The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Hour 1: Dana White and the UFC

Episode Date: February 12, 2025

Once the Title IX Twins are done with the self-congratulating, Dan threatens the audience AGAIN. Then, can you pass up Valentine's Day for a boys trip? Plus, Dan, Mike, and Tony lead our conversation ...on Dana White's criticism of Australian media, the lack of suspension for Bryce Mitchell, and the inconsistencies in White's "free speech absolutism." But no matter what we discuss, we know one thing: Mike Ryan made the best point. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 You're listening to Giraffe King's Network. Ever since switching to T-Mobile, something weird has been happening. I get to cut lines. Oh, right this way. Who, me? I can stream shows at 30,000 feet. And I was able to buy reserve tickets for my favorite band. It's not just you.
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Starting point is 00:01:13 I'm sorry that I am delayed or I've kept the live audience waiting here. I was too busy watching the Title IX twins over there salute each other for how good they were last segment. It's just gross. I think I had the best line. No no no I thought my line. I had the best point. I made the best point. Oh my god. I want to make it abundantly clear Mike had the best point. That's always the answer. The answer is always Mike. Good job buddy you. Yes you're welcome. The two of them like slapping each other on the back so hard It's a progressive off. Yeah allies. I made the best point is something I've never heard
Starting point is 00:01:57 Actually, I could make that point even better because like soccer we've been trying for decades to get to have liftoff in this country But guess what who's actually had success there Oh the old title Niners I just pray to God that we get this all settled and you know When she gets it settled will all be in a much better place go off King God's a woman Mike you gave that to him, right? Yeah Allies baby, okay, so God's a woman. Oh. Mike, you gave that to him, right? Yeah, it's a good trick. He's an ally. Allies, baby. Okay, so congratulations, gentlemen, on discussing.
Starting point is 00:02:30 No lies, just allies. Women's sports. Eh, I noticed that you guys were on the sidelines. Didn't like that. We were watching you. We were watching you guys work. I wasn't letting you talk. You guys were so pleased with the points
Starting point is 00:02:43 that you were making, I wanted to get the top five kisses. Look at that. A good point that did nothing but turn our audience against us. I've been making those all our life. Those great points by Jeremy and Mike last segment were brought to you by Venmo. Wow. Well, since we're doing sponsorship now and we made the mistakes of Cross sponsoring some things in the last segment I do want to say something on behalf of 1-800 flowers a sponsor that has come with us
Starting point is 00:03:11 I have over the years when I worked for the man threatened you threatened you if you don't buy 1-800 flowers But I now want to show gratitude for both the sponsors who come with us everywhere and make us stugots in a very, very difficult media time. Like the number one billing thing in the sports podcast space and the podcast space is tough. It's because a whole bunch of people when we left the ESPN rallied behind us and sponsored that our audience is the most loyal. So now I'm asking our audience to show 1-800-FLOWERS what they paid for. Like I'm asking our audience, hey, this is pretty easy. Pick up the phone or get on the internet and just send someone you care about, FLOWERS, and support the sponsor that supports us so that 1-800-FLOWERS may get a loving gesture
Starting point is 00:03:55 from our audience that has been threatening in the past by me. But if you don't do well today, I'm going to go to the home of old people you care about and put Legos on the floor. Oh, wow. Thanks. Well said, Dan. 1-800-Flowers has been with us for years. We love them.
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Starting point is 00:04:32 They try to avoid the Legos, they fall. We all know how tender the hip is at that age. That's the point, yes. Don't make it come to that. Just buy the flowers, show 1-800-Flowers, show them that you, our audience, when we ask you to spend some money, continues to support us in all the good places.
Starting point is 00:04:48 But I will escalate this to threats tomorrow before Valentine's Day if today you don't do it well. Any big plans? I have learned, I have learned that this is an important thing to celebrate my wife's love as many times as I possibly can whenever I can.
Starting point is 00:05:07 This is a big day, yes. You can celebrate your love too. My wife's love is an interesting way to put that one. My wife's love of romance. My wife's love of celebrating our love. It's your love for her, it's her love for you. I've had to be taught. I've had to do it on the day,
Starting point is 00:05:24 it's really important that you do it on the day. It's very important that her, it's her love for you. I've had to be taught. No, I've had to be taught. Do it on the day. It's really important that you do it on the day. Yeah. It's very important that I do it every day. Wow. Well, but it feels more so. That will go away. Yeah, this day is important. Dedicated.
Starting point is 00:05:32 Yeah. I mean, what do you? Have you explained that the menu options are a little bit more limited and there's more crowds? That if you just wait or do it ahead of time, that could be your Valentine's Day, sweetie. We can all enjoy it much more. Have you done that? Have you tried having that? Have you tried a guy's strip? sweetie. And we can all enjoy it much more. Have you done that?
Starting point is 00:05:45 Have you tried having that? We tried a guy strip. No, we're going to Canada. Sorry, honey. Sorry, Four Nations just comes once. Gonna get that poutine, eh? You two are going together? Yeah, yeah, we're growing out.
Starting point is 00:06:00 Yeah, we're going up to the Four Nations tomorrow. You guys got the okay from your collective wives to go out of the country on Valentine's Day? Yeah, Valentine's Day is just a day on a calendar. Valentine's Day is something that I never celebrate on Valentine's Day. If you do so, you're doing it wrong. Sorry, Dan.
Starting point is 00:06:15 I'm very resolute in this opinion. You get the worst service. You get the worst menu items. You get packed crowds. You do it on either the week after or the week before. You have a much better experience, and you celebrate a Valentine's Day. You give roses. You do all the traditional stuff. You just don't do it on either the week after or the week before, you have a much better experience and you celebrate it on it. You give roses, you do all the traditional stuff,
Starting point is 00:06:28 you just don't do it on the day. Mike is right about this. I mean, you have to show your wife that you love her 364 days out of the year. Not on Valentine's Day though. Because everyone is doing the thing on Valentine's Day. Why compete with everyone when you can have your own day to yourself, you know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 00:06:43 And if that day is spent watching Finland, Sweden, and then take a little break, catch up with the spittin' Chicklets boys, and then watch USA Canada in what might now be a geopolitical storm, then you do so. Mike is doing this because he's an ally. Does Roy ever put down his hockey in the name of romance?
Starting point is 00:07:01 Generally, I try, unless of course it's a home game, and then I have to go out and come in a game. I imagine Roy has a hockey stick in the bedroom. It's in the office, actually. It's in his pants. So Valentine's Day is on Friday? It's on Friday. That's the day after emo goth night?
Starting point is 00:07:18 No, so that is emo goth night. Emos versus goths. You have to pick a side. So we're going to go for a big steak dinner. We have a big steak dinner in Montreal, Gibbies. And then the eight of us are gonna walk a mile in sub-zero temperatures and go to Emos versus Goths. I'm team Goths.
Starting point is 00:07:34 It's nine degrees right now there. It's in his pants. The stick. Oddly shaped. It's saw commercial for that actually during the superboy think it's called for a day yeah guys about that the rare disease it sounds like a delicious pasta about that he's been telling you about that he's been trying to get ahead of the curve. He was telling you guys. Quite literally.
Starting point is 00:08:06 This is Peroni served al dente. Carrot. Excellent work by you, Stugatz, always. Video team, I don't know how these things happen. It's confusing to me, but thank you for finally putting up in the corner of the screen that tremendous video that I'd like to be doing things like that more often because I don't believe things like that are real.
Starting point is 00:08:28 And I want four people falling down at the gym because one person was on a treadmill. My guess is that I could watch videos like that the rest of my life and die happy. If you just put me on an endless loop of viral videos of people falling down on a treadmill at the gym. Where, where? That was a C block on High-block on highly questionable rode it to great success. I know but it died That guy got hitting the balls. Oh
Starting point is 00:08:53 It was either that or the handshake was my greatest legacy trying to bring Journalism to ESPN yes, my father's fake handshake or yes that guy got hit in the balls. That was always funny though Did you guys pitch the hey you got something on your shirt look down Oh got your nose Yeah, they tried that at the beginning and it didn't work. What do you guys think about Gaza? Dan's laughing at both men and women in this video because he is an ally you guys The title nine twins have not spoken up. I don't love that. I do.
Starting point is 00:09:29 I love Title IX. Why wouldn't you like being the Title IX twins? What's wrong with that? All right. I guess it is what it is. You're allies. Yeah, what's wrong with that? What's wrong with that?
Starting point is 00:09:40 Now you put yourself in quite the pickle. You know what, I love it. The Title IX twins put it on a t-shirt, me and Mike standing next to each other, back to back, just sort of like Charlie's Angels style. But why are you walking it back? I don't understand. Why are you... what just happened? Because it feels like we're making fun of Title IX, Dan. No, just making fun of you.
Starting point is 00:09:58 Now we've just become the Chive Channel. We can only make fun of allies. With less boobs what we have happening let's play this sound here of Dana White this this is a thing that works now okay well because from title nine twins I want to get more woke talk out there because walk one of the things that is happening that has been fascinating to watch is the watch mix martial arts going from signing deals in an alley to climbing to the greatest halls of power where you can slap your wife in public there are no consequences
Starting point is 00:10:41 you just keep big upping the deal it It's the streaming age. You were able successfully to grow your business during a pandemic in a way that was aggressive and politically astute and brave to keep your business running successfully, testing parameters, because you have been for a long time a renegade business rewarded for being that renegade and now you are mainstream. You are working with Disney. You have all the major corporate sponsors. John McCain is dead. He no longer calls it cockfighting.
Starting point is 00:11:15 You are. All we're missing is for Tito Brothers. Yeah. Yeah. Jimmy Pitaro silent come on Quick as ever couldn't even get out McCain. I didn't like I'm a human cock Human what we can just go into the UFC. We don't need to give the history out at every time. The reason I'm giving the history is because now Dana White is more powerful than he's ever been.
Starting point is 00:11:52 And that's a little more dangerous than it felt before when he was just the carnival barker. And he wasn't leading a sport that the roots of it, and this is one of the reasons I want to give the history because I don't think that maybe the majority of the audience knows just how extraordinary Joe Rogan has been for that sport as someone who really cares about it when he doesn't care about sports and expertly calls it in a way that has grown the sport and its audience in a way that now
Starting point is 00:12:26 there's a seismic country climate shift on feo vons getting to the mma rink four hours early for the prelims because that sides winning those things are winning in this country and the hood ornament now is dana white being right between elon musk and don Donald Trump wherever all the power goes and
Starting point is 00:12:47 He's doing it after slapping his wife in public more powerful than he's ever been I think the UFC the cult the Rogan culture all of that was certainly spearheading the societal shift that is very clearly happening We see big tech companies Bend the knee and when it comes to some of these things, everybody in power has just collectively decided what we were doing a few years ago, or we were actually listening to people that we've offended or want to be inclusive, we're going to walk all that stuff back. And that's fine. Look, the UFC previous years and incarnations would find, suspend even firefighters for things that they said.
Starting point is 00:13:26 And Dana White has actually been quite eloquent when there was transphobia in his sport before, but as a part of this shift that he kind of was at the forefront of, he's gone away from that. You had an MMA fighter, appear to be a Nazi sympathizer, and that's at the very least in Bryce Mitchell. And Dana White was good in criticizing those comments. He was very stern in opposition against them,
Starting point is 00:13:51 but he didn't actually take any punitive measure against Bryce Mitchell. And look, we've gone viral before talking about Sean Strickland. I'm not a fan. I think it's repulsive and all that other stuff. But Dana White champions Sean Strickland's ability to say these things just like he did with Bryce Mitchell.
Starting point is 00:14:10 This is very much a free speech absolutist, it would appear. However, I'm a little confused by the mixed messaging because Dana White has all sorts of opinions when people have opinions about him. It's almost as if everybody else in the UFC is entitled to use their right to free speech, but if you use it against the UFC, then he's got a problem with it. So I think with this UFC fight in Australia, Sean Strickland did draw first blood. He's very combative in these press conferences. It's how he's that in his fighting ability have elevated him to a headliner but Tony he had a go at Australia and their more progressive laws and Australia didn't come out really against him they
Starting point is 00:14:53 just kind of fired back I think the thing to think with Sean Strickland is this right like it's actually much quieter than last time around that what we had when he was fighting drink is duplicity the first time right like when all this stuff when he Was like champ when people figured out oh wait a second Sean Strickland is an absolute crazy person and says things that People don't say into microphones now a year later He's doing the same thing in a different continent on a different side of the globe that really didn't reach back to America So it was a lot of Australian media that was coming out saying please knock this guy out. Now I think the caveat that we wanna add here is yes,
Starting point is 00:15:28 Dana White was having a go at the Australian media, but the headline and the front page was making kind of backtrack to Dana being on a podcast with the Australian Prime Minister in which the opinion piece of the writer was saying that he was made sick of Dana White and the prime minister, the premier is what they call it over there, being on a podcast together. So I think Dana was calling them the P word in regards to how do you feel like legitimately
Starting point is 00:15:58 sick that I'm on a podcast with the prime minister. I think that's kind of where the disconnect is. This is the leader of a major sport here in the US, akin to Roger Goodell in the NFL, only this guy has political influence in ways that Roger Goodell doesn't even have. And hell, he's now on the board of Metta. Dana White has legitimate, huge power. Really powerful dude in the world of sports and politics because he kind of helped normalize Donald Trump's resurgence back in one of the great comeback stories in American politics. Donald Trump was steadfast in making sure
Starting point is 00:16:29 it was a normal scene to see Donald Trump amongst the people after even Coca-Cola came out against him on January 6th. But what I am at a loss for is how sensitive, because the right had a word for this, whenever the left was offended by something easily. They would call them snowflakes. Why is this dude such a snowflake about criticism he is welcoming? If you are indeed a free speech absolutist then maybe, just maybe, take a beat and don't call the media p***.
Starting point is 00:16:59 Number one that's not professional. Number two that's that that's how you get down that's fine but you come across soft in my opinion, that's not professional. Number two, that's how you get down, that's fine. But you come across soft, in my opinion, when that's immediately what you go to, when you're welcoming this, they're selling your fight, bro. You have Sean Strickland there to create those headlines. Headlines are a good thing in your business. They give you those headlines. F***.
Starting point is 00:17:19 Snowflake. Let's play that sound, please, for the audience so that Dana White can be heard and how this is how he Reacts to the media, but this this you do understand. This is a winning position to attack the media It's the easiest thing Dana White has no use for your journalism He ran a journalist Ariel Hawani out of all of the places that Arielwani dares to ask difficult questions of important people. He has no use for our journalism. Tony does a great job with the MMA Hangout. A great job.
Starting point is 00:17:53 It does really well. We love the UFC and as uncomfortable as it is, even though a bunch of people who all who didn't want Colin Kaepernick kneeling because they didn't want politics and sports, and yet I see an entire card get hijacked by a victory party by Donald Trump and his cronies, I still watch UFC, I think they have a terrific product. I would like for them to practice what they preached several years ago in keeping the politics somewhat out of it.
Starting point is 00:18:20 I know some of that stuff is unavoidable, but I am just a little shocked that when you buck back against it, you either limit media availability like they have with us, or you just straight up call them the P word. It seems a little snowflakey. Let's play that sound, please. Listen, for a place that is so tough,
Starting point is 00:18:38 and the people, everything on land and the water can kill you, you have the biggest I've ever seen in the media in my life. I saw a story where a guy was like, I saw Dana do a podcast with the premier and it physically made me sick. Holy you guys have to have the biggest of all time in the media here.
Starting point is 00:19:01 There's a lot of tough talk from this guy and he always does that like whiny voice. Like, look, I told you in as many voices I can muster, not a fan of all of that. You do it. I watch anyways. We move on. I use my pulpit to say how I feel. You take great offense and try to limit my ability to do that. That doesn't actually feel like free speech. Not one bit.
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Starting point is 00:23:21 what doesn't also feel like tough but I suspect that Dana White and I probably define tough differently, right? Like I think that where he lives, tough is you go looking for the fight and I can beat you up with my hands, but you will not criticize me, I will overpower you. And then you slap your wife in a nightclub, because you're tough. And we watch. I mean that's part of the problem, right? It's not part of the problem. Violent sells in this country and he's got a monster business and he's accruing power and there haven't been any
Starting point is 00:23:50 consequence other than reward for the accruing of that power like it It's just more and more and more power and then you get to a place where the money and power becomes so important to people that Elon Musk and and Trump are just walking around next to each other because the people, they all look the same, they all have the same belief system and they all believe in the idea as Dana White got to his riches, yeah, the minorities and whatever's happening with their bodies, we're going to keep their pay way down and that's how I'm going to get to be the guy that's drunk in Las Vegas spilling millions of dollars in chips all over the place when I'm partying because I've got the labor locked in
Starting point is 00:24:26 and I figured out sports and how to do all the injustices and hey, look, now I've got a media partner and I'm teaming up with everybody because I'm mainstream because John McCain is dead and it's cop-fighting. Bingo, let's go! I got it, I think you made it a little bit about more of what I was talking about.
Starting point is 00:24:41 I just want the guy that talks tough, that is a free speech absolutist, to not limit the free speech of other people and not call people the P word and act somewhat reasonably. Look, people have to- Mike, you're asking the most inconsistent people on the planet to be consistent. They've already shown that they don't have to cave
Starting point is 00:24:57 to perceived societal norms, moving on with their careers, surviving scandals that other people wouldn't, Roger Goodell wouldn't be able to survive the scandal that Dana White went through. That's all said and done. The fighter pay, all that other stuff. Dana White is a cult of personality and it's kind of in line with MMA.
Starting point is 00:25:17 I just don't understand why this dude is so easily offended. Okay, but again, when we talk about the different definitions for tough, right, I would never say that Str is not tough but a whole lot of fighters today are saying some stuff about how strictly was in that fight not showing a lot of respect to strictly on a night when a whole lot of people were watching strictly at least in part because many agree with all of the things that he says
Starting point is 00:25:41 that are racist and uh... and Strickland is is out there but on top of that enjoyed watching him get his nose broken like enjoyed having having the pleasure of watching a fight and someone you're rooting against is now their face is just really bloodied because their nose has been busted open. I think the tough part too about Strickland is he was always kind of like a journeyman guy and then had that moment Where he bit beat Israel Adesanya in an overwhelming fashion might be done who is could this cook? So that's another story for another day But he's gonna start working with Alex Paredes and also we'll see what happens there
Starting point is 00:26:16 But we can all see or we've all seen every if you follow the sport the the video and the visual of Sean Strickland Basically yelling at Izzy Adesanya like that's it That's all you got got. And at that point, he kind of took off, went on Rogan, talked about his childhood. There was like a bit of, okay, wait a second, there's a start turn here for Shawn Strickland. And then everybody realized, so wait a second, he's a crazy person. Now the issue that people are having now is these guys are warriors, right? These guys put their body, their life, everything on the line when you walk into that octagon.
Starting point is 00:26:42 A lot of fighters, a lot of coaches were looking at Shawn's performance over the weekend and they were like, hey, this is a great guy. These guys are warriors, right? These guys put their body, their life, everything on the line when you walk into that octagon. A lot of fighters, a lot of coaches were looking at Sean's performance over the weekend and being like, yeah, you broke your nose. That happens every fight. You keep fighting, you keep pushing. It looked like he was kind of taking his foot off the gas a little bit saying, all right, I can't beat Drikus on the floor. I can't beat him standing up because I can't get him, right? What do I do? I'm just gonna try and throw haymakers and hope something lands.
Starting point is 00:27:08 And Dana kind of knew this headed into the fight. It's the last time that he's gonna be headlining a card of a pay-per-view for sure. He said it wasn't the woke mob that was most powerful in terms of getting this guy off the card. Dana White said himself, I have my concerns about this guy because of his style of fighting.
Starting point is 00:27:24 And now that we've seen what's happened out of Sonia since, like, maybe there was a bit of fool's gold when it came to Shawn Strickland. DDP has dominated him and totally controlled him. And now, not Diamond Dallas Page. But it seems as though that arrow is pointing way, way down for Shawn Strickland. That's fine. There's always going to be another Shawn Strickland. There might be another Bryce Mitchell for all I know. And that's cool. I've grown accustomed to this. It's not cool. There might be another Bryce Mitchell for all I know. And that's cool. I've, I've grown accustomed to this. It's not cool, but it is what it is with that sport. Their corporate partner in ESPN dead silent, dead silent. You, you, you.
Starting point is 00:27:54 It's not cool, Mike. It's not on Disney plus. You can get paper views. All of this being all of this thing, all of these things being laundered is not cool. It's not cool and you should have the right to have a rebuttal and we should have a civil discussion on this only Dana White doesn't take opposition as civil. He goes on the offensive and he tries to bury you if you disagree with his MO. And to me, that just doesn't mesh with the public persona. I can add just a bit of context when you say
Starting point is 00:28:32 it doesn't mesh with the public persona. It would if your starting point allowed slapping the wife in the bar to stick. It would mesh with the public persona if the thing that he did had consequences It's the only time he's actually shown contrition But that's good for business It's the only time that he says say whatever you want about me
Starting point is 00:28:54 And he still doesn't push back on that stuff It's his fighters, it's the transphobia, it's the homophobia, it's the racism, it's the anti-semitism That I wish he were stronger against Now he did come out in opposition of Mitchell's comments He did it but he didn't actually take a punitive measure because look he didn't take a punitive measure for himself really He survived his scandal although apples and oranges what we're talking about If the discourse is now in a place because you help bring it there then you should at least I'm not even asking for 50-50
Starting point is 00:29:25 split here, dude. I am not. I'm asking for 90-10. If allow for 10% of civil discourse and opposition and not get your panties in a bunch every time someone comes out and criticizes you in public and not try to limit their access. We're adults here, are we not? With the thug nasty situation, Bryce Mitchell, obviously went on a podcast, said a lot of insane things. Even Sean Strickland, who is out there was like, yeah, I think Bryce is just an idiot. He's uneducated. Like he doesn't really know what he's doing a lot of the time. So for him to say that, like the line is obviously very out there. Mike, what's the punitive measure that you want for, for a sport, right? This is not a weekly sport. This is not a daily sports. Not like the NBA where we're
Starting point is 00:30:04 playing three times a week. The NFL we got 17 weeks in a row. How do you suspend somebody that fights every couple of months? How do you suspend somebody who's gonna fight seven months from now? For what Mitchell did, I think you fire him. Because what Mitchell did was disgusting. Now, he walked it back some.
Starting point is 00:30:21 Some people weren't all right with his apology. But you have to at least assure people that there is some sort of punitive measure. Does he have the ability to find fighters? That's something that you can do. Not just zero punitive measure at all because you're basically saying Mitchell's going to get bigger because of this. Mitchell's star is rising. His many people are hearing his name for the very first time. It appears as though Dana White is going to leverage this ascension somewhat on the next card. Just the same way he's done so with all these other inflammatory fighters.
Starting point is 00:30:51 We get that it's the fight game, cool. But if I have something to say about it and you want to in turn limit my access, I think you're soft. The problem is the key is winning in that sport too, right? Like you can't be the guy that just gets his ass kicked and then espouse whatever you want that is unsavory and be like, Oh, it's a star turn. It's like, no, wait a second. Like you have to keep winning.
Starting point is 00:31:10 The reason why Sean Strickland was in these positions is because he became champion is because he was like, all right, I'm a good enough fighter to become a champion of division. Doug Nasty is not that like he's gotten his ass beat. There was a value in wanting. All right. I hate what that person represents. I hate what they say. Now, they have not tried to appeal to me in any sort of way. The whole business model of come watch this guy
Starting point is 00:31:31 get his ass kicked because he offends you, he offends you, kind of goes out the door. When you welcome what you welcome into your events. I don't actually feel welcome at the UFC. I'm quite literally not welcome at the UFC. So what I would like is just some kind of leeway here and not just all this BS tough talk. I was new to this story.
Starting point is 00:31:51 So I wanted to look up what Bryce Mitchell actually said or did, cause we just kind of keep talking about like, oh, you know what Bryce Mitchell did. Quote, here's what I say about Musk hailing Hitler, hailing the Nazis. I really don't think that he was because I honestly think that Hitler was a good guy, based upon my own research, not my public education
Starting point is 00:32:10 indoctrination, Mitchell said. Mitchell continued, I really do think before Hitler got on meth, he was a guy I'd go fishing with. He fought for his country. He wanted to purify it by kicking the greedy Jews out that were destroying his country and turning them all into gays. They were gaying out the kids. They were queering out the kids. They were queering out the women. They were queering out the dudes.
Starting point is 00:32:28 Do you know where the first tranny surgery ever was? Happened to be in Germany before Hitler took over. You know, the books that everybody makes fun of Hitler burning. You know what the books was? Queer books. Hitler burned queer books because Hitler didn't want a bunch of queers destroying his nation. They can't produce children. He then continued on with more. So that's what we're f***ing talking about." End quote.
Starting point is 00:32:48 No suspension. No punitive measures. Just, hey, I don't like what he said. Yeah, and it should be a little scary. It's some of the things that were invoked there and some of the things that are being invoked now in terms of transphobia and all that. And look, this is reaping what you sow. Dana White, certainly, when he enables some other people some other fighters It's a inflammatory things or have off-the-court Allegations and whatnot. He probably doesn't think that this is the next stage in evolution of it But it is because you've kind of shown your level of tolerance and help some people get rewarded for their inflammatory
Starting point is 00:33:23 behavior in the UFC. Well, just I mean that last sentence Mike, some people get rewarded for their inflammatory behavior in the UFC. Boxing, the carnival barkers, the business of the fighting sports which is different from the other sports because they're individuals and it's wrought with corruption and everything else. These sports do not have governance and have loose ties to mainstream sports regulation and what Dana White has built comes only with rewards.
Starting point is 00:33:58 Like when you're talking about they get rewarded, the fighters get rewarded for that. Dana White has had no consequences to being how he is other than rewards. There's nothing but more money and more power accrued and more ability to be more and more of those things because he now has more allies and more power behind him than he's ever had. It's not a couple of people that benefit from this.
Starting point is 00:34:22 It's him and the entirety of his sport. And look, I know that there's a lot of talk about echo chambers, but he's quite literally built an echo chamber with who he allows to cover the sport. This is not not not an echo chamber. And if you are indeed all about free speech, you have to welcome in voices that are there to hold you accountable because if you are not going to govern yourself, then you need to be governed by shame. And there's a whole collective of people kind of spearheaded by that UFC and that whole free thinking culture that thinks that they're just immune to shame, that they don't actually have to hear it,
Starting point is 00:34:59 that you yourself are a snowflake for calling someone into question for holding them accountable. And I think that's talking out of both sides of your mouth I've never missed Jimmy Butler so much I don't think you could say panties in a bunch anymore I made a point to do that he's an ally made a point to do that Jimmy well he only understands bully talk so we'll do that we'll do that too I wanted to speak in a language that he apparently can understand. You know the Oklahoma City Thunder have the best net rating ever? They're good.
Starting point is 00:35:29 Like ever. They're on pace for the best season that's ever happened. They're really good. Yes, they're really good. Do it in the playoffs. Chris Cody, yes of course. Put it on the poll at LeBotard Show. Hey OKC, do it in the playoffs, yes or no.
Starting point is 00:35:39 I think I've gotten better on this. I've gone from like, you can't allow this to like, go ahead and allow it. But can you get like maybe you can't allow this to like, go ahead and allow it, but can you get like maybe tempers in? No. No, the answer's no. He's told you to deal with it, move on. The answer's no, it's not 90-10.
Starting point is 00:35:53 No. Charmin Soft. Charmin Soft. Fine. You are not in a position of leverage to negotiate. You're losing, your side is losing, your way is losing. And you're watching. And you're watching.
Starting point is 00:36:10 I love the sport, I love the UFC. When it comes back into town, I might go to the cart. I know what I'm supporting, I'm not entirely comfortable with it, but I have my convictions. Look, if they find out I'm actually paying for a ticket, they're like, cool, fine, free country, I assume. But if I want to go as a member of the media,
Starting point is 00:36:27 I won't be allowed. But wait a minute, but no, okay, and neither will I. And when you say you're not welcome there, how do you think that went for me last time I went? How do you imagine that went for me the last time I went? Celebrated when you walked up and down the stairs? I saw you, I gave you a handshake, remember? You were the one who welcomed me there.
Starting point is 00:36:44 I felt very very comfortable I know I bet Dan was totally normal there. I don't feel uncomfortable at these events. I know that look the Current president went to my event and I exercised my right, as did many, to cheer him. I booed, and that's a free country. And I love that I was afforded that as a paying ticket holder. I would like to voice opposition to certain things that I don't like and voice my displeasure as someone that is an invited guest of media. And we're just not doing that as a country anymore.
Starting point is 00:37:21 We're just limiting that. I would like to acknowledge as a show, community, America and the globe, Mike had the best point during this. I wanna really hear that. Yes, back to back best points. Ally! To every community, not just women.
Starting point is 00:37:37 I think I came out as a free speech absolute. The best point was made by Mike. Because you mentioned DDP, let's play that time that he hung up on us and got really mad at me. Scotty Snyder I was just with him up in the... Who tried to rip whose eyes out there? Somebody tried to rip somebody's eyes out there. You can't rip me up dude.
Starting point is 00:37:57 Did you try to tear out his eyes or did he try... No Monkey who the hell do you think you're talking to? He tried to tear out your eyes. Monkey who the hell do you think you're talking to? He tried to tear out your eyes! Monkey, who the hell do you think you're talking to? I'm positively page! Do you think I'm gonna flame your garbage? So you can see me? Ah!
Starting point is 00:38:13 Right here, f*** you! Oh no! Oh no! Wow! Right here, right here, right here, right here! Right here, right here, right here! Right here, right here, right here! Oh no.
Starting point is 00:38:21 Oh, Jesus. Ha ha ha ha! Valentine's Day is coming up, and for for me there's only one place I trust, 1800flowers.com. Every year I order stunning high quality bouquets from 1-800-Flowers that my grandma absolutely loves. Jessica, holy s***. I got the most gorgeous roses. I don't think I ever got that many roses in my whole life. Certainly not from your lovely grandfather. You may have still rest in peace.
Starting point is 00:38:49 Thank you. You made my day. I mean, they are gorgeous. Never had so many roses in my whole life. 85 years, holy s***. And this year we're partnering with 1-800-Flowers to make sure you're a Valentine's hero with an exclusive offer for lebatard listeners. Double the roses for free. When you buy one dozen, they'll double your bouquet to two dozen roses. It's the perfect way to say, I love you without breaking the bank. All roses from 1-800-FLOWERS are picked at their peak. Care for every step of the way and shipped fresh to ensure lasting beauty. To claim your double your roses offer, go to 1-800-FLOWERS.COM slash Dan. That's 1-800-flowers.com-slash-dan.
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