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UFC CEO Dana White has struck back at criticism and explained why the Bud Light partnership benefits all parties involved.
The UFC recently inked a lucrative multi-year sponsorship agreement, reportedly exceeding $100 million, with the American beverage powerhouse.
The renewed sponsorship with the UFC marks Bud Light's comeback as a major sponsor after a hiatus that began in 2019 when Modelo took over, a role it previously held over 15 years ago. However, come January 2024, the Anheuser-Busch-owned brand will once again play a pivotal role in the partnership.
The UFC-Bud Light deal announcement was timely, coinciding with the beverage company drawing increased public disapproval earlier this year for partnering with trans activist and social media personality Dylan Mulvaney in their marketing efforts.
The controversial move prompted a significant backlash from individuals holding conservative political views, leading to widespread pledges to boycott Bud Light and resulting in substantial financial repercussions for Anheuser-Busch.
During his recent appearance on Bussin' With The Boys, Dana White firmly justified his decision to collaborate with the contentious beer brand:
"So if I have made the decision to go with Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light there's a damn good fu*king reason. I know the inner workings of the beer business better than any of these guys out these fans and all this sh*t. They went after Anheuser-Busch for being woke and doing what they did."
He added:
"I think that you know obviously, I've laid out all the reasons why I'm way more aligned with Anheuser-Busch than any other beer company out there, and for those of you that haven't heard 65,000 Americans are employed by Anheuser-Busch and a lot of them are vets [military veterans] that alone should be enough reason. Number two they spend almost a billion dollars a year with US farmers, that should be a fu*king reason you do it."
Check out Dana White's comments below (from 2:08:03):
Dana White opens up about slapping his wife
Dana White recently addressed his New Year's Eve controversy, stressing the importance of accountability and personal growth amid the fallout. The UFC CEO's public apology followed a filmed altercation with his wife in a Mexican club on December 31, 2022, drawing intense public criticism. Despite expressing remorse, White faced weeks of social media backlash for the incident.
During the aforementioned podcast, White reminisced about navigating through the aftermath of the incident:
"My New Year's Eve incident, fu*king did it. Fu*king happened. No excuses. I could've tried to make up ten excuses, but there's no fu*king excuse... At the end of the day, you have to live with you... You have to know who you are, and you have to be able to live with yourself. I have three fu*king kids that I love more than anything, and I embarrassed them last New Year's Eve. I embarrassed me, and I embarrassed my kids."
Check out White's comments below (1:34:50):
