Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White has defended his company’s partnership with Bud Light, arguing that he is looking at “all the good things” that the beer brand’s parent company has done.
The reported nine-figure sponsorship will last for six years and comes after Bud Light served as the UFC’s sponsor from 2008 through 2017, according to a report from Sports Business Journal. Bud Light, along with its owner Anheuser-Busch, has dipped financially this year after it partnered with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney on social media, leading to major pushback from conservatives.
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“Going to this deal, you know, I know all the controversy and everything else, but for myself, going to a long-term deal with another sponsor, I want to be with somebody that I’m actually aligned with,” White said on Fox News’s Hannity. “And I know people were upset with what they did, but I’m looking at all the good things they do. You know, they employ 65,000 Americans. They have thousands of vets that work for them. They spent $700 million a year with U.S. farmers using their crops to make their products, and many, many, other great things that Anheuser-Busch had done in this country.”
White also said Anheuser-Busch financially helps families of first responders and soldiers of the U.S. military, stating that the company has spent “$45 million” through this avenue. As someone who is “very big into law enforcement and military,” White described himself as “very aligned” with the company.
Additionally, White clarified that money did not contribute to his decision in partnering with Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch and claimed the previous actions Anheuser-Busch has taken are why he partnered with the beer company. He also said that there are “many other things that are important to me other than just the money.”
“Like I said before, they run their business. They do their thing,” White said. “They do a lot of great things.”
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Bud Light still has not fully recovered financially since it partnered with Mulvaney, with Anheuser-Busch reporting in August a near-$400 million loss in its second quarter. Additionally, the ad firm linked to the partnership between Anheuser-Busch and Mulvaney has laid off some of its workforce.
In the wake of the Bud Light backlash, Billy Busch, the heir to Anheuser-Busch, said in August he believes his ancestors “would have rolled over in their graves” over its partnership. He also stated that if given the opportunity, he would “be the first in line to buy that brand back” if Anheuser-Busch were to sell the Bud Light brand.
