UFC president Dana White issued an apology Monday after getting into a physical altercation with his wife during their New Year’s Eve celebration in Cabo, Mexico.
Video obtained by TMZ shows White, 53, having a conversation with his wife, Anne, in the VIP section of El Squid Roe, a nightclub in Cabo. At one point, Dana White leaned over to say something to Anne White, who then slapped him in the face. Dana White slapped her back before the two were separated.
“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 told the outlet. “My wife and I have been married for almost 30 years. We’ve known each other since we were 12 years… 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. 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.
“I’m literally making no excuses for this thing at all. It’s never happened before. It’s the first time it’s ever happened. People are going to say what they’re going to say and it is what is. Whatever people say is deserved. I deserve it.”
Anne White Comments on Physical Altercation With Husband Dana White
The couple married in 1996 and share two sons and one daughter. Anne White provided a separate statement to TMZ, calling her husband’s actions “out of character.”
“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. I just hope people will respect our privacy for the sake of our kids.”
