UFC President Dana White has become a powerful figure not just in MMA but all of sports thanks to his close ties and loyalty to U.S. President Donald Trump. And much like the Commander-in-Chief, he stands by everything he says, no matter how controversial they may be.
White was recently featured in the cover story for TIME and among many things he said in the story were some rather stunning comments about mental health. The UFC boss said that people should stop talking about their mental health struggles publicly and should instead "handle it behind closed doors" and not "show that weakness to anybody." He also spoke out against the concept of "toxic masculinity," calling himself "unapologetically masculine.
“Talking about it publicly, I just feel like it opens the door to make young men think that it’s OK to just f**king go, ‘Oh, I’m having mental [health issues] (White says in a whiny voice),’” he said. “Handle it behind closed doors. Don’t show that weakness to anybody... I am unapologetically masculine. What is toxic masculinity? Who has it? Who’s too masculine?”
White vs. Mental Health?
A lot of fans on X were put off by White's remarks, saying that statements like that do more harm than good and cause others to fail to seek help at all when they don't feel they can speak publicly.
"One of his biggest up-and-coming talents says the exact opposite. 100 men per day in the U.S. take their own lives. Looking 'weak' is an insane way to put it. It takes tremendous strength to talk about these issues, mostly because people like Dana say you shouldn’t," one user wrote on X.
"This is more damaging than ANY political opinion Dana White has or any politicized mma on the White House lawn. This is a pathology that kills and pushing a stigma/silence that causes people to see killing themselves as a legit option. Maybe Dana White should NEVER talk about his opinions of mental health struggles. He may save a few lives that way. 'Man up' isn't wonderful therapy for a sick person; and mental illness is real illness, no matter what the (expletive) Dana thinks," wrote another.
"I understand being selective of who you share your fears with, but this idea of 'bottle it up, being a man' is why so many men drown themselves in alcohol, sex, work, and sometimes eat the business end of a gun. I'd much a man talk to someone than hurt himself or worse," a third wrote.
© Aaron Meullion-Imagn Images
Other fans dismissed White outright for his own personal issues and believe that he has no business trying to give anyone life advice.
However, another contingent of fans asserted that White was only saying that people shouldn't specifically look to the general public for help with their mental health issues and should instead try to handle it with others that can help them privately, which is a more reasonable take.
But White won't be backtracking on anything he said in that story anytime soon.
