and anecdotes after the news broke - but what stood out most was Josh Barnett’s recent tale regarding working with the 46-year-old MMA veteran:
Does CTE excuse such a horrific crime? Ab-so-fucking-lutely not - but it’s entirely probable that such a condition contributed toward Baroni’s actions that night. As someone who watches the sport for entertainment, I can’t help but feel a sense of guilt when the reality of repeated brain trauma rears its ugly head in such a confronting way.
With domestic violence rates in MMA estimated to be more than double the U.S. national average, it begs the question - why does this professional sport (well, combat sports as a whole in truth) have such an embedded culture of domestic abuse (as evidenced in the latter half of this piece), and how much of a role does CTE play.
I guess that’s a somewhat rhetorical question. A large portion of fighters come from impoverished backgrounds, so to assume a similar portion witnessed or experienced abuse in the household doesn’t defy logic. Generational trauma could help to explain a percentage of that number. Couple that with a sport that tends to degrade brain function and one’s decision-making process and we’re left with a perfect storm. It’s now that those clouds are really fucking starting to gather.
The trickle-down effect
The same day the Baroni tragedy was unfolding, the unofficial figurehead of the sport, Dana White, found himself atop the news cycle after a now-viral video of the combat sports magnate slapping his wife (possibly twice before pushing her to the ground) was circulated by TMZ. The timing was impeccable.
Where to even fucking start with this can of worms aye? Jesus Christ.
Ariel Helwani pretty well hit the nail on the head during his unrelenting rant this week on The MMA Hour, as did Morning Kombat’s Brian Campbell in his recent piece for CBS sports; but I’ll sum up the major points.
This numpty, who’s in the midst of launching a FUCKING SLAP FIGHTING PROMOTION, thought it would be a brilliant idea to cock one back and let an open hand fly on the mother of his children in the middle of a packed nightclub.
TMZ tipped White off and gave him the chance to say his sorry’s as the video was released, but domestic violence is domestic violence, and ‘whoopsies’ won’t cut it… At least, it shouldn’t, right?
It’s unimaginable to think the president, or any high-ranking official in the NFL/NBA/MLB - pick your sports league - would not be asked, hell, told to step down in the wake of such an incident. But this isn’t any old sports league.
Since their push to keep the cash rolling in over the Covid-19 shutdown, the UFC has emerged as ESPN’s golden child. As such, any request for comment on White’s transgressions from the largest sports network in the world has been met with a resounding ‘fuck off, we’re not dealing with this bullshit,’ in the form of a redirection to the UFC itself.
Similarly, both Endeavour, the UFC’s parent company, and Disney, who owns an 80% stake in ESPN, have declined to comment on the matter. We’re nearly a week removed from the incident, and still crickets… No fuckin’ balls.
So what does this silence tell us?
It tells us that our sport isn’t as popular as we think it is. We’re not anywhere near on par with any of those aforementioned leagues (despite rapid growth), and the lack of mass public outcry is proof of that fact. The UFC, though a cash cow, isn’t worth going into damage control for - there’s no need! MMA fans will tune in by droves when the first UFC event of the year kicks off next weekend, and their bottom line will go unaffected.
It tells us that people believe domestic violence is simply what’s to be expected at the highest levels in mixed martial arts and that the only real consequences are dished out to disposable, low to mid-level athletes to make it seem like there’s a concerted effort to clean up the sport.
But most importantly it SHOWS us, in no obscured way, just how prevalent the top-down culture of domestic abuse is in mixed martial arts. The most recognisable man in combat sports just slapped his wife on video the same day an ex-UFC fighter murdered his girlfriend, and it’s business as normal by Friday.
Shit, at least TBS, the broadcast partner for the now infamous Power Slap League, delayed the debut of the series for a week. I mean it’s not much, but it’s about the most serious of consequences that White has had to endure so far… The network believes the whole mess will just blow over in an extra seven days, and that’s just fucking sad - but they’re probably right.
The real ‘problem’
What’s really troubling Dana at the moment, then? More than anything else, probably the fact that the Jake Paul-sized thorn in his side just announced his partnership? signing? I don’t know what the fuck it is officially, but the Problem Child has aligned himself with the PFL and he couldn’t have timed the announcement better. Paul will now serve as direct competition to the red-faced fight promoter, and on the same network no less.
The idea that ‘some YouTube kid’ is now affiliated with ESPN - the network White had toiled for years on end to become a part of - after just a few short years hustling his updated brand, I’d hazard, is a source of anguish for the UFC president. And the further announcement that the PFL would be offering a 50% PPV revenue share with their fighters, compared to the UFC’s 20%? Yeah, a bit of salt in the wound that was I bet.
Especially when you have respected, rising talents such as Bryce Mitchell dropping lines like this regarding his recent fight opposite Ilia Topuria, which he fought while suffering from the flu:
"I had a couple of thousand bucks in my bank account, and they told me that ‘if you don't take this fight, we’re not finding you one till February.”
When you’ve got top-15 talent with a solid following that’s just getting by on the bones of his arse, it’s not hard to imagine world-class fighters making the leap to a ‘lesser’ promotion in order to make a stable living.
Moreover, this type of practice seems like a ripe breeding ground for fuckery such as that seen in the recent Darrick Minner/James Krause fiasco. Encouraging fighters with ailments to compete in a compromised state (whether intentionally, or unintentionally by way of poor fighter pay) seems like an awfully horrible idea when you’re already embroiled in what seems to be a very serious inquiry into insider wagering.
So what’s the outlook for the UFC’s 2023? It’ll be interesting, that’s for fucking sure.
In all honesty, and it really does suck to say this, Dana White’s recent actions will be nothing more than a meme by the end of the year, an oddity bound for an MMA On Point YouTube list, but little more.
Sure he might remove himself from a couple of events early in the year, but then it’s back to business, free to not deal with the consequences of his actions. This is the way of the billionaire.
The storyline to watch, in this writer’s humble opinion, is that of the PFL’s further rise. Love or hate Jake Paul, his influence is undeniable. The former Disney star brings eyeballs wherever he goes, and fighters - even those in the UFC - have been increasingly vocal in their support for the causes Paul champions (fighter pay, healthcare, all that good shit).
Paul’s plans for an MMA Fighters Association project in conjunction with Anderson Silva have yet to bear any fruit, though the YouTube crossover star remains confident in their ability to enact change. This recent partnership may see those wheels begin to turn.
The culmination and timing of all these simultaneous stories may end up proving the most impactful factor when all is said and done.
With what looks like increasingly hostile situations in the UFC for a number of rising stars, a culture of ‘who gives a fuck’ with regard to domestic violence (a concern for women within the promotion in particular, or so one would think), and wide open doors to a somewhat equal, if not bigger opportunities elsewhere the seeds of change may have just been sown…
Or hey, maybe not…