As the president of the UFC, Dana White is one of the most powerful men in sports, and he has not been afraid of controversy in his illustrious career. Most notably, in recent years, he's drawn accolades from President Donald Trump for being a friend and ally in a time when corporate pressures have created an environment where saying anything positive about Trump can get a person canceled. Now, White is taking on the stationary bike company Peloton on behalf of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Comedian and podcaster Theo Von revealed in his interview with White that Peloton had pulled out of an ad deal with him in 2021 because he interviewed RFK Jr. The company told him "brand safety guidelines" prevented them from supporting political content. These brand advertising guidelines have become increasingly demanding for podcasts and websites over the last few years, as cancel culture has peaked with people organizing boycotts for even the loosest associations. In this case, Peloton seems to be more frightened by RFK's questioning of the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines and trying to ensure interviewers aren't rewarded for amplifying his message.
Like most corporate entities, Peloton is completely hypocritical regarding "political content." In 2020, the brand heavily featured and endorsed the Black Lives Matter organization, citing they are committed "to fighting for racial justice and equity."
White responded to the information on Peloton with a strong reaction, saying, "Peloton sells stationary bikes, and they've got a problem with Robert F*****g Kennedy? F**k you, Peloton."
Over the next several minutes of the show, the podcast host and White went on to mock Peloton and its CEO, Barry McCarthy, savaging the company and branding them as weak. White took a step further and said if Peloton was going to cancel the podcaster over RFK, he would cancel Peloton in turn. "We're getting rid of the Pelotons," White told Von. "Pelotons are out of the gym.
White has been in the news lately for standing up to advertisers trying to strongarm him over politics. Earlier this year, White revealed an advertiser hadthreatened the UFC for a pro-Trump video White posted online. He had a similar reaction to that he had with Peloton. "I posted a video for Trump on my personal social media," White said. "One of our big sponsors called and said, 'Take that down.' You know what I said? Go f**k yourself."
Related: Vivek Ramaswamy Humiliates Chris Cuomo, Who Admits He Covered For His Brother
In the Von interview, the comedian also talked to White about Bud Light sponsoring the UFC, and the president of the fighting organization wouldn't back down from that partnership, either. He minimized the controversy over Bud Light hiring trans-activist Dylan Mulvaney, going so far as to have the social media influencer's picture on their cans. "Bud Light is the right move for me," White said. "They're exactly who I want to be with right now."
White will stand by his friends and those who support him regardless of the popularity of his decisions, which is refreshing to see in today's cancel culture age where people disavow each other over the slightest disagreements. To have freedom of speech and truly free and fair elections, people like Dana White need to be able to vocalize their support without fear of mobs bringing down their livelihoods.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member