A large advocacy group out of California has begun to put pressure on Endeavor to remove Dana White as UFC president in a letter addressed to Ari Emanuel CEO of the UFC’s parent company.
The letter, available here, calls for the removal of White as the president of the UFC.
A video showing White, 53, slapping his wife at a nightclub in Cabo, San Lucas, Mexico surfaced last week.
“Given Mr. White’s previous remarks against domestic partner violence, we believed that
Endeavor and the U.F.C. shared this commitment to safety, respect, and accountability.
You yourself have written extensively about the need to speak out and act when we see
things that are not in line with our values,” the letter reads.
The video shows White and his wife, Anne, in a short altercation where she slaps White who then slaps her back before people in their group separated them.
“And yet, we have seen the video of U.F.C. President Dana White, where he strikes his wife
at a New Year’s Eve celebration with a closed fist. We were appalled. It was alarming to
say the least,” the letter continues.
The letter then takes aim at Emanuel quoting the Endeavor CEO.
“In the days since the video was released, you have remained silent. Your continued
silence speaks volumes. As you once wrote: “Silence and inaction are not an option.””
“The head of a major sporting organization cannot claim to be for the safety of women while a video of him striking his wife continues to circulate online without a response from you. The hypocrisy is astounding. Enough is enough.“
“It is time to remove Mr. White from his leadership role, to allow him and his partner to get the help they need while reminding the world of what Endeavor stands for and that violence against women is not a conduct that you condone,” the letter ends.
Endeavor has so far declined to comment. The UFC’s broadcast partner, ESPN, have also declined to comment even while some of their programs, and some writers, have spoken on the topic.
