UFC President Dana White expressed his firm opposition to coronavirus vaccine mandates on November 5, 2021. In an interview with Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, he proclaimed that America is a “free country” and that fighters under the UFC banner have the right to choose whether they receive vaccinations.
“My fighters can get vaccinated or not,” White said to Kilmeade.
White believes Americans should have medical autonomy. “I believe as an American, that’s your choice. If you want to get vaccinated — your body. This is a free country. You do what you want,” he stated.
Despite White’s pro-vaccine choice message, the UFC held an event, UFC 268, in New York City’s Madison Square Garden — a state that mandates vaccinations for performers, athletes, and fans alike.
White stood his ground when questioned about New York’s mandatory vaccine status and said that there will be multiple other UFC events that fans can attend elsewhere.
“If you’re vaccinated and you want to come to the event, you can come to the event in New York. If you’re not, we’re gonna be putting on 44 events around the country, you can go to one of those shows,” White remarked.
White spoke about how his fighting promotion has stood against COVID lockdowns and noted that his employees and fighters didn’t lose their livelihoods when other businesses closed shop and cut workers during the pandemic.
“I’m an American. We take things head-on. We figure out solutions to problems,” he said to Kilmeade. “Through the pandemic, I wasn’t going to sit around and wait for the government to take care of me or my people. My intention was to take care of my people,” White continued.
White also called out the “crazy liberals” who were vocal on social media following the Democratic Party’s high-profile loss in Virginia.
“I think you see the tide starting to turn now,” White observed. “I even see some people on the crazy liberal side now saying ‘whoa, what are we doing here?’ … I think people just want some normalcy again. You’re seeing it in Virginia.”
UFC 268 concluded with welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and strawweight champion Rose Namajunas retaining their championship belts.
The next UFC pay-per-view event, UFC 269, is slated for December 11, 2021, in Paradise, Nevada. Lightweight champion Charles Oliveira will face off against top contender Dustin Poirier in the main event. Women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes will defend her belt against Julianna Peña in the co-main event.
