Dana White on Pride Nights: The UFC Stays in Its Lane

When Outkick’s Tomi Lahren asked UFC President Dana White why the promotion doesn’t hold Pride Nights like the NBA, NHL, and MLB do, White’s answer cut straight to his philosophy: the UFC is in the fighting business, not the activism business—and he’s sticking to it.

White made clear he has no beef with LGBTQ+ athletes in the sport.“I don’t give a s***. I don’t care what you are, who you are, what you do,”he said during the interview, noting that he assumes some of the UFC’s top 15 fighters are gay, and that he knows the promotion has openly gay female fighters. For White, an athlete’s identity is simply not relevant to their performance in the octagon.

But here’s where his logic diverges from other major sports leagues: White sees the UFC’s mission as fundamentally different.“I’m in the fight business, so it’s a little different. Baseball is like America’s Game. I stay in my lane, man,”he explained. It’s a straightforward argument—the UFC exists to showcase combat sport, and White isn’t interested in layering cultural or political messaging on top of that core mission.

White also doubled down on his commitment to free speech, even when it creates headaches for him personally. He cited UFC fighter Josh Hokit, who recently made headlines for saying something“absolutely stupid”about Michelle Obama. White clearly wasn’t thrilled about the controversy, but he defended his roster’s right to speak freely, even when their words contradict his own stated goal of“trying to unify the country.”As White put it, there are“a lot of things that some of my guys say that I don’t love,”but he lets them do their thing anyway.

The bottom line? Everyone’s welcome in the UFC—just don’t expect the organization to celebrate it with a themed event night. For White, the cage is the great equalizer, and that’s where the focus stays. Love it or hate it, it’s a distinctly different approach from how other major sports handle inclusion.