UFC Prez Dana White Goes Off on Reporter, Will Issue Apology For Anti-Gay Remark

So you know Dana White, right? The UFC president that is a little...well...emotional at times? (Of course you do. You wouldn't be reading this if you didn't.)

Well, White took umbrage with a story by Sherdog writer Loretta Hunt where she brought to light some policy changes with regard to managers and certain personnel getting backstage access for UFC and WEC events. She cited sources, didn't create an attack piece, and wrote a story that was informative overall. It's called journalism.

However, to say White didn't take it that way is a huge understatement. Here's the video from his rant and the fallout after it:

Being the head of one of the fastest-growing organizations out there includes increased scrutiny, and White has suddenly found himself under fire for his comments including the anti-gay slur and calling Hunt some unsavory names. I'm a big White fan, but this comes off very, very bad.

Can you imagine a major sports commissioner or president talking this way? No, I can't either. There's a time for furor and a time for restraint, and this felt like a forced show of bravado. Class goes a long way, being a hothead doesn't.

White had said that in a future blog, he will apologize for his anti-gay comment after getting pressure from GLAAD to do so. I'm not a big fan of saying you're sorry because other people force you to and I don't feel White is sorry at all.

Being the figurehead of a major organization has its perks and its drawbacks. If you want the fame, you have to act in a fashion that shows you're ready for it. This White video blog is a bruise, but not a black eye for the mainstream acceptance of MMA. Hopefully, there are no looming knockouts on the horizon.

Josh Nason - josh [at] ropesringandcage [dot com] - has published MMA, wrestling and boxing blog Ropes, Ring and Cage.com since 2007. He joined up with Bleacher Report in 2008 and achieved Columnist status in early-2009.